Hideki Matsui retires from baseball and the Yankees react

Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from professional baseball today. Matsui played in the United States for ten years after coming over from Japan where he played for ten years. Matsui was nicknamed Godzilla, he played with the New York Yankees from 2003-2009 after playing for the Tokyo Giants which is Japans version of the Yankees. He was a very good player, very clutch and also very classy.. He batted 292 with the Yankees, scoring 536 runs, hitting 196 doubles, 140 homeruns and driving in 597 runs. He became the first player in Yankees franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut. He accomplished that feat against the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 2003. He was a two time all star who didn’t miss a game in his first three years, 518 consecutive games which is a record still today for longest streak to start a career. Matsui always had a flair for the dramatic and in his final game as a Yankee he went 3-4 and drove in six runs to clinch World Series Game 6 on November 4, 2009 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was loved by everyone and that came out today upon the news of his retirement. Here are some of the Yankees reacting to the news. 
Hal Steinbrenner: “Hideki Matsui in many ways , embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”

Brian Cashman: “Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”

Derek Jeter: “I’ve said numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being overshadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for both his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”

I was at that first game in 2003 and he became an instant fan favorite. He always had a flair for the dramatic and was so clutch and that is why he was loved in New York. The Yankees today don’t really have guys like that and that is why they have struggled in the postseason. I like what they have done this off-season because I feel like they are going back to what made them successful, not so much guys that just hit homeruns but guys who can do a lot and be clutch players. I wish Hideki all the best and I am sure his fans and the Yankees look forward to seeing him at future Old Timers day celebrations.

R.A. Dickey is traded to the Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Mets traded the ace of their staff and 2012 Cy young award winner. It seems like that wouldn’t be a good idea. I think the Mets actually did the right thing though and made out well for themselves. They got two of the Blue Jays top three prospects and they traded a 38 year old knuckle ball pitcher who is coming off of his best season. He was good in New York but never close to as good as he was last season. It is hard seeing him duplicate that performance and his value will never be higher. 
The Mets are a team that has been bad for a while, they are stocking up their farm system now and hoping that within the next couple of years they will make an impact and lead them back to the postseason and beyond. The Mets have the makings of some very good and talented players. They have a good young pitching staff and Dickey if not part of the long term future would just be blocking one of the youngsters. The Mets need some outfield help and need as much money as possible to concentrate on that. They are set in the infield and pitching staff, they could maybe use some bullpen help also but that may come from within as well.

The Mets got top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud, major league catcher John Buck, pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard and minor leaguer Wuilmer Becerra. Here is what Mets GM Sandy Alderson had to say. “It was an extraordinary privilege for us to be part of his career over the past three years.” “The final chapter has not been written, but it has been an extraordinary career, arcing from disappointment to jubilation.”

The Mets also sent catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to the Blue Jays. The Mets catching situation was not good at all and although d’Arnaud has had injury problems he is considered the top catching prospect in all of baseball and the Mets are willing to bet he will make the team before long and be their catcher for a long time. Dickey came out on twitter and wrote a nice message to the Mets fans.

If you are wondering Dickey is the seventh Cy Young Award winner to open the following season with a new team and fourth to be traded.

The New York Giants are embarrassed in Atlanta

The New York Giants lost to the Atlanta Falcons by the score of 34-0 on Sunday afternoon. There was nothing good at all you could say about this game for the Giants. It took place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Eli Manning had a terrible game and you could say so did coach Tom Coughlin. 
Manning was 13-25 for 161 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. David Wilson led the rushing attack with 12 rushes for 55 yards and Kregg Lumpkin had nine rushes for 42 yards.

Domenick Hixon had five receptions for 80 yards to lead the receivers. Hakeem Nicks had three receptions for 40 yards, Victor Cruz had three receptions for 15 yards and Martellus Bennett had one reception for 15 yards. Wilson had one reception for 11 yards.

Will Hill led the defense with six tackles and three assists. Chris Canty had a sack and Stevie Brown had six tackles with two assists.

Matt Ryan was 23-28 for 270 yards and three touchdowns. Michael Turner led the Falcons rushing attack with 16 rushes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Jason Snelling rushed six times for 39 yards, Jacquizz Rodgers had 11 attempts for 25 yards and Julio Jones had one rush for 18 yards.

Jones led the receivers with six receptions for 74 yards. Harry Douglas had three receptions for 83 yards, Tony Gonzalez had six receptions for 49 yards and Roddy White had two receptions for 16 yards. Snelling had three receptions for 14 yards, Rodgers had one reception for 14 yards and Mike Cox had one reception for 11 yards. Turner had one reception for nine yards. Matt Bryant was 2-2 on field goals with 38 being his long and 4-4 on extra points.

Asante Samuel and Thomas Decoud each had an interception. Sean Weatherspoon led the Falcons defense with six tackles and three assists. Kroy Biermann had a sack.

The Giants are now 8-6 on the season and in a three way tie for first place in the NFC East. The Redskins hold the tie breaker and are technically the first place team. The Giants if they win their last two games will be in the playoffs and they will see how the seeding unfolds. They still have destiny in their own hands, they play at Baltimore and then home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Atlanta Falcons are having a great season and improved to 12-2.

R.A. dickey is an angry Elf

The Mets had their annual holiday party, one of them dresses as Santa and they have a couple of elves. David Wright was there as Santa and R.A. Dickey and Ike Davis were elves. Dickey seemed to speak out about the Mets and their lack of effort with getting a deal done with him. I personally didn’t think it was horrible but it didn’t look good what he said. I am not sure that a event with children was the right place to air out your grievances. I do understand why he is upset though, he is only looking for a two year deal with fair market value. Dickey did win a Cy Young award last season. 
I think they may keep him but just have him on the final year of his deal. I think the Mets could trade him but want a really good deal for him and if not I don’t see them giving him two years. They probably should just give him a two year extension and leave it at that. Johan Santana is in his last year and the rest of the staff is young. It is good to have a veteran presence around but we will see how it plays out.

The other big story which is more up to date is Josh Hamilton agreeing to a deal with the Anaheim Angels on Thursday afternoon. He signed for five years and 125 million dollars. What a lineup they have with Pujols and Hamilton in the middle and they also have Mike Trout. The rivalry between the Angels and Rangers has also really picked up steam with this. The Angels and Dodgers though in different leagues have a little territorial rivalry going like the Mets and Yankees. It will be interesting to see how Hamilton performs outside his comfort zone. He won’t be expected to be the guy in Anaheim as Pujols and Trout are also there. A city like Los Angeles though can be very tempting and they better have someone watching his every move to make sure he doesn’t fall off the wagon.

New York Yankees moves and a big trade in baseball

The New York Yankees have signed Kevin Youkilis to play third base for them in 2012. Alex Rodriguez is their third baseman but he is having hip surgery and will miss at least half the season. If Rodriguez comes back in half a season who knows how he will be and if he can play the field anymore. I know that Youkilis is one of the most hated players to go against the Yankees for all those years in Boston. The signing though one year for 12 million is not a bad move in my opinion. I would say he was clearly the best option out there, he is not as good as he used to be but he still hits lefties and can get on base. He walks a lot and gets hit by pitches. It will be interesting to see how he is received by Yankees fans and of course how they react in Boston to him.

Ichiro Suzuki hasn’t officially signed yet but he is coming back to the Yankees. The only question now is if he is coming back for a year, a year and an option or two years which is being rumored. Ichiro has a chance of reaching 3000 hits and the Yankees may tie bonuses to his contract if he does that. I like the move with Ichiro to be the right fielder, he does so many things right. He also brings that speed element which I think is so important. I think the Yankees will have a different offensive team next year. They will have to create more runs which in the long run is good for them. They have become too reliant on the homerun and that has cost them in the postseason. I think the Yankees will also sign a right handed outfielder to complement Ichiro but we will see. Scott Hairston is an option.

There was also a big three way trade in baseball on Tuesday between the Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds. The Indians got Drew Stubbs a center fielder, right handers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. Shin-Soo Choo has been the right fielder for pretty much the last seven years for the Indians. He went to the Reds, Jason Donald and 3.5 million also went to the Reds. Tony Sipp a reliever and first baseman Lars Anderson went to Arizona. It looks like Cleveland may have gotten the upper hand in this deal but we will wait and see how it all plays out.