Matsui Coming To Grips With MLB Pitching



Lee Jenkins writes in this morning's NY Times about Mets SS Kazuo Matsui and his difficulties this spring adjusting to US big league pitching :

Matsui has never seen so many different pitches with so much movement. He has been able to hit straight fastballs, but has appeared confused by cutters and the assortment of breaking balls thrown by major league pitchers.

Although the Mets will use Matsui as their leadoff batter this season, he has struck out 14 times in 50 at-bats this spring, flailing at low and inside pitches with a wild uppercut swing. The Mets knew when they signed Matsui to a three-year, $20 million contract that he would need time to learn the different pitches and pitchers, but he is batting only .196, and it appears the adjustment process may take some time.

"I expected all of this because of the change of environment," Matsui said through an interpreter after he struck out twice and went 0 for 4 in a 1-1 tie with the Marlins on Thursday. "That's the attitude I came to America with. I haven't seen as many moving fastballs and cut fastballs, and I haven't seen how these pitchers throw from the windup."

In Japan, windups are often longer than what Matsui is now seeing. Like Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese star right fielder for Seattle, Matsui usually moves forward in the batter's box as the pitcher winds up. He has not been able to gauge the delivery of pitchers or to time his swing.

When Hideki Matsui was struggling in his first season with the Yankees last year, he was hitting mostly ground balls. The Mets would like to see more grounders from their Matsui. When he does make contact, he often hits the ball in the air, losing an opportunity to use his speed. The Mets have mostly seen Matsui's speed when he jogs back to the dugout after striking out.

On the first day of workouts, the Mets' coaches had a meeting with Matsui and explained the importance of reaching base. Since Matsui had more than 110 strikeouts in each of the past two years with the Seibu Lions, the Mets wanted him to walk more and bunt for hits.




Matsui still fashions himself a run producer even though the ballparks are significantly larger in the major leagues. Of his 10 hits this spring, 5 were for extra bases, a statistical oddity for a leadoff man. Denny Walling, the hitting coach, has noticed that Matsui raises his concentration when runners are on base late in the game. It could eventually earn him a reputation as a clutch performer, but it is not necessarily the hallmark of a leadoff man.

"I've seen enough talent to know he'll come through this," Walling said. "We just have to help him gain more information. We have to make sure his body is in a position to hit a strike every time."

Most hitters take a few weeks of spring training to rediscover their swings, but Matsui needs more time. Manager Art Howe said his coaches have worked with Matsui to keep his weight back instead of lunging for breaking balls. Opposing teams will most likely feed Matsui cut fastballs in the regular season and then come back with off-speed pitches out of the strike zone.

So it seems the learning process will take some time for Matsui. He hit for power in Japan and while it isn't impossible to teach selectivity, it isn't very easy either, particularly with a guy who has been playing pro ball for a decade.

Posted: Fri - March 26, 2004 at 04:56 AM      

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