GaryMrMets
12-28-2005, 09:57 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/story/378306p-321364c.html
Hideki opts to bow out
Loyal to Yanks, he'll skip WBC
BY ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
There was some rejoicing in the Yankee offices yesterday when team executives learned that Hideki Matsui had told a Japanese news service that he would not participate in next spring's World Baseball Classic.
Matsui is the second Yankee star - Alex Rodriguez was the other - to say that he would not play in Bud Selig's dream tournament that will feature teams from 16 nations in March. Right now, the only Yankees who have said they would play are Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon for the U.S., Bernie Williams for Puerto Rico and Robinson Cano for the Dominican Republic.
The Yankees are leery of the tournament and the possibility of their key players getting injured. Matsui, however, said he was passing on the WBC because of the commitment he made to the Yankees. Matsui signed a four-year, $52 million contract in November after playing three seasons in New York.
"The reason I decided to go to the United States was to try and become a world champion with the Yankees, and I fear that chasing two goals might get in the way of that dream," Matsui said in a statement to the Kyodo News Agency.
Late Monday, Matsui told Sadaharu Oh, the manager of the Japanese team and perhaps Japan's best-known slugger, that he would not play. Oh had personally asked Matsui to play.
"I know that it would be ideal to play for both club and country and I understand that Sadaharu Oh and the fans were hoping I would do that," Matsui told Kyodo.
While keeping mum publicly, the Yankees have been vocal opponents of the tournament behind the scenes, including at the GM meetings in November. They, like other teams, petitioned the Classic committee to have several of their players removed from consideration. There are multiple reasons why a player could be removed - age and injury history among them - and the Yankees were successful in getting Jorge Posada restricted although the catcher wanted to play for Puerto Rico.
The Yankees petitioned to have other players removed, too. Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina are believed to be among them and, in information released by Major League Baseball, neither is listed as participating.
The Yankees would prefer if Chien-Ming Wang, who had arm problems during his terrific rookie season, did not pitch for Chinese Taipei, but Wang is one of the country's top available players and could participate.
Originally published on December 28, 2005
Hideki opts to bow out
Loyal to Yanks, he'll skip WBC
BY ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
There was some rejoicing in the Yankee offices yesterday when team executives learned that Hideki Matsui had told a Japanese news service that he would not participate in next spring's World Baseball Classic.
Matsui is the second Yankee star - Alex Rodriguez was the other - to say that he would not play in Bud Selig's dream tournament that will feature teams from 16 nations in March. Right now, the only Yankees who have said they would play are Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon for the U.S., Bernie Williams for Puerto Rico and Robinson Cano for the Dominican Republic.
The Yankees are leery of the tournament and the possibility of their key players getting injured. Matsui, however, said he was passing on the WBC because of the commitment he made to the Yankees. Matsui signed a four-year, $52 million contract in November after playing three seasons in New York.
"The reason I decided to go to the United States was to try and become a world champion with the Yankees, and I fear that chasing two goals might get in the way of that dream," Matsui said in a statement to the Kyodo News Agency.
Late Monday, Matsui told Sadaharu Oh, the manager of the Japanese team and perhaps Japan's best-known slugger, that he would not play. Oh had personally asked Matsui to play.
"I know that it would be ideal to play for both club and country and I understand that Sadaharu Oh and the fans were hoping I would do that," Matsui told Kyodo.
While keeping mum publicly, the Yankees have been vocal opponents of the tournament behind the scenes, including at the GM meetings in November. They, like other teams, petitioned the Classic committee to have several of their players removed from consideration. There are multiple reasons why a player could be removed - age and injury history among them - and the Yankees were successful in getting Jorge Posada restricted although the catcher wanted to play for Puerto Rico.
The Yankees petitioned to have other players removed, too. Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina are believed to be among them and, in information released by Major League Baseball, neither is listed as participating.
The Yankees would prefer if Chien-Ming Wang, who had arm problems during his terrific rookie season, did not pitch for Chinese Taipei, but Wang is one of the country's top available players and could participate.
Originally published on December 28, 2005