Thursday, November 19, 2009

Yankeetorial: It hurts to say this, oh, it hurts... But Hideki Matsui must find another team


It's no fun, closing the book on a great novel.
Its like watching Peter Pan, when you were a kid: You didn't want it to end. You wished you could stay in that fantasy world, flying with Tinker Bell and always outwitting Captain Hook. Everything was magical. And then... it ended... on a school night, no less.

We have no place next year for Hideki Matsui.

We've put it off, being in no hurry to state the painfully obvious:

Next year... no Matsui.

It's not his fault. Great player. Great Yankee. Great man. He just can't play the outfield anymore. And we just can't take a full-time DH anymore.

We need a DH-by-committee: Arod, Jorge, Damon (assuming he stays), Jeter, Swisher, Tex... they need half-days off.

We cannot float a full-time DH. And Matsui is a full-time DH.

OK, let's make a pact. With me, everybody? Two vows:

1. When Matusi comes back in another uniform, as soon as he steps onto the field... Huge O. Standing O. Five minutes. Game-stopper. If he homers, double it. Even if it's a walkoff. We'll be like the Olive Garden, and he is family.

2. When Matsui is done, kaput, waived by the Padres of the world, he gets one last Yankee shot. We did it for Tino. We did it for Jeff Nelson. One last crack. He retires a Yankee. Olive Garden. Family.
Listen, we can all close your eyes and clap really really hard -- and we can save Tinkerbell! But it's still a school night. We can't save the Syonara Kid.
Syonara.

6 comments:

Alph From Tokyo said...

I beg to differ.

We keep Hideki for the re-rum at $5 million.

We can rest Jeter and A-Rod and Cano by playing Ramiro Pena.

He will hit 25 HRs this year, as I am working with him to build his upper body strength.

Hideki is the reason we won the series.

It would be un-American and anti-Japanese to cut him now.

We fans, would have to commit seppakku.

He can't run or throw, but he can go deep.

Sushi now. Sushi now.

Stang said...

Who DHes next postseason (assuming we get in), when all of our big DH bats are playing their positions? Jose Molina?

Anonymous said...

It would be kind of hard for Matsui to hit a walkoff HR at Yankee Stadium if he was wearing another uniform, no?

Anonymous said...

As I mentioned to Alfonso while Yoko was marching up and down his back, the answer is to trade Swisher, Melky and a farm arm for Ichiro. Imagine - 400 hits before getting to Tex!

Besides, Japan (heavy with Yankee fans) would go nuts.

I'm Bill White said...

You could have at least held the vote for YANKEE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH before telling him to find another team. I know my non-violent movement has failed, but naming manager of the year, Cy Young award winners, etc., before formally presenting him the award is hurtful.

JM said...

Matsui without knees is worth seven Swishers, 12 Melkys and a Damon and a half. (Just an estimate, of course.)

It would be demoralizing, crazy and absurd not to sign him again. He is a great player even if reduced to coming off the bench to pinch hit a clutch single or HR now and then.

The money is a piffle. Sign him.