TUCSON, Ariz.-
Kaz Matsui is comfortable in a Colorado uniform.
“I wasn’t Kaz Matsui in New York. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t the player I really am,” the Japanese-born Matsui said through his interpreter, Yoshi Ono.
The 31-year-old second baseman never lived up to the hype after signing a $20.1 million, three-year contract in 2003 with the Mets, who traded him to Colorado last summer.
After spending two months getting his game together and his head straight at Triple-A, Matsui hit .345 in 32 games for the Rockies, compiling a .392 on-base percentage and swiping eight bases in nine attempts.
That was enough to convince Colorado to make re-signing the switch-hitter a top priority and make Jamey Carroll a utility man. It also was enough to show Matsui that he could still make it in the majors.
So, he didn’t even think about returning to Japan or going anywhere else and re-signed with the Rockies for $1.5 million.
Along with newcomer Willy Taveras in center field, Matsui gives the Rockies something they’ve long lacked: speed at the top of the order.
“What Kaz brings us is dynamic speed, game-changing speed,” general manger Dan O’Dowd said. “He showed up well for six weeks last summer. Now we’ve got to see it for six months.”
You ain’t seen nothing yet, Matsui insisted through a wide grin.
“Last year it was good to have a good six weeks but I’m not totally satisfied,” Matsui said. “I think I can do more than that.”
And he thinks he’s in the perfect spot, at last.
Matsui played for the Seibu Lions from 1995 until he was signed by the Mets. Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said the glare of the East Coast baseball spotlight may not have let Matsui, a former shortstop, find his own place in the American game.
“We tried to embrace him at his own time and at his own pace and make him aware of what we were looking for in how his package can play in our game,” Hurdle said. “We gave him a chance to start over, a clean backboard.”
The Mile-High City isn’t the pressure-cooker New York is, and the Colorado clubhouse isn’t chock-full of big egos and bigger contracts.
“I’m really comfortable now. I like the atmosphere of the city and the team. It really fits me,” Matsui said. “I also liked New York: very crowded and exciting and had so many things going on. It’s just that I didn’t have good results there.”
To help him change that in Denver, the Rockies are working with him to polish his glove and footwork at second and to be more consistent at the plate, where he hit .299 against right-handers last season but just .119 against lefties.
He thinks offseason Lasik surgery will help him find that balance.
“It was good last year, but I need to hit more, steal more,” he said.
And understand more.
Matsui also spent time over the winner taking English lessons, not that his interpreter will be out of work anytime soon.
“(The language) is really, really difficult,” Matsui said. “I can understand most of what people say, but it is hard from me to respond about it.”
What he doesn’t think he’ll have a hard time with is his comeback.
