With the departure of Masahiro Tanaka from the New York Yankees, I got to thinking about my all-time favorite Yankee player: Hideki Matsui. He was on the team from 2003 to 2009, and he is the reason I have a special place in my heart for all the players from Japan.

Matsui was the pinnacle of good manners, unmatchable work ethic, and undying loyalty. I will forever believe that the Yankees made a mistake not resigning him after the 2009 season. Matsui was the MVP of the World Series and, while his knees were beginning to fail him, I think he would have been a better producer for us than Damon was. I’m willing to admit that I am heavily biased in this argument. I remember having pictures of Matsui in my locker at school, and I can remember always being super bummed when he was not in the lineup. On the other hand, Damon was a former Red Sox player, and he could not win me over.

Matsui was such a hard worker in left field; I remember the game where he broke his wrist and, though you could see the obvious pain on his face, Matsui stopped the runners from being able to advance farther by finding the ball and throwing it in. I don’t know too many players today that wouldn’t fall to the ground and completely forget about the game (understandably so) after sustaining that injury. After Matsui was placed on the injured list, he actually released a statement where he apologized for letting down the fans. He was always so concerned about the impression he had on the fans, and that’s why everyone loved him.

One of the many reasons I respect the Yankees as an organization involves Hideki Matsui and the end of his career. When he was getting ready for retirement, Matsui worked out a one-day contract where he could officially retire as a Yankee. Matsui is instrumental in acquiring top talent from Japan signed to the Yankees, and he is a presence on the field throughout spring training and the rest of the season. It’s been nice to see him maintain a relationship with the Yankees because he’s always been someone to add to the clubhouse atmosphere.