Batting practice was winding down, and New York Mets coach Bobby Floyd was trying to shuffle players in and out of the cage.
“Next,” Floyd yelled if a player did not place the ball where Floyd deemed it would be a hit. “Just like the barber says.”
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Shortstop Kazuo Matsui, the Mets’ latest high-priced free agent, stepped into the cage and hit a fly ball.
“Next,” Floyd said before adding, “I’ve got to figure out what the barber says in Japanese.”
That would be “tsugi.”
Matsui knew to rush out of the cage, but his English is way behind his baseball skills after signing a three-year contract for $20.1 million in December.
Matsui has learned some baseball lingo and words like “hello” and “thank you.” But he has two favorite phrases he has learned in the last month: “Atta boy” and “That’s what I’m talkin’ about.”
“It’s very tough to learn the new words,” Matsui said through his business agent and interpreter, Toru Mihara.
But Matsui, 28, appears oblivious to the stage on which he’s about to enter.
“No pressure,” he said when asked about playing in New York. “I’m enjoying it.”
Mihara said Matsui, a seven-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner in Japan, got his first taste of the city while on the Mets’ winter caravan last month. He toured the city along with Jose Reyes, the two players around whom the Mets will rebuild. Reyes, 20, is moving from shortstop to second base to make room for Matsui.
“When I became a free agent, I decided I wanted to become a greater baseball player,” Matsui said. “That’s why I decided to take my game to the world stage.”
Matsui has looked polished during his early practices. His fielding and throwing motion appear effortless, and the switch-hitter sprays the ball to all fields from both sides, showing more power from his natural right-handed side.
Matsui hit .305 with 33 home runs last season for the Seibu Lions. His best season was 2002 when he hit .332 with 36 home runs. He uses an orange and blue bat provided by Nike that reads “Appreciation” in Japanese, above “25 MATSUI.”
“He’s fundamentally sound,” Mets coach Al Jackson said. “He’s been doing the right things for a long time.”
In Japan, Matsui is the second coming of, well, Matsui. Kazuo is called “Little Matsui,” while Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui is known as “Big Matsui.” If Hideki’s popularity is compared to Shaquille O’Neal’s, Kazuo is Tim Duncan.
“Some people compare me to Hideki Matsui,” Matsui said. “I’m not going to compare myself with him. I respect Hideki very much. He is my superior. I’m very glad to play in the same baseball league. I want to enjoy playing against him in the Subway Series.”