Matsui Likely Gone For The Season
Neil Becker
29sports.com
The big question in New York is whether or not the team should take that big gamble and sign either all time homerun champion Barry Bonds or slugger Richie Sexson who was recently released from the Seattle Mariners.
Over the all-star break, the Yankees, who are 6 games out of first in the tough American League Eastern Division, got some bad news when they found out that one of their big bats in outfielder Hideki Matsui will in all probabilities be gone for the rest of the season.
Criticized by the teams co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner in early July for their cold bats, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that it’s to early for thinking about adding a big name such as Bonds to add more power. “I would say any speculation on us involving a player of that magnitude would be extremely premature,” Cashman said about Bonds who is apparently willing to pay for the league minimum. “It’s not something we’re focused on at this point.” “We’re focused on getting Hideki Matsui back, rather than you know, what we’re going to do if he’s not back.”
Known in Japan and by his teammates as Godzilla, this slugger who smashed 25 homeruns last season and 103 RBI’s, has recently experienced more swelling in his ailing knee and as a result will by examined by team doctors in New York on Friday. Speculation now is that he will need season ending surgery and will be lost until next season.
Besides for Bonds, who is the number one all time home run hitter with 762, rumors are that New York might also make a pitch for the bat of Sexson who upon his release with the Mariners had 11 homeruns but only a 218 batting average and was prone to striking out.
The Yankees under Steinbrenner have always tried to fill gapping holes by throwing money at players and I guarantee that this year will be no exception. Thinking that it will attract more people to Yankee Stadium and grab newspaper headlines, I can see the Yankees going out and signing the aging Bonds to help in their push for a post- season birth.
