May 12, 2006

Cringe-worthy. : Matsui fractures wrist, makes the play (wow!), ends a consecutive game streak at 518 (more wow), has surgery and is expected to be out at least 3 months, if not more.

read story | posted by jerseygirl to Baseball at 4:31 PM CDT (29 comments total)

Here's the video, if the MLB one doesn't work. About 1:05 into the video is the shot of the injury. I screamed when I watched it live, and every replay thereafter. Like a horror movie the way his hand was dangling.

posted by jerseygirl at 4:33 PM CDT on May 12

Ouch!! That's gotta hurt!

posted by usroute17 at 4:42 PM CDT on May 12

wow, bad break (yuk yuk) for the yanks, but i'm not sure you can call that "making the play." i guess he didn't let the ball roll to the warning track, which is worth something.

posted by ninjavshippo at 4:44 PM CDT on May 12

The dude has his hand dangling from his arm and crawls back to the ball, and throws the ball back in to the infield. That's making the play to me.

If he had dropped to the ground into the fetal position screaming in horror, no one could have blamed him. I was practically on the floor screaming just watching it.

posted by jerseygirl at 4:47 PM CDT on May 12

jg, Thanks for the viedo. It was hard to watch but I'm glad I saw it. By all accounts that I have read Matsui is a first class individual. I hope it's not as bad as it looks.

posted by Termite at 5:02 PM CDT on May 12

Wow, I just watched it and OWWWWWWW!!!!
The way it just snaps back like that...pain! I like how the announcer draws the straight line after a few replays to emphasize, "His arm should NOT be flat right there!"

posted by jmd82 at 5:12 PM CDT on May 12

From this article:

"Due to this injury, I feel very sorry and, at the same time, very disappointed to have let my teammates down," Matsui said in a statement.

I know that, from my limited understanding of Japanese culture, a statement of fault like that is not out of the blue, but dude snapped his wrist trying to make a play on the ball. It's okay, Hideki -- you did not let anybody down, it was a bit of bad luck. That would be like Tom Glavine saying he let his teammates down for when he missed a start last year because the cab he was riding to the stadium in got in a wreck and he lost his two front teeth.

posted by holden at 5:42 PM CDT on May 12

It's actually 1,768 straight games, if you count his Japanese League streak - a mighty impressive string of games, even if the MLB part is only about a third of that.

And really, ESPN - did you need to replay this 17 times or whatever? It's gruesome. We get it. Move on.

posted by Toxteth O'Grady at 5:45 PM CDT on May 12

Granted Matsui's injury was bad it wasn't the worst I've seen. New York isn't looking to good right now without Sheff and Hideki, Big Stein should be sending someone out soon.

posted by Clevelander32 at 5:47 PM CDT on May 12

I didn't see the break and feel bad for Matsui, he has always struck me as a pro's pro (and one helluva ball player too).

But I don't feel all that bad that the Yankees lost him. Except now King George is (probably) getting his checkbook out to replace him. I know, publicly ridicule you're $200 million "third basemen", that'll help for sure! (Yes, I'm aware A-Rod's double error game was before the injury, I just love the non-stop soap opera that is Yankees baseball).

posted by fenriq at 6:09 PM CDT on May 12

Matsui is a great player with a great attitude, and losing him hurts the Yankees more than most people will ever know. Having his steady bat in the lineup on a daily basis is something the Yankees could take for granted until now. As a Yankee fan, I can sincerely say they're in big, big trouble.

posted by dyams at 7:00 PM CDT on May 12

i have not and will not watch that video. it was bad enough seeing it live from a few hundred feet away. i can't bring myself to watch it up close. i think i'd probably cry.

posted by goddam at 8:36 PM CDT on May 12

You gotta love the oriental attitude...instead of pissing and moaning, and "poor me", Godzilla APOLOGIZES for his injury!

But don't worry, Yankee fans. Georgie has no issue with pulling out "the card" to get an Aubrey Huff or, if necessary, Junior Griffey.

Get back soon, Z!!!

posted by wolfdad at 8:37 PM CDT on May 12

I really can't stand the Yankees, but Matsui makes me wish I could. Hell of a ball player.

posted by Joey Michaels at 9:41 PM CDT on May 12

As a Yankee fan, I can sincerely say they're in big, big trouble.

I don't agree. Matsui has set an example since the day he joined the Yankees. The way he has played, the way he has conducted himself and the way he went out are inspirational, and as far-fetched as it is to think that millionaire ballplayers are un-cynical enough to be so inspired...I kind of think they will be, and will step up. Case in point, perhaps, Damon also got banged up on Thursday but played on Friday, an important thing for the thinned-out outfield. And everybody across the lineup has to know that they've got to come through, most especially including the pitchers -- they can't afford to give up a bunch of runs with a dependable bat like Matsui out of the lineup.

Sounds like the surgery went well, btw. Get well soon, Gojira!!!

posted by lil_brown_bat at 9:50 PM CDT on May 12

If baseball was as international as soccer, the biggest part of this story would be Hideki Matsui's lost chance to break the consecutive game streak.

He was only two seasons away from the doorstep of Lou Gehrig's 2,130.

posted by rcade at 10:05 PM CDT on May 12

From the first replay you could tell it was a bad injury. As a red sox fan, there's no one I respected or feared more than Matsui. Wrist injuries are tough to come back from (nomar), so I wish him well.

Case in point, perhaps, Damon also got banged up on Thursday but played on Friday, an important thing for the thinned-out outfield.

You can use that sentence the entire year. Damon is always banged up, and always plays.

I feel sorry for matsui, but not the yankees. If no one does 'step up', they'll go get someone.

posted by justgary at 10:11 PM CDT on May 12

I just love the non-stop soap opera that is Yankees baseball

What I love even more is that they haven't won the World Series since 2000 -- OMG! Gee, wouldn't fans of the Cubs, Giants, Indians and a few other teams be overjoyed to be able to say that about their team? The Yanks have won enough WS (26? 27?) to go at least another century without winning one!

I feel a little bad for Matsui, but I'd feel quite a bit worse for him if he weren't a Yankee. Now George Swinebrenner is checking his bank accounts to see how much he can pony up to siphon off some other team's best player.

posted by TerpFan at 10:18 PM CDT on May 12

I feel a little bad for Matsui, but I'd feel quite a bit worse for him if he weren't a Yankee.

I'm not sure how matsui being a yankee helps him at all, unless they have super-surgeons no other team has access to.

posted by justgary at 10:35 PM CDT on May 12

unless they have super-surgeons no other team has access to.

c'mon gary, you didn't know? george keeps the super-surgeons locked up under the bleachers. they can rebuild him. they have the technology. they have the capability to build the world's first mechagodzilla.

posted by goddam at 11:06 PM CDT on May 12

as for the notion that they're going to go out and buy a replacement, i don't think they're panicking just yet. sure, it's not likely that Bernie will suddenly turn back the clock and start hitting like it's 1999. so they're going to have to rely on more small ball, especially with guys like Bubba and Melky.

and a lot depends on Sheff's condition. if he can come back when his DL stint is up, then the situation will be much easier to deal with. if Sheff's injury is worse than they thought, then you may see them looking for another bat elsewhere. i don't see it being a blockbuster trade though. (maybe i should clarify that. i don't want it to be a blockbuster trade.)

posted by goddam at 11:25 PM CDT on May 12

They can always use Pavano as trade bait.

posted by qbert72 at 5:04 AM CDT on May 13

The Yanks have won enough WS (26? 27?) to go at least another century without winning one!

No they cannot. With those victories the fans have gotten used to winning about every four years. To have a winning tradition like that, and then to not win for the next hundred years would make the Yankees, well, kind of like the Boston Red Sox.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 5:22 AM CDT on May 13

They can always use Pavano as trade bait.

Ohhhhh, that was low.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 6:10 AM CDT on May 13

But don't worry, Yankee fans. Georgie has no issue with pulling out "the card" to get an Aubrey Huff or, if necessary, Junior Griffey.

Cincy wouldn't trade Griffey. The team is doing well and they can use him. Also, if you're the Yankees, do you trade for someone who is injured all the time? If Wily Mo was still in Cincy, he'd definitely be a Yankee by now.

posted by jerseygirl at 8:03 AM CDT on May 13

I have to admit to a gruding respect for Matsui and am happy it was his non-throwing hand; otherwise his legendary porn collection would just be collecting dust.

posted by yerfatma at 9:13 AM CDT on May 13

I like Matsui a lot too. I really wanted Boston to go after him when his contract was up.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:26 AM CDT on May 13

WHY??? Sheffield is hurt, Matsui is possibly out for the season, and Damon is going to be playing with a banged up a shoulder, and the Big Unit got an MRI...WHY??? What did the Yankees do to earn this type of punishment from the baseball gods??? The only thing that could make this season even worse is if Jeter, A-Rod, Rivera or Giambi get hurt!!! It's bad enough that Tanyon Sturtze is playing awfully bad and that the Yankee pitching staff is not what was expected...now Matsui is probably out for the year...WHY??? This sucks!!! I ask the baseball gods, WHY??? What did the Yankees do to earn this???

And the Yanks can use Pavano as trade bait, but I see that the Yankees at least attempt to stay inside the family for now.

posted by djchippy99 at 1:04 PM CDT on May 16

What did the Yankees do to earn this type of punishment from the baseball gods???

You're joking, right?

posted by yerfatma at 1:35 PM CDT on May 16

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