Former New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui was named Friday as the new manager of the Yomiuri Giants, the club he played for before departing for the United States. Matsui, 52, hit a combined 507 home runs in Japan and the United States over a 20-year professional career.
Matsui moved in 2003 to Major League Baseball and spent most of his career with the Yankees. He batted .282 with 175 home runs and 760 RBI in MLB. Before that, in Japan, he hit .304 with 332 home runs and 889 RBIs.
Matsui replaces interim manager Hideki Hashigami, who took over in May after Shinnosuke Abe resigned. The appointment brings one of Japan's most celebrated sluggers back to the club that shaped the early part of his career, and sets him up to guide the Giants as they look ahead to the next season.
The move reflects the strong ties between Japanese and American baseball, with Matsui having built a reputation on both sides of the Pacific. His return to Tokyo offers the Giants a figure with deep experience at the highest levels of the sport.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing