page_title: Hideki Matsui
section_title: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
hierarchical_section_title: Hideki Matsui / Professional career / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
caption_attribution_description: Former New York Yankees player Hideki Matsui of the Los Angeles Angels is greeted by his former teammates at the Yankees' World Series ring ceremony before their home opener.
context_page_description: Hideki Matsui, nicknamed "Godzilla", is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played baseball in Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
  Matsui played the first ten seasons of his career in Japan for NPB's Yomiuri Giants. During that span, he was a nine-time All-Star, three-time Japan Series champion, and three-time Central League Most Valuable Player. In 2003, Matsui transitioned to playing in MLB in North America, and spent his first seven seasons there with the New York Yankees. As a Yankee, he was a two-time All-Star and 2009 World Series champion, for which he was named the World Series MVP. After becoming a free agent, Matsui had one-year stints with three other MLB teams: the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, and Tampa Bay Rays. On July 28, 2013, Matsui signed a one-day minor league contract with the Yankees in order to officially retire with the team.
  During his 20-year playing career, Matsui hit 507 home runs – 332 in NPB and 175 in MLB. In 2018, Matsui was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
context_section_description: On December 16, 2009, Matsui agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim worth $6.5 million. He told Yomiuri Shimbun that he "loved the Yankees the best" but that he no longer felt valued and when his agent called to negotiate, "The Yankees had nothing prepared [in terms of contract conditions]." He made up his mind to sign with the Angels quickly. "I really felt their high expectations of me", he said. "They also acknowledged that I want to give fielding a shot." On Opening Day 2010, Matsui went 2 for 4 with a home run in the Angels cleanup spot. While playing in 145 games for the Angels, he produced a .274 batting average, 21 home runs and 84 RBIs. Matsui returned to free agent status following the close of the season, and on November 23, 2010 the Angels announced that they would not offer him salary arbitration.
caption: Matsui greeted by his former teammates during the Yankees' 2010 home opener, as he receives his 2009 World Series ring
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