Red Bull Racing and Kazuo Matsui: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox MLB player|
{{refimprove|date=June 2008}}
name=Kazuo Matsui|

image=Kazmatsui02-2.jpg|
{{about|the Formula One team|the NASCAR team|Team Red Bull}}
caption=Matsui playing for the [[Colorado Rockies]] in 2007|
{{F1 team |
width=250|
Constructor_name = {{flagicon|Austria}} Red Bull-Renault |
position=Second baseman|
Long_name = Red Bull Racing |
team=Houston Astros|
Logo = [[Image:Red Bull logo.gif]] |
number=3|
Base = [[Milton Keynes]], [[United Kingdom]] |
bats=Switch|
Owner = {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Dietrich Mateschitz]] |
throws=Right|
Principal = {{flagicon|UK}} [[Christian Horner]] |
birthdate={{birth date and age|1975|10|23}}|
Engineering Head = {{flagicon|UK}} [[Adrian Newey]] |
birthplace=[[Higashiōsaka, Osaka]], [[Japan]]|
Engineering Head position = Chief Technical Officer |
debutdate=April 6|
Director = {{flagicon|UK}} [[Geoff Willis]] |
debutyear=2004|
Drivers = {{flagicon|UK}}9.[[David Coulthard]]<br>{{flagicon|Australia}}10.[[Mark Webber]] |
debutteam=New York Mets|
Test_drivers = {{flagicon|Switzerland}}35.[[Sebastien Buemi]] |
statyear=September 13, 2008|
Chassis = [[Red Bull RB4]] |
stat1label=[[Batting average]]|
Engine = [[Renault F1|Renault]] RS27 |
stat1value=.275|
Tyres = [[Bridgestone]] |
stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]|
Employees = 49 |
stat2value=472|
Debut = [[2005 Australian Grand Prix]] |
stat3label=[[Home run]]s|
Final = [[2008 Italian Grand Prix]] |
stat3value=22|
Races = 68 |
stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]|
Cons_champ = 0 |
stat4value=159|
Drivers_champ = 0 |
stat5label=[[Stolen base]]s|
Wins = 0 |
stat5value=81|
Poles = 0 |
teams=<nowiki></nowiki>
Fastest_laps = 0 |
*[[Seibu Lions]] ({{by|1995}}-{{by|2003}})
Last_season = 2007 |
*[[New York Mets]] ({{by|2004}}-{{by|2006}})
Last_position = 5th (24 points)
*[[Colorado Rockies]] ({{by|2006}}-{{by|2007}})
*[[Houston Astros]] ({{by|2008}}-present)
}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Kazuo "Kaz" Matsui'''|松井 稼頭央|''Matsui Kazuo''}} (born [[October 23]], [[1975]] in [[Higashiōsaka, Osaka]], [[Japan]]) is a [[Japan]]ese [[Major League Baseball]] [[second baseman]] for the [[Houston Astros]]. Matsui is a [[switch-hitter]]. Matsui is not related to [[Hideki Matsui]], who plays [[left field]] for the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/26/sports/baseball/26matsui.html?ei=5007&en=9c77ece28e41512b&ex=1403582400&adxnnl=1&partner=USERLAND&adxnnlx=1132781702-2rG4HRdFFL308sRhOK0WMg "There's No Relation, but Matsuis Can Relate"]</ref>
{{portalpar|Formula One}}
'''Red Bull Racing''' is one of two [[Formula One]] teams owned by [[Austria]]n [[beverage]] company [[Red Bull GmbH|Red Bull]]. (The other is [[Scuderia Toro Rosso]]). The team is managed by [[Christian Horner]], boss of the [[Arden International]] [[GP2 Series]] team.

==Origins==
[[Jaguar Racing]] was put up for sale in September 2004 when Ford decided it could "no longer make a compelling business case for any of its brands to compete in F1."<ref>{{cite news| title =Jaguar quits Formula One| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/3665810.stm| publisher=BBC Sport|date =2004-09-17|accessdate =2007-01-28}}</ref> Red Bull, a large energy drinks company, agreed its purchase of Jaguar Racing on the final day of the sale, [[15 November]] [[2004]].<ref name="Jaguarsold">{{cite news|title= Red Bull snaps up Jaguar F1 team|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4012381.stm|work =| publisher = BBC Sport| date =2004-11-15| accessdate = 2007-01-28}}</ref> BBC Sport reported that Ford asked bidders for a symbolic US$1 in return for a commitment to invest US$400 million in the team over three grand prix seasons.<ref name="Jaguarsold"/> The team continued to have access to the [[Cosworth]] engine developed for their 2005 chassis, and the operation continued under the new title.

Red Bull Racing was not the start of Red Bull's involvement in motorsport. Setting up a Formula One team of its own meant that Red Bull had to end its long-term partnership with the [[Sauber]] Formula One team. The drinks company also runs a young drivers programme, [[Red Bull Junior Team]], whereby Red Bull sponsors promising young drivers. High-profile drivers who have received this backing include [[Enrique Bernoldi]], [[Christian Klien]], [[Patrick Friesacher]], [[Vitantonio Liuzzi]] and [[Scott Speed]]. Red Bull also sponsors many drivers and teams competing in the [[GP2 Series]], Formula One's "feeder" series.

Red Bull Racing was one of only four teams (the others being Ferrari, [[Midland F1]] and [[WilliamsF1]]) to have signed the [[Concorde Agreement]] starting in 2008, guaranteeing its long-term involvement in Formula One. However, more recently further teams have submitted entries securing the future of [[Formula One]].

Although the team has yet to win a Grand Prix in its current guise, as [[Stewart Grand Prix]], it did win the [[1999 European Grand Prix]] with [[Johnny Herbert]].

==2005 season==
[[Image:Klien (Red Bull) in practice at USGP 2005.jpg|thumb|left|450px|[[Christian Klien]] during qualifying at the [[2005 United States Grand Prix]]]]

Red Bull's owner, [[Dietrich Mateschitz]], reportedly tried to recruit former Formula One driver and [[BMW Motorsport]] chief (and fellow [[Austria]]n) [[Gerhard Berger]] to help guide the team through its debut season. However, this was never realised. For [[2005 Formula One season|2005]], the chassis was christened the '''RB1'''. Red Bull Racing used [[Cosworth]] engines in its maiden year due to the ease of continuing with the engine Jaguar Racing used.

Former [[Team McLaren|McLaren]] driver [[David Coulthard]] led the team. Coulthard was chosen for his experience, considered ideal to help lead the fledgling team. For the second car, Red Bull shared the drive between two of its young sponsored drivers: [[Christian Klien]], who had driven for Jaguar in [[2004 Formula One season|2004]] and 2004 [[F3000]] champion [[Vitantonio Liuzzi]]. At first it was announced that Klien and Liuzzi would swap driving duty every four races, but by the end of the season Liuzzi had appeared only four times.

Red Bull's first year in Formula 1 was a massive success compared to their predecessors, Jaguar Racing. They were 6th in the Constructors Championship for most of the season, only beaten by the fast-improving [[BAR Honda]]s at the end of the season. In a single season they amassed more points than Jaguar had in 2003 and 2004. Coulthard, after a poor 2003 and 2004 with McLaren was a revelation for the team while Klien showed that he has vastly improved from 2004. In all they collected 34 Points, 24 for Coulthard, 9 for Klien and 1 for Liuzzi. Red Bull was a consistent points and occasional podium challenger for most of their debut season.

American driver [[Scott Speed]], who rose through the ranks in the American equivalent of Red Bull Junior Team, [[Red Bull Driver Search]], was Red Bull Racing's [[third driver]] in 2005 for the Canadian and United States Grand Prix. Speed was attractive to Red Bull because of his American nationality, which would raise the profile of both Red Bull and Formula One in America, a market where the sport has traditionally struggled to make an impact.

==2006 season==
On [[23 April]] [[2005]], the team announced a deal to use [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] engines in 2006. This coincided with a rule change mandating the use of [[V8 engine]]s, making it likely that both Red Bull Racing and Ferrari would use the same specification engine. Red Bull Racing continued to use [[Michelin]] tyres, rather than the [[Bridgestone]]s used by Ferrari and came to be seen as politically close to Ferrari (much like [[Sauber]] used to be).

[[Image:David Coulthard USA 2006.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Coulthard driving the [[Red Bull RB2|RB2]] at the [[2006 United States Grand Prix]].]]

On [[December 15]], [[2005]], the team's second car, the [[Red Bull RB2]], hit the track for the first time. David Coulthard completed a handful of laps of the [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]] circuit in England, and declared the new car was a "sexy thing." In early testing Red Bull was plagued with cooling problems and overheating of car components.

At the opening race of the 2006 season in [[Bahrain]], [[Christian Klien]] qualified eighth (ahead of [[Giancarlo Fisichella]]'s Renault and both BMWs). Coulthard had problems when he flat spotted a tyre fighting with [[Nick Heidfeld]], and finished 10th; the cooling problems returned when his [[Ferrari]] engine expired on the slowing down lap, forcing a grid penalty for the following race. In [[2006 Malaysian Grand Prix|Malaysia]], Coulthard made up several places from back of the grid but was forced to retire with hydraulic problems, while Klien had an opening lap incident with Kimi Räikkönen and also retired. Coulthard got a point in the Australian Grand Prix after Scott Speed was penalised for passing him under the yellow flags. The following races were marred with retirements and lowly finishes.

Coulthard finished 3rd at the Monaco Grand Prix, the team's first podium finish. Team boss [[Christian Horner]] said before the race that if one of his cars were to finish on the podium, he would jump in to a swimming pool at the track naked. He ended up jumping into the pool wearing only a red cape. Coincidentally both [[Stewart Grand Prix]] and [[Jaguar Racing|Jaguar]], the team's predecessors, also scored their maiden podiums at that race.
[[Image:Robert Doornbos 2006 Brazil.jpg|thumb|right|[[Robert Doornbos]] replaced Klien for the last three races of the [[2006 Formula One season|2006 season]].]]

Coulthard scored a point at Montreal, passing fellow Briton [[Jenson Button]] in the closing stages of the race. Klien also fared well, driving the second RB2 to 11th position. At the US Grand Prix Klien retired along with eight other cars including Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed on the first lap after a series of first corner incidents. Coulthard finished 7th.

The team finished 7th in the FIA Constructors Championship, with 16 points, five points ahead of the [[WilliamsF1|Williams]] team. David Coulthard (13pts) finished in 13th place in the drivers' standings, the departed Klien (2pts) classified in 18th position. Klien's replacement, [[Robert Doornbos]], failed to score any points. On [[November 8]], [[2005]], Red Bull Racing poached [[Adrian Newey]], the highly successful [[McLaren]] technical director.<ref>{{cite news|title =Newey makes shock Red Bull move| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4416342.stm| work =| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2005-11-05 | accessdate = 2007-01-28}}</ref>


Matsui signed with the [[New York Mets]] on [[December 17]], {{mlby|2003}}, becoming the first ever Japanese [[infielder]] to sign with a MLB team.<ref name=rockiesacquirematsui>[http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060609&content_id=1497193&vkey=pr_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col The Official Site of The Colorado Rockies: Official Info: Press Release<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
{{-}}
==2007 season==
[[Image:David Coulthard 2007 Canada.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[David Coulthard]] driving for the team at the [[2007 Canadian Grand Prix]].]]
[[Image:Mark Webber 2007 Britain 2.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Mark Webber]] driving for RBR at the [[2007 British Grand Prix]]. Note the special ''Wings for Life'' livery.]]
2007 saw the debut of the Adrian Newey designed RB3. After lengthy discussions over Red Bull Racing's obligation to continue to use Ferrari engines for 2007, the team announced on [[31 August]] [[2006]] they would use Renault engines for the 2007 season [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6103248.stm], the Ferrari contract being passed to Scuderia Toro Rosso.


==Early life==
The team announced on August 7th, 2006 that it had signed [[Mark Webber]] to drive alongside David Coulthard for the 2007 season, replacing [[Christian Klien]] who ended his association with the team. Klien was replaced by [[Robert Doornbos]] for the last three races of 2006.[http://www.redbullracing.com/switch.action?lang=en#page=NewsPage.1154964339449-1477963381]. Robert Doornbos has been announced as the team's third driver for 2007.[http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56487]
Matsui graduated from the PL Academy Senior High School<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430565 The Official Site of The Houston Astros: Team: Player Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in Osaka, a nationally renown school for its [[baseball]] program. The only appearance Matsui made at the National High School Baseball Championship Tournament was in his second year at PL Academy. Though Matsui was considered as the PL Academy's [[Ace (baseball)|ace]] [[starting pitcher]], injuries limited him to playing only in the quarter-final game, where he allowed two [[Run (baseball)|runs]] during 2 2/3 innings.


==Japanese League career==
Despite qualifying in 7th place for his home race in [[2007 Australian Grand Prix|Melbourne]], [[Mark Webber]] finished down in 13th due to a persistent fuel flap that closed as the pit mechanics went to put the fuel in and when it was opened it remained open until the next pit stop greatly increasing drag and decreasing airflow over the rear wing. It was worse for [[David Coulthard]] however, who crashed heavily with [[Williams F1|Williams's]] [[Alexander Wurz]] in the late stages of the race. Malaysia was more of the same for Webber, while Coulthard retired with brake problems. However in Bahrain the team showed improving pace and Coulthard and Webber were running 7th (with Coulthard starting from the back) and 8th respectively before reliability problems put both out of the race in quick succession. However in testing at [[Circuit de Catalunya|Barcelona]] Coulthard has set the fastest lap in the new configuration of the circuit(since superseded by [[Felipe Massa]]). Coulthard secured the team's first points by scoring a gritty 5th with a faulty gearbox on his closing laps in [[2007 Spanish Grand Prix|Spain]], while Webber was dogged with hydraulic problem all weekend, eventually retiring from the race after failing to set a competitive lap in qualifying. The performance hike the team has experienced at the Catalonian track has left both drivers and team optimistic about their future results, with reliability troubles being as much a focus as the increase of their already competitive pace.
Matsui was chosen third overall by the [[Seibu Lions]] of [[Nippon Professional Baseball]]'s [[Pacific League]] in the {{by|1994}} Japanese League Draft, where he would wear number 32. In {{by|1996}}, his third season, he became a regular starter as a [[shortstop]] and finished the season second in [[stolen base]]s (50). Prior to the {{by|1997}} season, he would change his number to 7. The 1997 season saw him reach a .300 [[batting average]] for the first time and lead the league in stolen bases (62) to help his team win the Pacific League Title. During the 1997 All-Star Game he set a new All-Star Game record by stealing four bases and was chosen the game MVP. Matsui would lead the Pacific League in stolen bases for two more consecutive seasons.


Prior to joining MLB, Matsui would only play for the Seibu Lions, playing there from {{by|1995}} to {{by|2003}}. He enjoyed success as a seven-time [[Best Nine Award|Best Nine]] award winner (1997-2003). One of his best years was {{by|2002}}, when he had a .332 batting average with 36 [[home run]]s, 87 [[Run batted in|RBI]], 193 [[Hit (baseball)|hits]], 119 [[Run (baseball)|runs]], 46 [[Double (baseball)|doubles]], 6 [[Triple (baseball)|triples]] and 33 stolen bases. He received four "Golden Glove" awards while in Japan (equivalent of [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award]] in MLB) during the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 seasons. He also won a [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] [[MVP]] award in Japan during the 1998 season. Although Matsui experienced winning the Pacific League Title a total of four times (1994, 1997, {{by|1998}}, 2002), his team never won the Japanese Series.
Red Bull Racing further strengthened their technical department by hiring [[Geoff Willis]] as Technical Director on [[July 17]], [[2007]].<ref>{{cite news| title =Geoff Willis joins Red Bull Technology| publisher =grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19409.html| date =[[2007-07-17]]| accessdate =2007-07-18}}</ref>


==Major League career==
After this, the drivers seemed to have a stroke of good luck during the unpredictable and exciting [[2007 European Grand Prix]] in which Webber finished 3rd, his second career podium. Coulthard backed it up with a strong 5th which was made all the more impressive by the fact he started 20th on the grid after the team mistakenly kept him in the pits too long resulting in him not being able to complete another qualifying lap.
===2004===
With the Mets, Matsui hit home runs in his first [[plate appearance]] in each of the {{mlby|2004}}, {{mlby|2005}}, and {{mlby|2006}} seasons. According to the [[Elias Sports Bureau]], he is the only Major League player to hit a home run in his first plate appearance of his first three seasons. The only other player to hit a home run in even his first [[at-bat]] of three consecutive seasons was [[Ken Griffey, Jr.]] In 2004, Matsui homered on the first pitch from [[Russ Ortiz]] of the [[Atlanta Braves]] leading off the first inning, in 2005, on the sixth pitch from [[Paul Wilson (baseball player)|Paul Wilson]] of the [[Cincinnati Reds]] with one out in the first inning, and in 2006, on the fourth pitch from [[Jake Peavy]] of the [[San Diego Padres]] with no outs in the top of the third. The third home run is notable for being an [[inside-the-park home run]]. He slid into home as his former Met teammate [[Mike Piazza]] was blocking the plate.


Matsui played 114 games in 2004 (the most games he has played so far in his MLB career). He hit .272 with 125 hits, 32 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, 44 RBI, 65 runs, 14 stolen bases, 5 [[sacrifice hit]]s, 40 [[Base on balls|walks]] and 182 [[total bases]]. His hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, and total bases currently remain career highs.
Red Bull had a strong end to the season. Webber was on the verge of scoring his second podium of the year at the [[2007 Japanese Grand Prix|Japanese Grand Prix]], before being involved in a crash with [[Sebastian Vettel]]. During the same race, Coulthard finished 4th.


===2005===
At the [[2007 Chinese Grand Prix|Chinese Grand Prix]], Red Bull had a competitive qualifying session. Coulthard achieving 5th on the grid, along with Webber in 9th.
Based on his performance in Japan, Matsui was expected to excel defensively as a shortstop with the Mets. However, in 2004, Matsui committed many [[Error (baseball)|errors]] and misjudgments at the position, and was made the second baseman for 2005. He was also plagued by injuries, which were not a problem for him in Japan. His offensive production was also much lower than anticipated. By mid-2005, he was no longer an everyday player, sharing time at second base with [[Miguel Cairo]] and [[Marlon Anderson]]. Matsui finished the season batting .255 with three home runs and 24 RBI.


==2008 season==
===2006===
Matsui began the 2006 season by hitting .200 (26-for-130) with 10 runs, six doubles, one home run and seven RBI. The one home run came on an inside-the-park home run against the San Diego Padres on [[April 20]], 2006. Matsui became the first player since {{mlby|1975}} to hit an inside-the-park home run as his first home run of the season.<ref name=rockiesacquirematsui />


On [[June 9]], 2006, Matsui was traded to the [[Colorado Rockies]] for [[Eli Marrero]]. Colorado asked that Matsui waive certain clauses in his contract and he agreed. Once complete, Matsui was sent down to play with the Rockies' [[AAA (baseball)|Triple-A]] affiliate, the [[Colorado Springs Sky Sox]] for about two and a half months. Matsui made his Rockies debut against the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] on [[August 23]], 2006, starting at shortstop in place of [[Clint Barmes]]. Matsui would soon shift to second base. Through 2006 he improved from .200/.235/.269 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in his 130 at bats as a Met, to hitting .345/.392/.504 in 113 at bats as a member of the Rockies.
[[Image:David Coulthard 2008 Canada.jpg|thumb|right|[[David Coulthard]] driving for RBR at the [[2008 Canadian Grand Prix]].]]


His stint in New York was punctuated with pronounced booing from Mets fans in response to his failure to validate high expectations gleaned from his (positionally) prodigious Japanese numbers. It should also be noted that some of the booing may have been a result of Matsui supplanting future Mets star [[José Reyes]] at shortstop.
Red Bull will continue with the same drivers in 2008 and will have numbers 9 and 10 on their cars after finishing 5th in the 2007 constructors championship. Red Bull presented the RB4 at the Jerez circuit on January 16 and announced that [[Sébastien Buemi]] would be their test and reserve driver for 2008 combining it with his GP2 drive with the [[Arden International]] GP2 team.


Matsui re-signed with the Colorado Rockies for a one-year, $1.5M contract for {{mlby|2007}} and changed his number to 7, a number that he wore in Japan.
In the first eight races of 2008, Mark Webber has continued to star for the team, recording 18 points, including fifth place in [[2008 Spanish Grand Prix|Spain]], and fourth place in [[2008 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco]]. Melbourne too looked good for Webber, who was in fine form all weekend until brake failure haulted him in qualifying, and a minor collision on the opening lap forced him into retirement.


===2007===
Webber notched up his 50th top ten grid position at the Spanish Grand Prix, an impressive stat given he has started 107 Grands Prix, mostly in mid-field cars. That makes his top ten start ratio to Grands Prix entered close to 50%.
[[Image:kazmatsui.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Kazuo Matsui batting for the Colorado Rockies against the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in 2007]]
Matsui's performance improved during the 2007 season with the Rockies, as he hit .288, which was higher than his career average. He had career highs in runs (84), triples (6), stolen bases (32) and sacrifice hits (8) in 2007. Matsui was also first in the majors in scoring percentage (47%) when reaching base.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3099910 ESPN - Drawn-out postseason schedule requires shortening - MLB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He batted .330 with a .482 [[slugging percentage]] and 4 home runs at mile-high [[Coors Field]], but hit only .249 with a .333 slugging percentage and 0 home runs in away games. It should be noted that one of the reasons for any substantial differences in home and road splits for Rockies batters is that they have to make adjustments in how they see pitches away from Coors Field - particularly breaking balls, such as sliders and curve balls - since those pitches act differently at Coors Field than on the road.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=rogers_phil&id=2046292 ESPN - Coors Field a truly unique environment - MLB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Matsui and the Rockies clinched the 2007 [[National League]] [[Wild card (sports)|wild card]] game by winning a [[one-game playoff|one-game regular season playoff matchup]] against the San Diego Padres, propelling Colorado into their second playoff appearance in club history.
David Coulthard had a tougher start to the 2008 campaign due to poor qualifying, but a podium finish in [[2008 Canadian Grand Prix|Canada]] gave Red Bull their first podium since the [[2007 European Grand Prix]]. Webber's sixth-place finish at the [[2008 French Grand Prix]] raised the team's 2008 points tally so far to 24, equalling the entire haul from 2007. At the next race the [[2008 British Grand Prix]] Webber managed to qualify on the first row of the grid in second but a spin on first lap, due to a malfunctioning gearbox, pushed him down to an eventual 10th. Coulthard announced his retirement from F1 at the same race and, despite hopes for a strong final home Grand Prix, was forced to retire on the first lap.


Matsui hit his first career [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] during the second game of the [[National League Division Series|NLDS]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. It came with the Rockies down 3-2 with two outs in the top of the 4th inning. The grand slam gave the Rockies a lead in which they would never relinquish. Colorado won the game, 10-5. Matsui became only the third player in MLB history to have his first career grand slam occur in the postseason rather than the regular season. He also became the first Japanese player to hit a grand slam in the postseason. Along with the grand slam, Matsui hit a triple and a double during game two of the NLDS, falling a single short of becoming the only player in history to [[hitting for the cycle|hit a cycle]] during the postseason. However, Matsui did become only the second player ever ([[Lou Brock]] in game four of the [[1968 World Series]] was the first) to hit a double, triple and home run in a postseason game.
==Image and marketing==
[[Image:Red Bull helmet stand.jpg|thumb|150px|left|A distinctive RBR helmet-shaped stand.]]
Red Bull have been very vocal about wanting to make F1 'fun' again. One way in which they went about doing that was by employing Mark Gallagher, who was head of marketing for nine years at Jordan, itself an exciting brand in the late 1990s.[http://sport.guardian.co.uk/formulaone2005/story/0,15808,1425392,00.html]. Red Bull also started [[The Red Bulletin]], a satirical magazine that is released four times per race weekend and distributed to the paddock and to members of the public from behind the main grandstand at each track.


Matsui filed for [[free agent|free agency]] after the end of the season.
In the [[2006 Monaco Grand Prix]], they supported the movie "[[Superman Returns]]", which continues the line of marketing events begun by the "[[Star Wars: Episode III]]" promotion of 2005 (in the 2005 race, the pit crew dressed up as Imperial Stormtroopers) and the "[[Ocean's Twelve]]" promotion of 2004 when the team ran under the [[Jaguar Racing]] banner. When [[David Coulthard]] finished third in the 2006 race, he donned a Superman cape for his appearance on the podium.
{{-}}


===2008===
==Scuderia Toro Rosso==
On [[December 1]], 2007, Matsui signed a three-year, $16.5-million deal with the Houston Astros.
{{main|Scuderia Toro Rosso}}
In the autumn of 2005, Red Bull announced that they had purchased the [[Minardi]] Formula One team, and it would be known as [[Scuderia Toro Rosso]] (Italian for ''Team Red Bull'') from 2006 onwards. Scuderia Toro Rosso (STR) operates as a separate team, but the two share certain technical resources. In 2006 STR used a chassis based on the 2005 Red Bull Racing [[Red Bull RB1]] chassis, originally designed by Jaguar Racing, and Minardi's contracted supply of rev-limited [[V10 engine|V10]] [[Cosworth]] engines. It has been widely speculated that the 2007 chassis for both teams will be essentially the same [[Adrian Newey]] design, although Red Bull has been careful to ensure that the "STR2 will be built by [[Red Bull Technology|Red Bull Technologies]], and Toro Rosso will fully own the intellectual rights of the car."[http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56126] Formula One teams are not allowed to use another team's chassis. STR has been used as a 'B' team for Red Bull Racing, allowing the company to work with more drivers. In 2005 RBR driver Tonio Liuzzi was given a full time seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso alongside another Red Bull sponsored driver, [[Scott Speed]].


Prior to [[Opening Day]], Matsui underwent [[surgery]] to repair an [[anal fissure]]. He missed the first two-and-a-half weeks of the season. Matsui made his {{mlby|2008}} debut for the Astros on [[April 18]] and has played well in his first 48 games with his new team, posting a .271 batting average, a .336 on-base percentage with 18 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases before being placed on the disabled list on [[June 24]] due to a strained right [[hamstring]].
"Tonio" Liuzzi retained his seat in STR for the 2007 season. [[Sebastian Vettel]] replaced Speed in the middle of the 2007 season, and [[Sébastien Bourdais]] replaced Liuzzi at STR for the [[2008 Formula One season]]. Toro Rosso has performed well during the 2008 season and Sebastian Vettel won the [[2008 Italian Grand Prix]].


===Personal===
==Complete Formula One results==
On [[August 23]], 2008, Mainichi shimbun reported that a house fire in Osaka claimed the life of Jiro Matsui, grandfather of Kazuo.
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]]) (results in '''bold''' indicate pole position)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Chassis
! Engine
! Tyres
! Drivers
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! 19
! Points
! WCC
|-
!rowspan="4"| [[2005 Formula One season|2005]]
|rowspan="4"| [[Red Bull RB1]]
|rowspan="4"| [[Cosworth]] [[V10 engine|V10]]
|rowspan="4"| {{Michelin}}
|
| [[2005 Australian Grand Prix|AUS]]
| [[2005 Malaysian Grand Prix|MAL]]
| [[2005 Bahrain Grand Prix|BHR]]
| [[2005 San Marino Grand Prix|SMR]]
| [[2005 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[2005 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[2005 European Grand Prix|EUR]]
| [[2005 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[2005 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| [[2005 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[2005 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[2005 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[2005 Hungarian Grand Prix|HUN]]
| [[2005 Turkish Grand Prix|TUR]]
| [[2005 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[2005 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[2005 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
| [[2005 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2005 Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
!rowspan="4"| 34
!rowspan="4"| 7th
|-
| [[David Coulthard]]
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 4
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 6
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 4
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| DNS
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 15
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 6
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|-
| [[Christian Klien]]
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| DNS
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| DNS
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 15
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 5
|-
| [[Vitantonio Liuzzi]]
|
|
|
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan="4"| [[2006 Formula One season|2006]]
|rowspan="4"| [[Red Bull RB2]]
|rowspan="4"| [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
|rowspan="4"| {{Michelin}}
|
| [[2006 Bahrain Grand Prix|BHR]]
| [[2006 Malaysian Grand Prix|MAL]]
| [[2006 Australian Grand Prix|AUS]]
| [[2006 San Marino Grand Prix|SMR]]
| [[2006 European Grand Prix|EUR]]
| [[2006 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[2006 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[2006 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[2006 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[2006 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| [[2006 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[2006 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[2006 Hungarian Grand Prix|HUN]]
| [[2006 Turkish Grand Prix|TUR]]
| [[2006 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[2006 Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
| [[2006 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2006 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
|
!rowspan="4"| 16
!rowspan="4"| 7th
|-
| [[David Coulthard]]
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 14
|bgcolor="#FFDF9F"| 3
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 5
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 15
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|
|-
| [[Christian Klien]]
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 14
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Robert Doornbos]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|
|-
!rowspan="3"| [[2007 Formula One season|2007]]
|rowspan="3"| [[Red Bull RB3]]
|rowspan="3"| [[Renault]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
|rowspan="3"| {{Bridgestone}}
|
| [[2007 Australian Grand Prix|AUS]]
| [[2007 Malaysian Grand Prix|MAL]]
| [[2007 Bahrain Grand Prix|BHR]]
| [[2007 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[2007 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[2007 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[2007 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| [[2007 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[2007 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[2007 European Grand Prix|EUR]]
| [[2007 Hungarian Grand Prix|HUN]]
| [[2007 Turkish Grand Prix|TUR]]
| [[2007 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[2007 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[2007 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2007 Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
| [[2007 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
|
|
!rowspan="3" |'''24'''
!rowspan="3" |'''5th'''
|-
| [[David Coulthard]]
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 5
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 14
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 5
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 4
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|
|
|-
| [[Mark Webber]]
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#FFDF9F"| 3
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|
|
|-
!rowspan="3"| [[2008 Formula One season|2008]]
|rowspan="3"| [[Red Bull RB4]]
|rowspan="3"| [[Renault F1|Renault]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
|rowspan="3"| {{Bridgestone}}
|
| [[2008 Australian Grand Prix|AUS]]
| [[2008 Malaysian Grand Prix|MAL]]
| [[2008 Bahrain Grand Prix|BHR]]
| [[2008 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[2008 Turkish Grand Prix|TUR]]
| [[2008 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[2008 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[2008 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[2008 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[2008 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[2008 Hungarian Grand Prix|HUN]]
| [[2008 European Grand Prix|EUR]]
| [[2008 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[2008 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[2008 Singapore Grand Prix|SIN]]
| [[2008 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2008 Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
| [[2008 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
|
!rowspan="3"| '''28*'''
!rowspan="3"| '''7th*'''
|-
|[[David Coulthard]]
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 18
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#FFDF9F"| 3
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 13
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 14
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 17
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 11
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 16
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Mark Webber]]
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 5
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 7
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 4
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 6
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 10
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 9
|bgcolor="#CFCFFF"| 12
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#DFFFDF"| 8
|bgcolor="#EFCFFF"| Ret
|
|
|
|
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Season in progress


==References==
==References==
Line 465: Line 83:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Baseballstats | mlb=430565 | espn=5876 | br=m/matsuka01 | fangraphs=1854 | cube=M/Kazuo-Matsui}}
{{commons|Red Bull Racing}}
* [http://www.redbullracing.com/ Red Bull Racing official website]
*[http://sports.nifty.com/kazuo25/index.htm Official site] {{ja icon}}
*[http://japaneseballplayers.com/en/player.php?id=kmatsui Japanese league stats and info of Kazuo Matsui]
* [http://pics.redbullf1.com Red Bull Racing official Picture website]
* [http://www.redbull-juniorteam.com/ Red Bull Junior Team]
* [http://www.redbulldriversearch.com/ Red Bull Driver Search]


{{Houston Astros roster navbox}}
{{Formula One teams}}
{{RBR}}
{{Formula One constructors}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsui, Kazuo}}
[[Category:Formula One constructors]]
[[Category:Formula One entrants]]
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Milton Keynes]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Red Bull sports teams]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball second basemen]]
[[Category:Red Bull Racing| ]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball shortstops]]
[[Category:2004 establishments]]
[[Category:Seibu Lions players]]
[[Category:Sport in Milton Keynes]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:Austrian auto racing teams]]
[[Category:Colorado Rockies players]]
[[Category:Austrian racecar constructors]]
[[Category:Houston Astros players]]
[[Category:Japanese baseball players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from Japan]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Cyclones players]]
[[Category:St. Lucie Mets players]]
[[Category:Norfolk Tides players]]
[[Category:Colorado Springs Sky Sox players]]
[[Category:Round Rock Express players]]
[[Category:People from Higashiōsaka]]
[[Category:Zainichi Koreans]]


[[ca:Red Bull Racing]]
[[ja:松井稼頭央]]
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[[zh:紅牛車隊]]

Revision as of 20:39, 10 October 2008

Kazuo Matsui
Matsui playing for the Colorado Rockies in 2007
Houston Astros – No. 3
Second baseman
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
debut
April 6, 2004, for the New York Mets
Career statistics
(through September 13, 2008)
Batting average.275
Hits472
Home runs22
Runs batted in159
Stolen bases81
Teams

Kazuo "Kaz" Matsui (松井 稼頭央, Matsui Kazuo) (born October 23, 1975 in Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese Major League Baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros. Matsui is a switch-hitter. Matsui is not related to Hideki Matsui, who plays left field for the New York Yankees.[1]

Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first ever Japanese infielder to sign with a MLB team.[2]

Early life

Matsui graduated from the PL Academy Senior High School[3] in Osaka, a nationally renown school for its baseball program. The only appearance Matsui made at the National High School Baseball Championship Tournament was in his second year at PL Academy. Though Matsui was considered as the PL Academy's ace starting pitcher, injuries limited him to playing only in the quarter-final game, where he allowed two runs during 2 2/3 innings.

Japanese League career

Matsui was chosen third overall by the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League in the 1994 Japanese League Draft, where he would wear number 32. In 1996, his third season, he became a regular starter as a shortstop and finished the season second in stolen bases (50). Prior to the 1997 season, he would change his number to 7. The 1997 season saw him reach a .300 batting average for the first time and lead the league in stolen bases (62) to help his team win the Pacific League Title. During the 1997 All-Star Game he set a new All-Star Game record by stealing four bases and was chosen the game MVP. Matsui would lead the Pacific League in stolen bases for two more consecutive seasons.

Prior to joining MLB, Matsui would only play for the Seibu Lions, playing there from 1995 to 2003. He enjoyed success as a seven-time Best Nine award winner (1997-2003). One of his best years was 2002, when he had a .332 batting average with 36 home runs, 87 RBI, 193 hits, 119 runs, 46 doubles, 6 triples and 33 stolen bases. He received four "Golden Glove" awards while in Japan (equivalent of Rawlings Gold Glove Award in MLB) during the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 seasons. He also won a Nippon Professional Baseball MVP award in Japan during the 1998 season. Although Matsui experienced winning the Pacific League Title a total of four times (1994, 1997, 1998, 2002), his team never won the Japanese Series.

Major League career

2004

With the Mets, Matsui hit home runs in his first plate appearance in each of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the only Major League player to hit a home run in his first plate appearance of his first three seasons. The only other player to hit a home run in even his first at-bat of three consecutive seasons was Ken Griffey, Jr. In 2004, Matsui homered on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz of the Atlanta Braves leading off the first inning, in 2005, on the sixth pitch from Paul Wilson of the Cincinnati Reds with one out in the first inning, and in 2006, on the fourth pitch from Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres with no outs in the top of the third. The third home run is notable for being an inside-the-park home run. He slid into home as his former Met teammate Mike Piazza was blocking the plate.

Matsui played 114 games in 2004 (the most games he has played so far in his MLB career). He hit .272 with 125 hits, 32 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, 44 RBI, 65 runs, 14 stolen bases, 5 sacrifice hits, 40 walks and 182 total bases. His hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, and total bases currently remain career highs.

2005

Based on his performance in Japan, Matsui was expected to excel defensively as a shortstop with the Mets. However, in 2004, Matsui committed many errors and misjudgments at the position, and was made the second baseman for 2005. He was also plagued by injuries, which were not a problem for him in Japan. His offensive production was also much lower than anticipated. By mid-2005, he was no longer an everyday player, sharing time at second base with Miguel Cairo and Marlon Anderson. Matsui finished the season batting .255 with three home runs and 24 RBI.

2006

Matsui began the 2006 season by hitting .200 (26-for-130) with 10 runs, six doubles, one home run and seven RBI. The one home run came on an inside-the-park home run against the San Diego Padres on April 20, 2006. Matsui became the first player since 1975 to hit an inside-the-park home run as his first home run of the season.[2]

On June 9, 2006, Matsui was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Eli Marrero. Colorado asked that Matsui waive certain clauses in his contract and he agreed. Once complete, Matsui was sent down to play with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for about two and a half months. Matsui made his Rockies debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 23, 2006, starting at shortstop in place of Clint Barmes. Matsui would soon shift to second base. Through 2006 he improved from .200/.235/.269 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in his 130 at bats as a Met, to hitting .345/.392/.504 in 113 at bats as a member of the Rockies.

His stint in New York was punctuated with pronounced booing from Mets fans in response to his failure to validate high expectations gleaned from his (positionally) prodigious Japanese numbers. It should also be noted that some of the booing may have been a result of Matsui supplanting future Mets star José Reyes at shortstop.

Matsui re-signed with the Colorado Rockies for a one-year, $1.5M contract for 2007 and changed his number to 7, a number that he wore in Japan.

2007

Kazuo Matsui batting for the Colorado Rockies against the Cincinnati Reds in 2007

Matsui's performance improved during the 2007 season with the Rockies, as he hit .288, which was higher than his career average. He had career highs in runs (84), triples (6), stolen bases (32) and sacrifice hits (8) in 2007. Matsui was also first in the majors in scoring percentage (47%) when reaching base.[4] He batted .330 with a .482 slugging percentage and 4 home runs at mile-high Coors Field, but hit only .249 with a .333 slugging percentage and 0 home runs in away games. It should be noted that one of the reasons for any substantial differences in home and road splits for Rockies batters is that they have to make adjustments in how they see pitches away from Coors Field - particularly breaking balls, such as sliders and curve balls - since those pitches act differently at Coors Field than on the road.[5]

Matsui and the Rockies clinched the 2007 National League wild card game by winning a one-game regular season playoff matchup against the San Diego Padres, propelling Colorado into their second playoff appearance in club history.

Matsui hit his first career grand slam during the second game of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. It came with the Rockies down 3-2 with two outs in the top of the 4th inning. The grand slam gave the Rockies a lead in which they would never relinquish. Colorado won the game, 10-5. Matsui became only the third player in MLB history to have his first career grand slam occur in the postseason rather than the regular season. He also became the first Japanese player to hit a grand slam in the postseason. Along with the grand slam, Matsui hit a triple and a double during game two of the NLDS, falling a single short of becoming the only player in history to hit a cycle during the postseason. However, Matsui did become only the second player ever (Lou Brock in game four of the 1968 World Series was the first) to hit a double, triple and home run in a postseason game.

Matsui filed for free agency after the end of the season.

2008

On December 1, 2007, Matsui signed a three-year, $16.5-million deal with the Houston Astros.

Prior to Opening Day, Matsui underwent surgery to repair an anal fissure. He missed the first two-and-a-half weeks of the season. Matsui made his 2008 debut for the Astros on April 18 and has played well in his first 48 games with his new team, posting a .271 batting average, a .336 on-base percentage with 18 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases before being placed on the disabled list on June 24 due to a strained right hamstring.

Personal

On August 23, 2008, Mainichi shimbun reported that a house fire in Osaka claimed the life of Jiro Matsui, grandfather of Kazuo.

References

  1. ^ "There's No Relation, but Matsuis Can Relate"
  2. ^ a b The Official Site of The Colorado Rockies: Official Info: Press Release
  3. ^ The Official Site of The Houston Astros: Team: Player Information
  4. ^ ESPN - Drawn-out postseason schedule requires shortening - MLB
  5. ^ ESPN - Coors Field a truly unique environment - MLB

External links

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