Matsui homers in return to Japan

TOKYO -- Back in Japan, Hideki Matsui did what he does best -- homer in the Tokyo Dome.\nWhen he deposited a hanging curveball into the right-center field seats in the second inning Sunday night, the enormously popular player they call Godzilla couldn't reign in his emotions. He cracked a wide smile after he crossed the plate and returned to the New York Yankees' dugout.\nMatsui homered in his first at-bat back in Japan, starting an evening when the Yankees showed why they're called the Bronx Bombers back home.\nJorge Posada added a tiebreaking three-run homer and Derek Jeter hit a solo shot, leading the Yankees over the Yomiuri Giants 6-2 in New York's first game in Japan in 49 years.\nAfter it was over, Matsui walked to a microphone at home plate and addressed the admirers who were so sad to see him depart Yomiuri 15 months ago to sign with the Yankees.\n"What I did out there was to show my deepest appreciation for the fans," he explained later through a translator. "Most importantly, however, at the same time I didn't feel melancholy about it. I didn't have any special attachment toward it, looking back at my Yomiuri Giants days. No, that didn't happen. I just wanted to show them my gratitude."\nHe wants to behave like a "Star Trek" Vulcan, be robot-like and emotionless, focusing deeply on the tasks at hand. Yankees manager Joe Torre calls his behavior "ice water."\n"He knows how to rise to the occasion. I really feel that way," Torre said.\nWhile Matsui plays left field for the Yankees and his spot in the batting order changes constantly, with Yomiuri he received Japan's positions of honor -- center field and cleanup in the batting order. That's where he played Sunday night, the next-to-last exhibition for the Yankees before Tuesday's opener against Tampa Bay.\n"You're allowed to be bigger than the game tonight," Torre told him.\nWith flashbulbs popping and small orange flags with his number "55" waving, Matsui stepped into the batter's box, leading off the second inning to cheers of "Go Matsui!" Then, just after he fouled off a 2-2 pitch, the chant changed to, "Home run, home run, Matsui."\nIn the dugout, Torre said: "Wouldn't this be something if he hits a home run here?"\nMatsui did just that, on the very next pitch. He took a 63 mph hanging curveball from Hisanori Takahashi, leaned into it and sent it about three-quarters of the way up the bleachers in right-center field.\n"I got chills sitting on the bench," Yankees pitcher Jose Contreras said through an interpreter.\nFans jumped and cheered. A woman in front of the press box bowed to Matsui.\n"It felt like a dream today," said catcher Shinnosuke Abe, Matsui's former Giants teammate.\nMatsui, who went 2-for-3, singled sharply in the fourth and was walked in the fifth, causing the sellout crowd to boo reliever Matt Randel. When Matsui batted in the sixth, the traditionally polite Japanese fans booed reliever Hideki Okajima twice -- first for going to a 3-0 count, then for walking him. Immediately after Matsui took a called third strike in the ninth, the crowd started leaving.\n"Emptied the parking lot," Torre said.\nMatsui singled in the first inning of Monday's 11-7 loss to the Hanshin Tigers, and then grounded out twice. Torre took out most of his regulars early, a day ahead of the season opener against Tampa Bay.\nAfter Matsui went out to left field for the bottom of the fourth, the public address announcer told the Tokyo Dome crowd he was being replaced by Homer Bush. Torre intended it as a gesture to the hometown hero, a chance for him to get another ovation. For the most part, the crowd stayed silent.\n"I think the fans didn't know what was going on," Matsui said.\nTorre knew the effort had failed. Perhaps it was too American.\n"Talk about coming up empty," he said.