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From left: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Yankees Assistant GM Jean Afterman, and Hideki Matsui (Teru Iwasaki/ AP)

MLB.com: With the success of players like Ichiro and Hideo Nomo, are you surprised there aren't more Japanese players in the Majors?

Afterman: No I'm not, and for two reasons. First, there is a U.S.-Japan player contract agreement that sets pretty strict boundaries on when and how a Japanese player can play Major League Baseball. Second, once a Japanese player becomes a free agent, not every one of them wants to play in the U.S. A lot of them choose not to come -- not because of their talent or ability -- because they simply want to stay in Japan.

MLB.com: George Steinbrenner has repeatedly credited you with paving the way for Hideki Matsui's signing with the Yankees. What was the most challenging part of the Matsui negotiations?

Afterman: That's a tough question for me, because the negotiations are always the most fun part, because it's like a chess game. There were certain issues that had to be worked through because the business of baseball in Japan is so different than it is in the U.S. There is always an issue in business translation, so a Japanese player has to not only learn and understand the bare bones of what kind of deal is being presented, but also be educated on a whole different business world. How the Players Association comes into play, what their new-found rights are in the U.S., how they can use those rights or not use them. It wasn't 'tough,' there's just a lot more meat to the process for a Japanese player coming to the U.S. than there would be with a player from the University of Texas.

MLB.com: Why do you believe that Matsui will succeed in the Majors?

Afterman: I think he will succeed because of his pure, raw talent. Over 10 years in Japan, including successful stints in the U.S.-Japan All-Star Series prior to this last one, he compiled a record that put him at the very top level of Japanese pro baseball players. And he's not only at the top of current players, but all-time players. With players, the common perception used to be that the game is 50 percent mental and 50 percent physical. Now, having worked in the game like I do, I think the mental game is 70 percent. Hideki has the pure raw ability as well as the make-up to be here. He's been in the largest baseball market outside of the U.S., he's been in the spotlight and he's dealt with the pressure for 10 years. This should be no different.

MLB.com: What do you think will be the hardest thing for him to adapt to?

Afterman: The hardest thing to me for a Japanese player is trying to over-adapt. I don't think baseball is so very different from Japan to the U.S., but managers and coaches think that it is. If you're doing something that has been successful, why change it? When you tinker too much, you may lose the fundamentals that got you where you are today. The greatest challenge will be not to over-think what got him here in the first place.

MLB.com: If Matsui has a good year, do you think it would open the door for more Japanese power hitters to come to the U.S.?

Afterman: I think that any player that makes the decision to come over here doesn't base it on whether someone else has had success here. They have a huge, dramatic choice to make when they come over here, and they carry the hopes and dreams of a nation with them. Japan loves their players whether they're in Japan or the U.S. They also carry with them the hopes and dreams of fellow players too, because almost every player harbors the dream of playing in the Majors. Major League Baseball is like the holy grail -- something you can attain at some point in your career. Matsui's success could give the impetus to some guys who had a question of whether they can succeed here to try it.

MLB.com: What percentage of Japanese players do you think could succeed in the Majors?

Afterman: I think people would be surprised at the number. I can think on one Japanese club of about five guys who would be successful here. At this moment, I think each of the 12 clubs has a couple of starting pitchers and a couple of position players who could make it over here.

MLB.com: Not many people know what an assistant GM does. How would you describe your job and what is the best part of it?

Afterman: The assistant GM duties are defined by the organization and the person that sits in the chair -- and in the chair ahead of you. I believe that I'm working with the best GM in the game, so I'd say that working with Brian Cashman is the best part of my job. The GM is like the general contractor on a construction project. If Brian is the general contractor, then my job is to make sure the structure is sound, and that if a tile falls off, it gets replaced immediately. I represented players before I came to the Yankees, and I'm an attorney, so I still do a lot of the same things in my current position. Negotiations, contract work, I serve as the team's compliance officer, so I watch our backs as far as regulations.

MLB.com: Why do you think there aren't more women in executive positions in baseball?

Afterman: I honestly don't know. Baseball, like a lot of industries, is dominated by men. I spent some time in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, and for decades there were no women in significant positions. I worked at Paramount Pictures in the 1980s, when women were starting to come in in large numbers. Now I think it is probably 50-50 in terms of gender in positions of power in Hollywood. Sports are tougher to crack because there's a perception that you had to have been a player to sit in the front office of a baseball club. The business of baseball is such now that I think you don't have to have played, and it's almost a benefit not to have been a player. There should be more attorneys in front offices, and more people who understand the product and the architecture of baseball. You don't have to have worn a jock to understand that.

MLB.com: Is your ultimate goal to be the first female general manager in baseball?

Afterman: My ultimate goal is to win an Oscar for acting someday. My other ultimate goal is to see a woman GM in baseball, though whether it's me or someone else remains to be seen. I guess my ultimate goal is to live long enough to see it happen. It could be the next couple years -- and then I'll mention it in my Oscar speech.

Mark Feinsand is a reporter for MLB.com. He can be reached at mfeinsand@yankees.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.