Matsui arrives at Yankees camp as special guest

TAMPA, Fla. -- One of Derek Jeter's favorite teammates has arrived, just in time to see the Yankees captain begin his final Spring Training. Hideki Matsui put the pinstripes back on Thursday, watching over the team's workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The 39-year-old Matsui is expected to be with the Yankees as a special guest instructor for the next two weeks. Another of Jeter's good friends, Jorge Posada, is due to arrive later in camp.

"I only saw [Matsui] for a minute, so I'll get on him a little bit when I see him more," Jeter said. "We had meetings early, so I didn't have a chance to talk to him as much as I'd like. It seems like every year there's more and more ex-teammates that are turning into coaches or honorary guest special instructors."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that having Matsui in camp should be beneficial to Masahiro Tanaka, as the 25-year-old right-hander experiences his first spring in the big leagues.

"I think he can tell him about New York," Girardi said. "I think he can share a lot of his experiences in New York and what a great place it is, and some of the adjustments that he made as a hitter. Whenever a pitcher talks to a hitter or vice versa, you can still learn from them, because it's what they think about."