Hideki Matsui #55

Hideki Matsui (pronounced "He-DECK-ee" "Mat-SOO-ee")...married in March of 2008...nickname "Godzilla" began and grew in 1992 after making the last of four appearances in the National High School Baseball Championships for Seiryo High School...developed a fearsome and legendary reputation with a record 60 home runs...the pitchers of Meitoko High were so intimidated by Matsui that they deliberately walked him five times, a feat unheard of in high school baseball...was so good at yakyu (Japanese baseball) as a child, even playing against boys several years his senior, that he handicapped himself by batting left-handed, which he eventually adopted as his now "natural" side...is a first-degree black belt in Judo and won a city-wide sumo tournament as a youth...does not charge admission to the Hideki Matsui House of Baseball in his hometown of Neagari...acts as a foster parent for 10 kids in Vietnam...donated 50 million Yen ($481,000) to the Japanese Red Cross Society for Asia's tsunami victims...has donated over $600,000 to aid victims and relief of earthquakes in Japan and surrounding areas, including the Hanshin Awaji earthquake in 1995, the Niigata Chuestu earthquake in 2004, the Indonesia Sumatra earthquake in 2004 and the Ishikawa/Noto earthquake in 2007...worked with Japan's Eco-Safety Drive campaign in 2008, encouraging citizens to decrease their car pollution.

2010

Batted .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI in 145 games in his only season with Los Angeles...topped 20 home runs for the fifth time in his last seven seasons and it was the sixth time in eight Major League seasons he drove in 80 or more runs...the games played were his most since playing all 162 games for New York in 2005 but the batting average matched his lowest as a Major Leaguer (2009)...led the Angels with a .361 on-base percentage, was second in RBI and walks (67) and third in home runs... also topped the club with 24 go-ahead RBI and 22 multi-RBI games and ranked second with 35 two-out RBI...tied for fourth in the American League with 15 game-winning RBI...nine of his 21 home runs gave the Angels the lead...his batting average improved to .293 with runners on base and 14 of his 21 home runs came in that situation...tied for ninth in the AL in homers with runners on base...hit .289 (99 for 342) against right-handed pitching, .236 (33 for 140) against left-handers...drew 60 of his 67 walks against righties for a .394 on-base percentage, compared to .270 against lefties...the on-base percentage against righties was seventh best in the AL...batted .252 before the All-Star Break and .309 after the break...had a .238 average against a pitcher the first two times he saw him in a game and .421 after that...made 119 starts at designated hitter and 17 in left field...batted .263 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games overall as a DH...ranked second among designated hitters in walks (60), third in RBI and sixth in home runs...did not commit an error in 18 games overall in left field (17 total chances)... also went 2 for 6 (.333) with two intentional walks as a pinch hitter...has a .333 (12 for 36) career average in the pinch with one home run, seven RBI and seven walks...hit in every spot in the order except first and third and saw his most action batting fifth (78 games) and fourth (38 games).

2009

With Yankees, batted .274 (125/456) with 28 HR and 90 RBI in 142 games (116 starts at DH)...Marked fourth time in seven seasons with at least 20 HR and 90 RBI...27 of 28 HRs came as DH, most in MLB and set club record for a DH (prev. 25 by Don Baylor in 1984)...Batted .354 (28/79) with RISP after All-Star break...Hit two-run HR on Opening Day at Balt., his third career Opening Day HR...A career .357 (10/28) hitter on Opening Day with 3 HR and 11 RBI... Hit 3-run HR in June 12 win vs. Mets, homering on his birthday for second straight year (also grand slam,June 12, 2008 at Oak.)...Hit 3-run HR in July 5 win vs. Toronto, marked 500th career run, becoming just second Japaneseborn player to reach plateau (also Ichiro)...Hit "walk-off" solo HR in July 20 win vs. Balt., his second career "walkoff" HR (also July 17, 2003 vs. Clev.)...Named "MLB's Clutch Performer of the Month" for August, as he hit .281 (25/89) with 8 HR and 25 RBI...Became first Yankee with at least 12 H, 6 HR and 18 RBI over an eight-game span (August 13-25) since Don Mattingly batted .459 (17/37) with 10 HR and 21 RBI during his record-tying streak of HRs in eight games from July 8-18 (credit: Elias)...On road trip (August 13-23), was 10-for-32 (.313) with 6 HR & 15 RBI in seven GS at DH...Had three multi-HR games on trip, becoming just 2nd player in club history to accomplish the feat (also Mickey Mantle in 1966)...Hit two three-run HRs and drove in a career-high seven runs in August 21 win vs. Boston...According to Elias, joined Lou Gehrig as only Yankees ever with at least 7 RBI in a game at Fenway Park (Gehrig had 8 RBI, July 31, 1930)...Hit solo-HRs (#22, 23) in win at Boston, his sixth career multi-HR game, second in three games and third in seven games - became first Yankee to collect three multi-homer games over a personal seven-game span since Mickey Mantle in 1966...Hit four home runs over a six-game span from September 16-22... Missed first 10 games of spring training rehabbing his left knee after arthroscopic surgery.

2008

Hit .294 (99-for-337) with 17 doubles, 9HR and 45RBI in 93 games with the Yankees (66 starts at DH, 20 starts in LF, two starts in RF)... batted .326 (28-for-86) with 4 doubles, 2HR and 12RBI as an outfielder... hit .285 (70-for-246) with 13 doubles, 7HR and 33RBI as a DH... hit in six different spots in the starting lineup in 2008 (Nos. 3-8)...Hit safely in 34 of his 44 home games, carrying a .323 (51- for-158) batting average at Yankee Stadium... overall, went more than two consecutive games without a hit just once (four-in-a-row from 9/8-13)...Made his sixth career Opening Day start (first at DH) and was 0-for-3 with 1RBI in 4/1 win vs. Toronto... is a career .391 hitter on Opening Day (9-for-23, 2HR, 7RBI)... marked his first Major League game with a skipper other than Joe Torre... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Matsui's streak of 681 consecutive games played from the start of his career under one manager trailed only the marks of Atlanta's Chipper Jones (1,897 for Bobby Cox) and Albert Pujols (1,091 for Tony LaRussa), among active players...Batted a team-high .322 (29-for-90) with 5 doubles, 4HR and 13RBI in April after hitting just .207 (6-for-29) with 1HR and 6RBI in April 2007... hit safely in 22-of-26 games for the month...Made his fifth career start and appearance in RF in 4/10 win at Kansas City, going 1-for-5... was his first appearance in RF since 6/12/05 at St. Louis...Hit safely in a career-high 17 straight games from 4/18-5/8, batting .365 (23-for-63) with 3 doubles, 1HR, 9RBI, 3HBP and 8BB over the stretch... was the longest hitting streak by a Yankee in 2008... reached base safely in 22 straight games from 4/18-5/14, hitting .313 (26-for-83) with 9R, 4 doubles, 2HR, 10RBI and 10BB during the span...Batted .350 (35-for-100) in the month of May, leading the Yankees and ranking fifth among American Leaguers in average... was his highest monthly average since hitting .398 (37-for-93) in June 2005...Hit fourth in the lineup in 4/22 win at Chicago (AL), going 1-for-2 with 1RBI, 1HP and 2BB in his first start as the cleanup hitter since 7/5/07 vs. Minnesota...Hit safely in all nine games of the Yankees' homestand from 4/29-5/8 (vs. Detroit, Seattle and Cleveland), batting .405 (15-for-37) over the stretch...Hit two-run HR off Oliver Perez in the fourth and was 1-for-4 in 5/18 loss vs. the Mets... was his only home run off a left-handed pitcher in 2008...Went a career-high 58 plate appearances without a strikeout from 5/21-6/5 (previous long was 51PA in 2005)...Celebrated his 34th birthday on 6/12 with a game-winning, sixth-inning grand slam in the Yankees' 4-1 victory at Oakland... was his fifth career grand slam and first since 7/25/04 at Boston... according to SABR's David Vincent, became the first Yankee ever to hit a grand slam on his birthday... overall, he was the 19th player to accomplish the feat, joining the Twins' Jason Kubel (5/25/08 at Detroit) as the second player to accomplish the feat in 2008... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first Yankee since Bernie Williams on 6/14/93 (4-0 win vs. Boston) to hit a game-winning grand slam that accounted for all of the team's runs, and the first Yankee to do it on the road since Cliff Johnson in a 4-0 win on 9/4/77 vs. the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium...Was placed on the 15-day D.L. prior to 6/27 Game 2 win at the Mets (retroactive to 6/23) with left-knee inflammation... over his last 26 games before going on the D.L., hit .365 (35-for-96) with 19R, 6 doubles, 1HR, 14RBI, 13BB and 11 multi-hit contests... led all DHs (min. 100AB) with a .323 average (52-for-161) in 43 games at the time he was sidelined... ranked fourth in the AL with a .323 batting average and a .404 on-base percentage...Was examined by Dr. Scott Rodeo on 7/21 and resumed rehabilitation later that week... took 20 swings off a tee prior to 7/28 loss vs. Baltimore... reported to Tampa, Fla., on 8/4 to continue his rehab and exercise program... had 15AB in a simulated game on 8/17 at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa... played three rehab games with Single-A Tampa, going 2-for-8 with 1HR, 1RBI and 2BB...Was returned from rehab and reinstated from the 15- day D.L. prior to 8/19 loss at Toronto (missed 45 team games)... started at DH that night and went 0-for-3, making his first Major League appearance since 6/22 vs. Cincinnati... made 15 consecutive starts at DH from 8/19-9/3 after being reinstated from the disabled list...Drove in his 500th Major League run with a solo-HR and was 1-for-4 in 8/23 win at Baltimore, becoming the first Japanese-born player to reach the 500 RBI plateau (credit: Elias)...Appeared in just one of the Yankees' last 14 games from 9/14-28, starting the Yankee Stadium finale on 9/21 vs. Baltimore, going 1-for-3 with 1R... snapped a career-high-tying 16AB hitless streak with a third-inning single (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)...Did not travel with the team on the final road trip of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on 9/22... surgery was performed by Dr. Scott Rodeo at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan...Hit .324 (12-for-37) with 5R, 3 doubles and 6RBI in 15 spring training games... missed the first eight games of the spring rehabbing his right knee after off-season arthroscopic surgery.

2007

Hit .285 (156-for-547) with 100R, 25HR and 103RBI in 143 games (111 starts in left field, 32 at designated hitter)...Drove in 100 runs for the fourth time in five Major League seasons (2003-'05; 2007) and scored 100 runs for the third time in the last four seasons...Hit .303 (89-for-294) with 61R, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 17HR, 57RBI and 43BB over the final 76 games of the season (from 7/3)...began the year hitting .265 (67-for-253) with 39R, 17 doubles, 8HR, 46RBI and 30BB through his first 67 games of the season (4/2-7/2). 4 On 4/2 vs. Tampa Bay, became the first Yankee to make five straight starts in LF on Opening Day since Roy White made six straight from 1969-74...Was placed on the 15-day disabled list from 4/8-23 with a strained left hamstring (missed 12 team games)...was injured while running out a ground ball in the second inning on 4/7 vs. Baltimore...made two rehab appearances with Class-A Tampa on 4/20-21, going 2-for-6 in 2GS in LF...Recorded the 2,000th career hit of his professional career with a sixth-inning double in 5/6 win vs. Seattle (1,390 in Japan and 610 with the Yankees)...became the 46th member-and 32nd position player (including Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki)-to be honored as a member of the Japanese "Golden Players Club"...is akin to the Hall of Fame for professional baseball players in Japan...the standards for membership are 200 wins and/or 250 saves for pitchers and 2,000 hits for batters...Drove in a season-high four runs in 5/16 Game 2 win at Chicago (AL), going 3-for-5 with 1 double...Drove in at least one run in six consecutive games from 6/5-10, matching the longest such streak of his career (also had at least 1RBI in six straight games from 6/11-17/05)...also drove in 21 runs over a 17-game stretch from 6/5-23...Hit .324 (23-for-71) in Interleague Play this season...owns a .339 career batting average vs. the National League in Interleague Play (92-for-271), the highest among all Yankee batters with at least 200 at-bats...Scored at least one run in 11 consecutive games from 7/3-16, the longest such streak by a Yankee since Derek Jeter in 2003 (also 11 games)...Hit safely in 38 of 41 games from 7/3-8/17, batting .360 (59-for-164) with 45R, 15HR and 37RBI...lead the Majors in runs scored over the stretch. 4 Hit two-run HR (#10)-his second in as many games-and was 2-for-5 with 1R and 2RBI in 7/5 win vs. Minnesota, hitting fourth in the lineup for the first time since 6/12/05 at St. Louis...was the first time he collected home runs in consecutive games since 7/4-5/05 vs. Baltimore...Hit six home runs in a 10-game span from 7/4-16, his most HR ever over any 10-game span in his Major League career...Fashioned a single-season career-high 14-game hitting streak from 7/3-19...during the streak, hit .375 (21-for-56) with 14R, 6HR and 10RBI...hit in 16 straight games spanning two seasons from 9/26/05-4/13/06...Homered in three straight games (both games of a double-header on 7/21, and 7/22 at Tampa Bay) for just the second time in his Major League career (also a double-header on 9/29, and 9/30/04 vs. Minnesota)...Established a regular-season career-high with five hits in 7/22 win vs. Tampa Bay, going 5-for-6 with 3R and 2RBI...had 3RBI in 7/29 win at Baltimore despite going 0-for-3...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he was the first Major Leaguer to have three or more RBI without recording a hit since Minnesota's Nick Punto on 8/5/06 at Kansas City (0-for-1, 3RBI) and the first Yankee since Don Mattingly on 5/3/86 vs. Texas (0-for-2, 3RBI)...Recorded his second career two-homer game in 7/31 win vs. the White Sox, going 2-for-3 with 4R and 2BB (also 8/6/04 vs. Toronto)...also tied his career high with 4R (fifth time, last on 6/21/05)...Was named American League "Player of the Month" for July...hit .345 (39-for-113) and led the Major Leagues with 13HR and 31R...also ranked first in the American League with a .735 slugging percentage, tied for second with 39H and tied for third with 28RBI during the month of July...the 31R and 13HR were the most in any calendar month of his career (his largest home run output in any previous calendar month was seven in 6/04 and 7/05)...Hit the 100th HR of his Major-League career in 8/5 win vs. Kansas City (off Gil Meche)...became the first Japanese-born player to reach the 100-home run milestone in the Majors...Hit solo-HR (#24) and was 1-for-5 in 9/17 win vs. Baltimore, snapping a 122 AB homerless stretch dating back to 8/8 at Toronto...was the second-longest homerless stretch of his career (went 180AB between homers in 2005)...missed the final two games of the regular season, returning to New York to have fluid drained from his right knee.

2006

Despite missing four months of the season with a fractured left wrist, hit .302 (52-for-172) with 8HR and 29RBI in 51 games (36 starts in left field, 13 at designated hitter)...played in 1,768 consecutive professional games before his injury on 5/11 vs. Boston (1,250 with Yomiuri Giants, 518 with Yankees)...With 518 consecutive games played to start his Major-League career, surpassed Ernie Banks (424) for the all-time record of consecutive games played to begin a career...Banks broke into the Majors with a streak of 424 games played for the Chicago Cubs (1953-'56)...Matsui's streak of 518 consecutive games played with the Yankees was the longest streak by any Yankee since Lou Gehrig's 2,130-game streak...was also the A.L. record for most games played to begin a Major-League career, surpassing Al Simmons' 394 from 1924-'26...In 4/3 win at Oakland, reached base six times and tied his single-game career high with four hits (sixth time)...was 4-for-4 with 2R, 1HR, 4RBI and 2BB...became the 18th Yankee to hit two or more home runs in his career on Opening Day (also homered in the 2005 opener)...Made his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Yankees in LF, becoming the first Yankee to make four straight starts in LF on Opening Day since Roy White made six straight starts there from 1969-1974...hit in a career-high 16 straight games from 9/26/05-4/13/06 (last seven games of the 2005 season and the first nine games of 2006)...hit .419 (26-for-62) during the streak...snapped 77AB homerless stretch with solo-HR (#4) in 5/4 win at Tampa Bay...was his first HR since 4/8 at LAA...was removed from 5/11 loss vs. Boston in the top of the first inning after he suffered a fractured left wrist while diving for a fly ball (hit by Mark Loretta)...according to Rule 10.24 (c), Matsui's consecutive-game streak was snapped on 5/11 as he did not play one-half inning in the field (or "complete a time at bat by reaching base or making an out")...Was placed on the 15-day disabled list from 5/12-9/12 with a left wrist fracture (missed 110 team games)...underwent successful surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center on 5/12...the procedure was performed by Team Physician Dr. Stuart Hershon and Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser...played in four rehab games (at DH) with Double-A Trenton vs. Portland, going 3-for-11 with 1 double, 1RBI and 5BB (1IBB)...was reinstated from the D.L. prior to the game on 9/12 vs. TB...equaled a single-game career high with four hits, going 4-for-4 with 2R, 1RBI and 1BB in 9/12 win vs. Tampa Bay...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first player since Lance Johnson in 1988 to go more than 90 days between Major League at-bats in a season and then record a game of four-or-more hits in his return...became the first Yankee to go 4-for-4 with hits against four different pitchers in one game since Willie Randolph on 9/5/85 vs. Oakland...started at DH and batted eighth in the order...made first 11 starts at DH after being reinstated from the disabled list...made first start in LF since returning from the D.L. on 9/26 vs. Baltimore, and concluded the season by starting in LF for the final six games...in final 19 games of the season after being reinstated from the disabled list on 9/12, hit .396 (21-for-53) with 11R, 3HR and 10RBI...hit .250 (4-for-16) with 1RBI in four Division Series games vs. Detroit.

2005

Continued his ascent as one of baseball's most productive offensive forces, hitting .305 (192-for-629) with 108R, 45 doubles, 23HR and 116RBI in 162 games (111 starts in left field, 27 starts in center field, 19 at designated hitter, and four in right field)...established single-season career highs in batting average, hits, doubles and runs batted in...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, is one of only two players-who debuted since 1940-to have had at least 100 RBI in each of his first three seasons in the Majors (also Albert Pujols)...only one other Yankee in franchise history had as many runs batted in as Hideki Matsui (330) over their first three seasons in the Majors...Joe DiMaggio drove in 432 runs in his first three seasons from 1936-'38...Was tied for first in the American League with 162 games played, ranked second with 45 doubles and a .354 average against left-handed pitching, sixth with 55 multi-hit games, tied for seventh with a .305 batting average, eighth with 116 RBI and 312 total bases, and ninth with 192 hits and 71 extra base hits...his .354 average against left-handed pitching was the highest average in the Majors among left-handed batters...Played in all of the Yankees' 162 games with Alex Rodriguez to become the first pair of Yankees to each play in every game in the same season since 1945, when Nick Etten and Snuffy Stirnweiss accomplished the feat for the second straight year - credit: Elias Sports Bureau...Made third straight Opening-Day start for the Yankees in LF on 4/3 vs. Boston, becoming the first Yankee to make three consecutive Opening-Day starts in LF since Dave Winfield from 1981-'83...since 1990, 12 different players have started in LF for the Yankees on Opening Day (Matsui from 2003-'05, Rondell White in 2002, Chuck Knoblauch in 2001, Shane Spencer in 2000, Ricky Ledee in 1999, Chad Curtis in 1998, Darryl Strawberry in 1997, Gerald Williams in 1996, Luis Polonia in 1994, Paul O'Neill 1993 and '95, Mel Hall in 1990 and '92 and Hensley Meulens in 1991)...Hit two-run HR and was 3-for-5 with 3R and 3RBI in 4/3 Opening Day win vs. Boston, becoming the 55th player in franchise history to homer on Opening Day...tied single-game career highs with four hits and three doubles on 5/14 at Oakland, going 4-for-5 with 3R, 1RBI and 1BB...made his first career start in RF and was 1-for-4 in 5/21 loss at NY Mets...Snapped 46G/180-at-bat homerless stretch with two-run home run in 5/31 loss at Kansas City (#4), the longest such streak of his career (longest previous streak was 110 homerless at-bats from 5/7-6/5/03)...did not start in 6/8 win at Milwaukee (pinch-hit and singled), extending his professional consecutive-games played streak to 1,634 (384 in Majors)...did not start for the first time since 9/26/03 (when he did not start either game of a DH vs. Baltimore), snapping streak of 222 consecutive starts (since 9/27/03)...Had career-high 12-game hitting streak from 6/8-21, batting .488 (21-for-43) with 12R, six doubles, 5HR and 17RBI during the streak...was also the longest hitting streak by a Yankee this season...was named American League "Player of the Week" for the period ending 6/19...batted .455 (10-for-22) with 6R, 3HR, 22 total bases, a .538 on-base percentage...also led the A.L. with 10RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage...was his third career A.L. "Player of the Week" Award, his last coming on 5/30/04...hit solo-HR (#9)-his second in as many games and fifth in last eight-and was 4-for-5 with 4R, 1 double, 2RBI and 1BB in 6/21 win vs. Tampa Bay...his four hits tied a career high (now done five times) and his four runs also tied a career high (now done twice). DID YOu KNOW? In 2005, Hideki Matsui became only the third player in Major League history to lead the league in games played in each of three consecutive seasons, joining Steve Garvey (1980-82) and Cal Ripken (1991-93). (Credit: Elias Sports Bureau)...With his 8th-inning home run, became the 20th player (26th time) to homer into the black "batter's-eye" section of remodeled Yankee Stadium (1976-2005)...did not strike out in a career-long 51 straight plate appearances from 6/23-7/8...reached base safely in 36 straight games from 5/31-7/10...was the longest such streak of his career and the longest by a Yankee since Alex Rodriguez reached base safely in 53 straight games in 2004...Recorded the 500th hit of his three-year Major-League career with a first-inning single in 8/25 win vs. Toronto (was 2-for-4 with 1R and 1RBI)...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other players who debuted in 2003 have even reached the 400-hit mark: Texas' Mark Teixeira (434) and Florida's Miguel Cabrera (422)...hit two-run HR (#21) and was 2-for-4 with 1 double and 3RBI in 9/7 win vs. Tampa Bay...was the 400th home run of his professional career (Japan Central League, 332; Yankees, 68)...hit .200 (4-for-20) with 4R, 1HR and 1RBI in five Division Series games versus the Angels.

2004

Hit .298 (174-for-584) with 109R, 31HR and 108RBI in 162 games (160 starts in left field, two starts in center field)...was tied for the American League lead with 162 games played, was tied for third with 88 walks and a .327 road average, tied for eighth with 109R, and tied for 10th with 108 RBI...became the third player in the last 50 years to drive in at least 100 runs in each of his first two seasons in the Majors...he joins Wally Joyner (in 1986 and 1987) and Albert Pujols in his first four seasons (2001-2004)--credit: Elias Sports Bureau...only three Yankees have had as many runs batted in as Hideki Matsui (214) over their first two seasons in the Majors: Joe DiMaggio (292, 1936-37), Bob Meusel (218, 1920-21) and Tony Lazzeri (216, 1926-27)...has played in 1,575 consecutive professional games (1,250 with Yomiuri Giants, 325 with Yankees)...played in all 163 games in 2003 and in all 162 games this season for a two-year total of 325 games, the most consecutive games played by any player in Yankee history... he surpassed the 323 straight games played by Bobby Richardson in 1961 and 1962...his 325 consecutive games played to start his Major-League career surpass Pittsburgh's Johnny Ray (231) and he now has the longest such streak to begin a career since Ernie Banks broke into the Majors with a streak of 424 games played for the Chicago Cubs (1953-'56)...was selected to the 2004 American League All-Star Team, his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance (was selected by internet voting for the 32nd and final roster spot)...was 0-for-1 in the 7/13 American-League win...made second straight Opening-Day start for the Yankees in LF on 3/30 vs. Tampa Bay at Tokyo, becoming the first Yankee to make consecutive Opening-Day starts in LF since Rickey Henderson in 1988-89 (was 1-for-4 with 1RBI in 2003)...since 1990, 12 different players have started in LF for the Yankees on Opening Day (Matsui in 2003 and '04, Rondell White in 2002, Chuck Knoblauch in 2001, Shane Spencer in 2000, Ricky Ledee in 1999, Chad Curtis in 1998, Darryl Strawberry in 1997, Gerald Williams in 1996, Luis Polonia in 1994, Paul O'Neill 1993 and '95, Mel Hall in 1990 and '92 and Hensley Meulens in 1991)...was named American League Player-of-the-Week from 5/24-30...for the week, he batted .524 (11-for-21) with a .952 slugging percentage, 2HR, 7RBI and 20 total bases...he led the league with 12R and a .655 on-base percentage, the highest weekly figure by an AL player this year...was his second career weekly award (also the week of 6/29/03)...established career high with 4R in 5/27 win at Baltimore, going 3-for-3 with 1 double, 3RBI, 2BB and 1HP...scored at least one run in eight straight games from 5/23-6/1...hit solo-HR-establishing a single-season career high with 17-in 7/11 win vs. Tampa Bay...hit grand slam home run and had 5RBI in 7/25 loss at Boston, his fourth career grand slam and second of the season (also on 6/27 vs. NY Mets)...hit three-run HR and solo HR-and had 6RBI-in 8/6 win vs. Toronto...was his first career multi-HR game and his 6RBI established single-game career high...in 8/15 loss at Seattle, batted fourth for first time this season-and for fourth time in his Major-League career-and was 2-for-4 with 2R, 1 double and two-run HR (#24)...homered in five of six games from 9/24-30...was 8-for- 19 with 10R over that six-game span...hit .412 (21-for-51) with 3HR and 13RBI in 11 postseason games...with nine extra-base hits in the ALCS (6 doubles, 1 triple, 2HR), established the record for most extra-base hits in a post-season series of any length...also tied the LCS record for most runs in a series (9) and established LCS records for most hits (14), total bases (28) and doubles (6)...matched the single-game post-season record for runs scored in a single game in Game Three with five (as did teammate Alex Rodriguez)...his five RBI in Game Three equaled the single-game ALCS record, done six times previously including his own performance in Game One (is the only Yankee to collect five RBI in a single ALCS game.

2003

Hit .287 (179-for-623) with 16HR and 106RBI in 163 games (110 starts in left field, 46 starts in center field, two starts at designated hitter)...led all Major League rookies with 106 RBI, the highest single-season total by a Yankee rookie since 1936 (Joe DiMaggio, 125) and the third highest total by a rookie in franchise history (behind DiMaggio and Tony Lazzeri, 114 in 1926)...only four Yankees have led all rookies in RBI in a season: Tony Lazzeri with 114 in 1926, Joe DiMaggio with 125 in 1936, Billy Johnson with 94 in 1943 and Derek Jeter with 78 in 1996...his 42 doubles were the second highest total by a rookie in franchise history...Joe DiMaggio holds the Yankees' rookie-record with 44 doubles in 1936...played in each of the Yankees 163 games this season, setting the all-time single-season record for games played by a rookie, breaking the old mark of 162 games (shared by six others)...only two other Yankee rookies have played in every game in which the team played (Billy Johnson in 1943-155G; Tony Lazzeri in 1926-155G)....also became the first Yankee ever to play in more then 162 games in a season...ranked second in the A.L. with 13 outfield assists, and eighth with his 42 doubles...was elected to start 2003 All-Star Game, his first All-Star selection (was 1-for-2)...batted .493 (33-for-67) in inter-league games this season, the second-highest BA ever posted in interleague play in one season (behind only Joe Randa's .508 vs. NL teams in 1999)...in his Major-League debut-in 3/31 Opening-Day win at Toronto-delivered RBI single in first inning...hit fifth-inning grand slam in home-opener win vs. Minnesota on 4/8...became the first Yankee in franchise history to hit a grand slam in his first game at Yankee Stadium...is also the fifth Yankee whose first Major-League home run was a grand slam, joining Frank LaPorte (on 10/7/05), Frank Gilhooley (5/31/16), Gil McDougald (on 5/3/51) and Horace Clark (9/21/65)...had his career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped on 5/10...made first start of the season in CF in 5/18 loss vs. Texas...established single-game career highs in hits and doubles in 6/5 win at Cincinnati, going 4-for-5 with 2R, three doubles and a three-run HR (#4)...the homer snapped a 24-game homerless stretch (since 5/7 at Seattle)...he became the first Yankee to hit three doubles in a single game since Bernie Williams on 8/5/00 in a 6-5 loss vs. Seattle...was named the American League "Player of the Weekb for June 23-29, batting .500 (14-for-28) with three doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI in eight games...during that period, he had an .821 slugging percentage and .622 on-base average...was named American League Rookie of the Month for June...led all rookies in batting average (.394), hits (41), doubles (11), RBI (29), walks (15), slugging (.673), and on-base percentage (.484)...with 41H in June, became the fourth rookie since August 2001 to have 40 or more hits in one calendar month (Ichiro Suzuki, 51; Albert Pujols, 42; and David Eckstein, 41)...hit second career grand slam and had a career-high 5RBI in 6/28 Game 1 win vs. NY Mets...tied career high with four hits in 6/28 Game 2 win at NY Mets, going 4-for-4...hit walk-off HR (#10) in the bottom of the ninth and was 1-for-4 in 7/17 win vs. Cleveland...was the Yankees first walk-off HR of the season and first since Jason Giambi accomplished the feat on 5/17/02 in a 13-12, 14-inning win vs. Minnesota (grand slam)...batted .281 (18-for-64) with 2HR and a team-high 11RBI in 17 postseason games...also collected at least 1RBI in five consecutive postseason games (Games Three and Four of the ALDS and Games One through Three of the ALCS).

2002

Won his third Central League Most Valuable Player Award, batting a careerhigh .334 (167-for-500) with a league-leading and career-best 50HR for the Yomiuri Giants...also led the league with 107 RBI, 112 runs, a .461 on-base percentage and a .692 slugging percentage in 140 games for the Yomiuri Giants...helped lead Yomiuri to the Japan-Series Championship over the Seibu Lions, batting .333 with 4RBI in four games... Is a three-time MVP of the Central League (1996, 2000 and 2002) and is a three-time home run and RBI champ (1998, 2000 and 2002)...began a 1,250 consecutive-gamesplayed streak in 1994 that became the longest such streak among active players and second only to that of the Japanese "Iron Man" Sachiyo Kinugasa (2,215)...in 22 career All-Star Series games, batted .321 (25-for-78) with 8 HR and 18 RBI...made nine consecutive All-Star appearances, beginning in 1994 at the age of 20...was honored with the Golden Spirit Award in 1999 and 2000, given to the Japanese Professional Baseball Player that combines on-field accomplishments and off-field sevice in the community...was chosen as the No. 1 draft pick in 1992 by the Yomiuri Giants and led them to four Japan Series, winning three (1994, 2000, and 2002)...in 21 career Japan Series games, batted .286 with 4 HR and 14 RBI.