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NY Mayor welcomes Matsui No. 2

New York Mets' Kazuo Matsui wears a 1986 World Series ring he borrowed for the news conference in New York, Wednesday. Kazuo is the first Japanese infielder to sign a contract with a major league team. PHOTO: AP PHOTO

The Mets called on Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Wednesday to announce their first player acquisition of this off-season and unveil the biggest foreign import in the team's history. Bloomberg fired off one-liners selling the city and setting the stage for the newest Met, who stole the show with 11 English words: "Hello everyone. My name is Kazuo Matsui. I love New York."

As an interpreter translated the words into Japanese and many in the room of 200 reporters at a Midtown hotel applauded, Matsui, a 28-year-old shortstop, smiled broadly. After an off-season that has included only one other move, the upgrading of Jim Duquette to general manager, the Mets seemed to have accomplished at least part of their master plan.

While sending out subtle indications that their future moves will not match the grandeur of signing Matsui, the Mets assured themselves of capturing the eye of New York, baseball and the Pacific Rim. Matsui has yet to play a game in the major leagues after starring for nine years with the Seibu Lions, but he provides the Mets with their most intriguing player since they acquired Mike Piazza five years ago.

Matsui welcomed the attention and the glare of flashing cameras like a tourist trying to get his fill of sightseeing. Moments after Bloomberg asked him to deliver another Subway Series, Matsui held up his right hand to show a 1986 World Series ring that the Mets' president, Saul Katz, had lent him.

"I'm going to do my best to bring another one to the city for the New York Mets," Matsui said in Japanese through an interpreter.

After Bloomberg touted the city to Matsui's wife, Mio, and their 3-year-old daughter, Haruna, Matsui showed the same fondness for his new employers despite their last-place finishes the past two seasons.

"When I decided to play here after the free-agent period opened up, I knew that the Mets, they thought a lot of me," he said. "And that they really wanted me, and that had a lot to do with my decision. It was easy to join the team because of that. They have a great family tradition as part of the team. It's where it felt right."

The Mets decided early, after what Duquette termed a healthy debate, that their best chance of landing Matsui was to offer him the shortstop's job and shift Jose Reyes to second base. Reyes, 20, could still return to shortstop in a few years. Offering Matsui the shortstop's job "set us apart from everybody," Jeff Wilpon, the Mets' chief operating officer, said.
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