Hideki Matsui holds baseball class in N.Y.

By Kazuari Hirayama / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

13:53 JST, August 7, 2022

NEW YORK — Former Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui held a baseball clinic in New York on Saturday, enthusiastically instructing about 30 local schoolchildren.

Matsui, 48, pitched batting practice to the youngsters, and stepped up to the plate to hit a few balls over the fence as well.

“Every year, the distance I hit the balls gets shorter and shorter,” Matsui said with a smile. “I’m a little scared about tomorrow morning,” he added referring to some potential sore muscles.

Due to the spread of novel coronavirus, it was the first time the event was held in about three years.

“The No. 1 thing is that the event goes off without a hitch and it ends with smiles on the children’s faces,” he said.

Asked about Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Matsui commented: “I hope he continues to stay healthy. He’s doing something that has never been done before, so only he knows what he is going through. As a fellow Japanese, I’m rooting for him.”