New York Yankees Pay Tribute to Hideki Matsui as Godzilla Retires
Matsui wore the pinstripes from 2003 to 2009 after playing 10 seasons in Japan
The Yankees are giving a final salute Sunday to a legendary Bronx bomber as 39-year-old Hideki Matsui officially hangs up his spikes.
The team also made it Matsui bobblehead day at the stadium, so fans can get a souvenir of the slugger.
Hideki Matsui Slideshow
Matsui capped off his Yankees career by single handedly destroying the Phillies in the 2009 fall classic, hitting .615, with three home runs and eight RBIs to win the World Series MVP award.
Hideki Matsui signed a one-day Minor League deal with the ball club on a Sunday morning, and later submitted his retirement papers in a pre-game ceremony before the Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.
Captain Derek Jeter presented Matsui with a retired jersey — "I'd like to thank the Yankees organization, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me this opportunity," Matsui said through a translator. "I officially announced my retirement last year, but to be able to come back in this manner -- at the time, I never really imagined having this type of opportunity."
"To become a member of the Yankees and retire as a Yankee, I'm just so humbled and honored." — officially retiring as a member of the Boys in Pinstripes, as the Yankee Stadium crowd stood and applauded.
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