O a M G - Oakland Athletics

2007—Hit .285 with 100 runs, 25 home runs and 103 RBI in 143 games…made 111 starts in left field
and 32 at designated hitter…drove in 100 runs for fourth time in the majors and scored 100 runs for third
time…was on the 15-day disabled list from April 8 to 22 with a strained left hamstring and missed 12
games…recorded the 2,000th hit of his professional career with a double in a May 6 win vs. Seattle…
became the 46th member honored into Japanese “Golden Players Club”…award is akin to Hall of Fame
for professional baseball players in Japan…drove in at least one run in six consecutive games from June
5-10, matching the longest streak of career…named American League “Player of Month” for July after
leading the majors with 13 home runs, 31 runs and a .735 slugging percentage while batting .345…the
runs and home runs were the most in any month of career…homered in three straight games July 21-
22 for the second time in his ML career…established a career-high with five hits in a July 22 win vs.
Tampa Bay…hit the 100th home run of his ML career in an Aug. 5 win against Kansas City, becoming
the first Japanese-born player to reach the 100 plateau in ML history…started all four Division Series
games against Cleveland at designated hitter and batted .182…underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean
the inside of his right knee Nov. 14.
2006—Despite missing four months with a fractured left wrist, he hit .302 with eight home runs and
29 RBI in 51 games, including 36 starts in left field and 13 at designated hitter…had played in 1,768
consecutive professional games before injury, May 11 against Boston (1,250 with Yomiuri Giants, 518
with Yankees)…set a Major League record with 518 consecutive games to start a career, surpassing the
mark previously held by Ernie Banks (424, Chicago Cubs, 1953-56)…it was the longest streak by any
Yankee since Lou Gehrig’s 2,130-game streak…in an Opening Day win at Oakland, he reached base
six times, going 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two walks…removed from the May 11 loss to
Boston in the top of the first inning after he suffered a fractured left wrist while diving for a fly ball…
was on the 15-day disabled list from May 12-Sept. 11 and missed 110 games…underwent surgery, May
12…hit .273 with a double and a RBI during a four-game rehab assignment with Trenton during the
Eastern League playoffs…reinstated from the DL Sept. 12 and went 4-for-4 vs. Tampa Bay that day…
in his final 19 games after being reinstated from the DL, he hit .396 with three home runs and 10 RBI…
batted .250 with one RBI in four ALDS games against Detroit
2005—Hit .305 with 108 runs, 45 doubles, 23 home runs and 116 RBI in 162 games…started 110 games
in left field, 28 in center field, 19 at designated hitter, and four in right field…set career-highs in hits,
doubles and RBI and his batting average was his best as a Major Leaguer…according to the Elias Sports
Bureau, he became one of only two players who debuted since 1940 to have had at least 100 RBI in each
of first three seasons in Majors (also Albert Pujols)…only one other Yankee had as many runs batted
in as Matsui (330) over his first three seasons in the Majors (Joe DiMaggio, 432 from 1936-38)…tied
for second in the American League with 45 doubles…also ranked second with a .354 average against
left-handed pitching…was one of 10 Major Leaguers to play all 162 games…named AL Player of Week
for the period ending June 19, batting .455 (10-for-22) with three home runs 22 total bases…reached
base safely in a career-high 36 straight games from May 31-July 10…recorded the 500th hit of MLB
career with a first-inning single Aug. 25 vs. Toronto…hit the 400th home run of his pro career Sept. 7 vs.
Tampa Bay…hit .200 with four runs, one home run and one RBI in five ALDS games vs. the Angels.
Japanese-born maJor leaGue baseball Career leaders
home runs
161 hideki matsui
90 Ichiro Suzuki
48 Kenji Johjima
44 Tadahito Iguchi
34 Kosuke Fukudome
Games
1588 Ichiro Suzuki
1061 hideki matsui
832 Dave Roberts
672 So Taguchi
630 Kazuo Matsui
162 > 2011 Oakland athletics Media Guide
runs Batted in
681 hideki matsui
558 Ichiro Suzuki
213 Dave Roberts
211 Kazuo Matsui
205 Tadahito Iguchi
hits
2244 Ichiro Suzuki
1109 hideki matsui
721 Dave Roberts
615 Kazuo Matsui
494 Tadahito Iguchi
Walks
483 hideki matsui
457 Ichiro Suzuki
307 Dave Roberts
238 Kosuke Fukudome
189 Tadahito Iguchi
doubles
258 Ichiro Suzuki
220 hideki matsui
124 Kazuo Matsui
95 Dave Roberts
91 Tadahito Iguchi