The Art Neuro Weblog

Translated Transcription of Interview With Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees has been interviewed briefly by the Yomiuri newspaper.
Here's my translation of the transcription if anybody is interested.

- Interview by Fujio Tanaka.
Q: You've started training already.
A: Yes. I'm 30 now, so if I rest too much, I start putting on excess weight.

Q: Will you re-start your training once you return to Japan?
A: Yes, probably. I'll be busy with things like having to go to the bat maker for changes to the bat.

Q: You've been making small changes to the bat each year. What changes will you make this year?
A: Not much this year. I might move the centre of gravity towards the handle a little bit.

Q: But there's great significance even in small changes.
A: Well yeah. If you move the centre of gravity towards the handle, the centre of percussion will move towards the grip as well, and that might make it harder to get jammed on the inside.

Q: Yes, you did seem to get jammed on the inside a lot last year.
A: Yeah, because I'm keeping my timing for the outside fastball. So when you go to swing for the inside fastball from that stance, it gets uncomfortable and you end up getting jammed.

Q: When you were with the Giants you were looking at the inside high pitch.
A: Yeah. If you adjusted to the course where the ball appears the fastest, then it seemed easy to hit the ball on the sweetspot, where ever it came. The opposite, where you look at the outside pitch and adjust for the inside pitch is a lot harder.

Q: Yet you have to keep the outside pitch in mind.
A: Yes, they totally pitch to the outside corner. I figured if they jammed me inside, I'd just have to accept that as a consequence of my approach.

Q: So now you're not satsified with that.
A: Well, actually it's more a change of my thinking. From a situation where I was forced to think about the outside fastball, I want to think about the inside pitch in addition to that, broadening my base. In the end, I want to increase the percentage of the longball.

Q: If you move the centre of the gravity towards the handle, it will increase the swing speed.
A: That may be one outcome.

Q: ...But centrifugal force will diminish, so you need to strengthen more.
A: Actually, I mainly work with strengthening my torso, but if you can hit the ball at a good point, you can actually carry it into the stands easily.

Q: So this is an off-season where you review your approach.
A: Yes. I spent a lot of time last year analysing my opponents. So maybe I've grown in that sense.

It's pretty interesting. Of course there's no such thing as 'centrifugal' force. It's centripetal force. However it's swing speed that's needed. Generally speaking, you hit the ball further with a lighter bat going fast than a heavier bat going slow. So Godzilla is on track.
I'm keeping him for next year. :)

- Art Neuro