Matsui postgame interview
Second baseman talks about his fourth-inning grand slam
MLB.com
Did you know it was gone when you hit it, and what did you hit and what were you looking for when you hit the grand slam?
KAZ MATSUI: It was an inside, straight.
And did you know you hit it out when you hit it?
KAZ MATSUI: Yeah, after I hit it, yeah, I knew it was gone.
Did the idea of a grand slam even cross your mind when you stepped into the batter's box?
KAZ MATSUI: I didn't think about any like grand slam at all. Like yesterday, I was like, I've got a chance and I couldn't hit. So I just stepped into the batter's box and I tried to hit.
You've been through a lot in your Major League career; did it take a fresh environment in order to succeed in the big leagues?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, my baseball career, I came from Japan to play on a Major League level and this is my first playoffs and I'm so excited and I'm so happy that I'm here.
Did you realize in your last at-bat that you had a chance for a second one?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, not thinking about the cycle, it's kind of difficult not to think about that.
But the last at bat before the last one, I just go for it.
Home | News | Multimedia | Photos
Do you think had the Mets been more patient with you and you continued to play in New York, that eventually you would have begun to play up to your capabilities?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, I don't know about that.
Could you compare playing in New York to playing in Colorado?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, I played good baseball in New York and I just couldn't make a good result, but I played good baseball over there.
However, at this point I'm playing for the Colorado Rockies in Denver and it's a really good team and I'm playing good. I got in a good environment on a good team and I'm so happy about that.
Why do you think you were so successful today at the plate?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, I don't know why I played good today. I'm not one to ask that kind of question. The only thing I could think of was that yesterday, our team won kind of good, and I was in the lineup and first batter, so I just tried to, you know, keep playing good.
When Kendrick was replaced with Lohse, did it change your approach to the plate at all in that at-bat?
KAZ MATSUI: Well, I didn't change that much, and like what I did yesterday, I thought about a little bit. Then I tried to be like a lot from yesterday and that's how I faced him.
What does this streak that the team has been on feel like? Have you ever been through anything like that in Japan? And when you came back from your injury, do you feel like you brought new energy to the team in the middle of the streak?
KAZ MATSUI: After me, there's nice hitters a lot, if I'm hitting first and second. So me and Tulowitzki try to get on the base and try to make it confusing.
You were a huge star playing in Japan. Is this the first time you felt like you were in that big spotlight again for the first time in the United States playing baseball?
KAZ MATSUI: Right now, only thing I can think of is to win the game. We, the Colorado Rockies, want to win and that's the only thing I can think about.
Do you remember your last grand slam -- I think it was in Japan, and is today's grand slam the biggest thrill of your baseball career?
KAZ MATSUI: It's not a comparison. I mean, today was like the best, so exciting and so glad I could hit.
