If Your Birthday is June 12th...

...you share it with Hideki Matsui.  The former Japanese home run champ lived up to his nickname "Godzilla," making history as the first Yankee ever to hit a Grand Slam in his first home game (April 8th, 2003)!  He immediately became a mainstay of the team’s offense alongside Jeter , A-Rid and Posada.  Matsui ended his seven Yankee seasons with an even bigger headline -- earning World Series MVP honors after hitting .615 with three homers and eight RBIs in the six-game triumph over the Phillies.


These these photos are all from 2009 games -- a March 16th Grapefruit League game at Steinbrenner Field and a May 22nd interleague game at Yankee Stadium, both against the Phillies and an August 25th matchup with the Rangers.
 

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