At Yankees' Camp, Matsui Shines as a Star Who Stayed Behind

TAMPA, Fla., March 6 — There was no soul searching. When the time came last winter to decide between the Yankees and the World Baseball Classic, Hideki Matsui did not hesitate.

"It wasn't complicated," Matsui, the Yankees' left fielder, said through an interpreter Monday. "Nothing agonizing or anything. It was just a matter of staying cool and making my decision."

The choice to spend spring training with the Yankees delighted George Steinbrenner, the team's principal owner, who agreed in November to pay Matsui $52 million over the next four seasons. With four stars gone to play in the tournament, Matsui, the loyal employee, must be Steinbrenner's new favorite.

Matsui heard the translation of that theory, then laughed and shook his head. "I don't think so," he said.

Matsui, after all, has not helped Steinbrenner win a World Series. But his three seasons with the Yankees have been successful, and with limited star power at Legends Field these days, Matsui is standing out. He doubled and scored twice in the Yankees' 11-8 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, and has five hits in six spring at-bats.

Matsui said he skipped the World Baseball Classic for two reasons: He wanted to prepare for the regular season in the same way he always did, and he did not think he would be ready to play at a high level in the international tournament.

According to Matsui, Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, contacted Matsui's interpreter by e-mail last winter to ask about the tournament. Matsui did not respond to the message, but said that he told Japan's manager, Sadaharu Oh, of his decision in person.

Donald Fehr, the executive director of the union, said on Monday that the presence of stars like Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez has "got to enhance the product." But Fehr did not criticize players who declined to play.

"This is a matter which was, by design, voluntary for players," said Fehr, who held his annual meeting with Yankees players before Monday's game. "They have to want to do it. Players have their reasons that you or I might disagree with. It's not our decision to make."

Matsui said he noticed the results of the Far East bracket of the tournament, but he said, "It's just too early for me to watch the games." South Korea defeated Japan on Sunday to win the bracket, and both teams advanced to the next round.

If he was less popular in Japan for not playing, Matsui said, he had not felt any backlash from fans. Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners is taking part in the tournament, but Matsui's more engaging personality has kept him a fan favorite.

"Most Japanese fans are so disappointed about his decision," said Takayuki Tomizawa, who covers Matsui for The Jiji Press, a Japanese wire service. "But he is still very popular, much more than Ichiro."

Jean Afterman, the Yankees' assistant general manager and formerly the general counsel for an agency that represents Japanese players, said she was not surprised that Matsui chose to stay with the Yankees.

"There's a loyalty to their teams," she said, referring to the Japanese players she represented. "If they played for the Yakult Swallows, their loyalty was to the Yakult Swallows. If they played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, their loyalty was to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I think that's part of it, and also the season in the United States is so much longer than Japan's season, with so much more travel," Afterman added. "And I know what's very much on Matsui's mind every year is wanting to be strong in September and October."

Afterman cited a recent comment by Damon, who said that Matsui already represents his country by playing for the Yankees.

"He's a daily reminder of what Japanese players can accomplish in the game of baseball," she said. "I think what he does in 2006 and beyond is going to overcome any disappointment Japanese fans have."

Some critics of the tournament have cited its timing as a problem. Fehr said the union would explore other options for the next event, which is in 2009, but spring training was probably the only possible time.

"It will be hard to find alternate times, there's no doubt about that," Fehr said. "You don't want to interfere with the season. A lot of people want to do it in the fall, but the problem is, the end of a long season is the point of maximum wear and tear on the players, not minimum."

In spring training, players are prone to minor injuries. Matsui's appearance in left field was his first of the spring after a few days with a swollen left knee. Jason Giambi left Monday's game with a cramp in his left calf, and Gary Sheffield missed his second game in a row with a tender right hamstring.

With so many players out, Torre has had time to evaluate minor leaguers. He praised outfielders Melky Cabrera and Mitch Jones on Monday, and said that Eric Duncan, the Yankees' first-round pick in 2003, was "going to be something special."

Duncan, 20, played for Class AA Trenton last season, then was the M.V.P. in the Arizona Fall League.

"This is a tremendous experience to come to big-league camp, let alone with the Classic going on," Duncan said. "Young guys are going to get an opportunity."

INSIDE PITCH

The Yankees removed the sign at Legends Field that apologized to fans for players leaving camp to play in the World Baseball Classic. ... Carl Pavano (back) and Octavio Dotel (elbow) threw off bullpen mounds on Monday and reported no problems. ... Chien-Ming Wang had trouble locating his sinker in two innings Monday, allowing six hits and two homers, including a blast to center field by Toronto's Troy Glaus. ... Donald Fehr, the executive director of the union, said that players would be open to testing for human growth hormone, but only if a reliable and valid test can be found. Fehr said he did not know if the test used in the Olympics meets those standards. "If a valid test becomes available for urine, we'll adopt it," he said.