Kazuo Matsui

Kazuo Matsui 松井 稼頭央
Matsui with the Houston Astros
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles – No. 7
Infielder/Outfielder
Born: (1975-10-23) October 23, 1975 (age 41) Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 5, 1995, for the Seibu Lions
MLB: April 6, 2004, for the New York Mets
Last MLB appearance
May 18, 2010, for the Houston Astros
NPB statistics
Batting average	.292
Home runs	199
Hits	2,068
Runs batted in	825
Stolen bases	362
MLB statistics
Batting average	.267
Home runs	32
Hits	615
Runs batted in	211
Stolen bases	102
Teams
Seibu Lions (1995–2003) New York Mets (2004–2006) Colorado Rockies (2006–2007) Houston Astros (2008–2010) Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2011–present)
Career highlights and awards
1998 Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award Homered on the first pitch of his MLB career Homered in his first at bat for the first three seasons of his MLB career 4× Mitsui Golden Glove Award (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003) 7× Best Nine Award at Shortstop (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) 3× Pacific League Stolen Base Champion (1997, 1998, 1999) Japan Series champion (2013)

Kazuo "Kaz" Matsui (松井 稼頭央, Matsui Kazuo^?) (born October 23, 1975) is a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter. Matsui has no relation to former player Hideki Matsui.

Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese infielder to sign with a Major League Baseball team.

He graduated from the PL Academy Senior High School in Osaka, a school nationally renowned for its baseball program. The only appearance Matsui made at the National High School Baseball Championship Tournament was in his second year at PL Academy. Though Matsui was considered to be the PL Academy's ace starting pitcher, injuries limited him to playing only in the quarter-final game, where he allowed two runs during 2 ²⁄₃ innings.

Matsui was chosen third overall by the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League in the 1994 Japanese League Draft, where he would wear number 32. In 1996, his third season, he became a regular starter as a shortstop and finished the season second in stolen bases (50). Prior to the 1997 season, he would change his number to 7. The 1997 season saw him reach a .300 batting average for the first time and lead the league in stolen bases (62) to help his team win the Pacific League Title. During the 1997 All-Star Game he set a new All-Star Game record by stealing four bases and was chosen the game MVP. Matsui would lead the Pacific League in stolen bases for two more consecutive seasons.