Retired former New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui is scheduled to observe the Yokohama BayStars' spring training camp in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, from Feb. 5-7, the Central League club announced on Thursday.
Matsui, 40, who had stints with the Los Angles Angels, the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays after seven successful seasons with the Yankees, has been asked to spring training by BayStars manager Kiyoshi Nakahata.
The Yokohama skipper had worked as a batting coach when Matsui joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1993.
"I want the players to feel firsthand the atmosphere of Hideki Matsui the baseball player, and hopefully that will contribute to them performing great this year," Nakahata said in a statement. "I'd like them to develop into players with the same type of presence of Matsui-san."