Aside from the hype surrounding Giants' Hideki Matsui and whether he will use his free agency to join the majors -- more specifically, the New York Yankees -- the "Little" Matsui is generating as much attention from the major league scouts.
Kazuo Matsui, the Seibu Lions leadoff man, has recently attracted several major league scouts to the Lions' games. In the latest series at Chiba Marine Stadium, where Matsui went 5-for-14 including a home run and three RBIs, scouts from the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox observed the 26-year-old's talent first hand and got a positive impression.
Gary Nickels, director of professional scouting for the Padres, was chasing Matsui's every move from batting practice.