A year of speculation was brought to a sudden end on Friday when superstar slugger Hideki Matsui announced he was ending his 10-year career with the Yomiuri Giants and heading to the major leagues in search of a bigger challenge.
Matsui's exit from Japan's most storied pro baseball franchise generated massive news coverage throughout the day. His impending signing with an MLB club will no doubt raise his profile even higher here -- which is almost hard to believe.
With a deal for Matsui reportedly already in the works with the New York Yankees -- America's most famous sports team -- interest in the MLB in Japan will skyrocket to even greater heights.