Hideki Matsui, Former Japanese Superstar, To Retire From Baseball As a New York Yankee

Hideki Matsui, one of the greatest baseball players Japan has ever produced, will sign a one day minor league contract with the New York Yankees in late July so he can retire from the game of baseball as a Yankee, according to reports on espn.com.

Prior to the July 28th game against the Tampa Rays at Yankee Stadium, Matsui will sign a one-day contract with the Yankees and the team will dedicate the day to honoring him. The first 18,000 fans will receive Matsui bobblehead dolls, which portray him with his 2009 World Series MVP trophy, reports espn. 

The Yankees picked the late July date because it was originally the team's 55th home game of the season. Matsui wore No. 55.

Matsui, 38, was a wonderful player for the Yankees after he left Japan to try to become a star in the United States. He played seven seasons with the Yankees, hitting .292 with 140 homers and 597 RBIs. His pinstripe career ended when the Yankees won the 2009 World Series over the Phillies. Matsui hit  an astounding.615 in that World Series with three homers and eight RBIs.

In Game 6, Matsui went 3-for-4 with a home run and six RBIs. He tied former Yankee second baseman, Bobby Richardson in 1960 and Albert Pujols in 2011 for the most World Series RBIs in one game.

He was named the MVP of the Series.

"You'll hear every player to a man say what a great teammate he was," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "And I think everyone will look forward to that day."

Matsui played 10 years with Yomiuri Giants before coming to the Yankees. After Matsui left the Yankees, he played one season each with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A's andTampa Bay Rays. He was released by the Rays last August.