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PINEWELL'S GOT GAME

Known in Yankee City as Matsooie, Yankee rookie Hideki Matsui (Matsu-i = pine-well) gave Japan a real lift in these down and troubling times when in his first regular game in Yankee stadium he stepped up to the plate and with a full count calmly swatted a game-winning grand slam home run and as the whole place went wild, rounded the bases with a zen calm. That shot heard across the Pacific must have been replayed about 10,000 times throughout the day, on every Japanese tv program, whether news or not. Here's a little bit of how that much-needed grand slam felt to the proud folks in Japan.