Tampa Bay to Sign "Godzilla"

After two seasons out west, "Godzilla" has returned to the American League East.

This...according to Jack Curry of the YES Network.

Hideki Matsui is expected to soon sign a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsui hit .251 with 12 hrs and 72 RBI for A's last year

Sure, Matsui heading to the Rays won't make that much of a splash, but this is a guy who, at 37,  can continue to make a little bit of a name for himself.

Last season, you might remember, Matsui entered the 500 home run club...but not in the way that you might suspect.  Dude hit 332 for the Yomiuri Giants before coming stateside.

But, still...pretty cool.

Hideki Matsui Hits 500th Home Run

It's one of those "blink and you missed it" sort of achievements...but with a sixth inning home run Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers, Hideki Matsui did something that no one else has ever done.

You see, the Oakland A's designated hitter became the first slugger to hit a combined 500 home runs in both Japan and here in the States.

25 Major Leaguers and eight Japanese ballplayers have reached the 500 mark. But for some reason...Matsui wasn't all that impressed with what he pulled off.

"It isn't like I've been aiming for this, because I don't really combine numbers from Japan and herem" the slugger told reporters after the game. "To me, they are two separate leagues."

Whatever. It's still wicked cool.

Oh...if you're keeping track, Matsui's blast (his seventh of this season) was number 168 of his Major League career. He hit 332 for the Yomiuri Giants.

Hideki Matsui Celebrates Japanese Heritage Day

In his first at bat Sunday, new Oakland Athletics designated hitter Hideki Matsui did something he couldn't do in his first seven.

He got a hit.

Why is that a big deal? 

That second-inning double was the 2500th hit of "Godzilla" professional career...and it just so happened to come on Japanese Heritage Day.

"I feel relief just getting my first hit as a member of the A's and getting our first win," Matsui told reporters after the game. "I'm not really focused on my hits between Japan and the big leagues."

Thankfully...The Hall is.

If you break down Matsui's hit totals...the 36-year-old now has 1111 to add to the 1390 he got as a member of the Yomiuri Giants.

But I'll be more impressed when dude gets his seventh home run this year.

Going into this season, Matsui has 161 career home runs over his eight-year Major League career. Combine that with the 332 he hit in Japan...and you're looking at 493 career bombs.  You see the numbers I'm dropping?

Matsui is on the verge of 500 career home runs...and ain't nobody talking about it.

And yeah...I just dropped an "and ain't nobody"!

Hideki Matsui Staying Out West

Tucked behind the Cliff Lee-to-the-Phillies headlines is this one...the A's have completed a deal to bring Hideki Matsui to Oakland.

According to reports, the contract is expected to be somewhat less than the $6 million the 36-year-old made last season in Los Angeles when he hit .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI for the Halos.

The former World Series hero will be formally introduced Tuesday and it is expected that he'll be given his familiar number...55.

"Hopefully, he'll hit 30 home runs for us," A's lefty and current Number 55 Josh Outman said. "It will be nice to have him in the middle of the lineup.  It's tough to lose when you've got Godzilla."

Oakland had been looking for an offensive power to pencil in every day at DH...hoping to add to their anemic offense.  Their offense last year was second from the bottom...hitting only 109 home runs.

For breaking baseball news...be sure to follow The Diamond Report on Twitter.