Has the regular season started or not?
Major League Baseball can be quirky at times. Take for example its decision to start the MLB regular season a week early in Japan, with New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays facing off in the 'Land of the Rising Sun'. Meanwhile the rest of the league is still playing spring training games and won't start their regular seasons early next week. It sorta muddles a fan's ability to really track the season.
Back in Japan
Hideki Matsui had quite a homecoming, giving the jubilant Japanese baseball fans a home run in his first at-bat. Playing at the Tokyo dome, he led the New York Yankees to a 6-2 victory over the Yomiuri Giants. To honor Matsui who became Japan's biggest baseball star at this stadium, Yankees manager Joe Torre moved him to bat cleanup in the batting order and play center field - considered most prestigious in the Japanese baseball circles. The New York Yankees will open up their MLB regular season in Japan with a series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and their ex-bench coach, Don Zimmer.
