>"Many people are saying, 'Ichiro [Suzuki] is a good guy and Matsui is a bad guy >"' said Gaku Tashiro, who covers Major League Baseball for Sankei Sports. >"They're saying, 'He is not a patriot."'
In time, Tashiro believes, Matsui will mend the relationship with his homeland. Japanese fans will see that this isn't quite a match of "Dream Teams, " given all of the other no-shows, and that Matsui can better help his country by focusing on his day job.
Said Tashiro: "If he has a good year, his image will improve."
For someone who has done absolutely nothing wrong, it's a shame there's a need for any improvement.