Hideki Matsui, 'Godzilla' in two countries, calls it a career

• Hideki Matsui, the most prolific slugger ever among Japanese imports, has retired after 10 big league seasons
• Matsui hit 175 home runs in the majors and another 332 in Japan, but his biggest came in the 2009 World Series
• Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said Matsui was "one of his favorites," a consummate professional

Godzilla was MVP of the 2009 World Series, a feat that elevated him from a Japanese player with a movie monster moniker into the pantheon of New York Yankee superheroes. Hideki Matsui bore the nickname Godzilla, and after terrorizing pitchers on both sides of the Pacific for 20 years, he's announced his retirement.

Matsui is regarded as the second-best major league hitter to come from Japan, behind only Ichiro Suzuki. And Matsui was far and away the best power hitter, in fact the only true Japanese slugger to make the transition to the big leagues.

He hit 175 home runs in 10 major league seasons after swatting 332 in 10 years playing for the iconic Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese League. His best season with the Yankees was his second, in 2004, when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 108 runs while batting .298 with a .390 on-base percentage.

"I've had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said in a statement. "The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being shadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with.

"He was someone we counted on a great deal and he's a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009."

Yankees fans will remember many big Godzilla moments – who can forget him leaping in the air after scoring the tying run against Pedro Martinez on a double by Jorge Posada in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series – but none were more indelible than Game 6 of the 2009 World Series.

In his final game as a Yankee, Matsui homered and drove in a World Series record-tying six runs in the Yankees' clinching win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

"He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "People naturally gravitated towards him, and that's a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees."