By Richard Kaufman
For nearly two decades, with both the Yomiuri Giants in Japan and New York Yankees here in the United States, Hideki Matsui made a name for himself on the baseball field as a good teammate and clutch performer.
Now, he’s bringing his talents to the golf course and Greenwich to benefit two nonprofit organizations: Global Citizens Initiative, based in Greenwich, and the Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation.
On Monday, May 11 at the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, the second “Champion A Champion Golf Classic” will take place.
This will be the third event in the Champion A Champion campaign, which is a joint venture between the two organizations.
This year’s golf event will feature a shotgun start, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2000 Subway Series, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine and former Yankees skipper and hall of famer Joe Torre will participate in a special “fireside chat” to reminisce on the historic World Series between the two teams. In 2000, the Mets and Yankees squared off in the Fall Classic, where the Yankees ultimately won in five games, capturing their third championship in four years.
Other MLB personalities are expected to be at the golf outing and dinner.
The partnership between the two organizations is a perfect fit. GCI is a non-profit social enterprise with the purpose of empowering young global citizens from all sectors of society to be lifelong leaders of positive change. GCI works directly with students, educators and schools to provide the educational tools and continuous community support to equip secondary school students with the mindset, skills and resources necessary to be effective and ethical global leaders.
Yumi Kuwana founded GCI in 2012 with the purpose of engaging, educating and empowering the next generation.
The goal of the Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation is to have as many young people as possible learn the joy of playing baseball and develop a passion for the game, while promoting the importance of critical thinking skills. The charitable organization was founded by Matsui in 2015 as a way to give back to the game of baseball and the fans that supported him throughout his career.
Matsui became a national hero in Japan, playing 10 seasons for the Yomiuri Giants — the country’s most storied franchise. He came over to the U.S. prior to the 2003 season and spent seven years with the Yankees, and one year apiece with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays before retiring in 2013 as a member of the Yankees.
Over his MLB career, Matsui hit .282 with 175 homers and 760 RBI in 1,236 games played. Matsui was selected to two all-star teams, and was named the 2009 World Series MVP after winning the championship with New York.
Exclusive sponsorship opportunities for the event are available. Tickets for golf foursomes and the VIP dinner are also available on a limited basis. For further details, contact: Sze Ling Wan at swan@globalci.org or 203-489-3924.
