Hiedki’s star quality came through, however, even though his team was lousy. Unlike most Japanese athletes, he was relaxed, almost laid back. His smile was quick and genuine, and though he was still shy, he was outgoing and warm to friends and even the occasional stranger. Through the long, frustrating season, Giant fans watched their young stud keep his chin up and defend the club’s honor. The country might have been koo-koo for Ichiro, but Hideki was fast becoming everyone’s adopted son.
The Giants got themselves back on track in 1998, winning 73 games and challenging the surprising Yokohama BayStars for the Central League pennant until falling off the pace in September. The team got solid hitting from Takayuki Shimizu, Yoshinobu Takahashi, Daisuke Motoki and a flashy young second baseman named Toshihisa Nishi.
Back at the helm of a thriving offense, Hideki was like a kid in a candy store. Time and again, he came to bat with men on base—and almost always got the job done. He finished the season with a league-high 100 RBIs. Followed in the lineup by solid hitters, Hideki also scored a league-best 103 runs. In addition, he blasted 34 homers, tops in Japanese baseball.
After the season, Hideki once again turned down a long-term deal. His salary was now 350 million yen, right near the top of Japan’s salary structure.
In 1999, Hideki reached the 40-homer plateau, blasting 42 long ballswith 100 runs, 95 RBIs and a .304 average. The team’s best player, however, was newcomer Koji Uehara, who won the Central league’s pitching Triple Crown. Uehara led all hurlers with 20 wins, 179 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff was only so-so, and the Giants finished second, six games behind the Chunichi Dragons.
The Giants loaded up over the winter, adding Kikiyasa Kudo, an outstanding pitcher, and third baseman Akira Eto, who would help to protect Hideki in the order. They started the 2000 season as the favorite in the Central League, but needed help from unexpected sources in order to make good on this prediction. Domingo Martinez, a power-hitting castoff from the Toronto Blue Jays, had a strong year, and Darrell May, an ex-major league pitcher discarded by the Hanshin Tigers, went 12-7 with a nifty 2.95 ERA.
Hideki was the rock all year long. He batted .316 with 42 homers and 108 RBIs, and was the hands-down choice for MVP. He was also honored with a Golden Glove for fielding excellence—not bad for a converted third baseman. The Giants won the pennant by eight games over the Dragons, earning the right to face the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in the Japan Series.
The series was billed as a battle of MVPs, with Hideki facing off against first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka of the Hawks. Hideki homered in his first at-bat, but his team opened the series with a pair of frustrating lossess. The Giants responded by turning it up a notch and swept the final four. Hideki homered and doubled in the finale with his parents in the stands, while May slammed the door on the Hawks.
The final stats told the story of the MVPs. Matsunaka managed just one hit against Giant pitching, while Hideki batted .381 with three homers and eight RBIs. He was named the series MVP.
Once again, the Giants offered Hideki a long-term deal. And once again he politely declined. Instead, he inked a one-year pact for 500 million yen—just the third Japanese player to reach that salary level. With Ichiro headed for the United States, rumors began that Hideki was considering the same plan. In truth, he had not decided, but would watch Ichiro with great interest. Although the two were substantially different hitters, both attacked the ball very aggresively. If Ichiro could make it, Hideki was sure he could as well.