bean balls, fights and lots of timely hitting. Hideki was right in the middle of the action. His double off Pedro Martinez in Game 3 drove home a crucial run in a 4-3 victory. He victimized the Boston ace with another two-bagger to ignite New York’s dramatic eight-inning rally in the decider. Rivera claimed honors as series MVP, but Hideki’s contributions certainly weren’t overlooked.

He continued his hot hitting in the World Series against the Florida Marlins. After the Yankees lost Game 1, he sparked them the following night with a long homer off Mark Redman in the bottom of the first. The blast gave New York a 3-0 lead, and Pettitte did the rest. In Game 3, Mussina and Josh Beckett locked horns in a classic pitching duel. With the Yanks trailing 1-0 in the eighth, Hideki took center stage again. Facing lefty Dontrelle Willis, he lined a single into left to put his team ahead 2-1. With Rivera protecting the lead, New York cruised to seize apparent control of the series.

The resilient Marlins fought back to win the next three and capture the second championship in the franchise’s brief history. Florida’s starting pitching shut down the Yankees, with Beckett finishing them off with a shutout in Game 6. Torre became so desperate for offense that he juggled the lineup, including moving Hideki into the cleanup spot. The strategy didn’t work.

Despite a disappointing end to the season, Hideki’s rookie year was a major success. In fact, with the health of Williams always a question, people were talking about switching Hideki permanently to center. His position in the heart of the order, however, wouldn’t change. Not even after several major acquisitions by the Yanks in the offseason. Sluggers Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez joined the club, as did pitchers Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez. New York and Boston—which added Curt Schilling—were again the favorites in the AL.

The 2004 campaign started with quite a bit of excitement for Hideki, as the Yankees opened against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Tokyo. His return to Japan created a national stir. Hideki was mobbed everywhere he went. On the field, he somehow managed to stay focused. Hideki collected the first hit of the ’04 season, a double off of Victor Zambrano. A day later, with his parents and former teammates in attendance, Hideki was presented with a samurai helmet at home plate. Energized by the honor, he lined a home run in a 12-1 rout by New York. The fans gave him a long standing ovation, a rarity in Japan, as he circled the bases.

Back in the Bronx, Hideki and the Yanks staggered through their next 10 games. During the span, he recorded just one RBI. Jet lag was offered as the culprit in New York’s struggles.

Hideki began to show signs of life in May. With a better feel for big-league pitching, he was driving the ball with more authority. For the month, Hideki hit six homers and drove in 20 runs. His excellent play, combined with the hot hitting of Sheffield, gave the Bronx Bombers a big boost.

On July 11, Hideki delivered his 17th home run of the year, surpassing his 2003 total. His first-half numbers earned him a second straight trip to the All-Star game. One of eight Yankees on the roster, he went hitless in one at-bat.

Consistency was Hideki’s buzzword over the last three months of the regular season. He batted .333 for both July and August, helping the Yanks build a huge lead in the AL East. When the Red Sox made a move late in the campaign, Hideki responded at the plate. In a pair of three-game series against Boston, he went 8-for-23 and scored eight runs. New York held off the Sox and took the division with a 101-61 record. Hideki improved in almost every statistical category, including a .298 batting average, 31 HRs, 108 RBIs, 109 runs and 88 walks.