Matsui's 500th HR?! Kinda

[DbacksRback]

He hit his 500th "professional" home run yesterday but only has 168 in MLB and 332 in Japan. There was some thoughts to if this shold count for a possible Hall of Fame debate or the 168 is all that should be thought of making him way off. What are your thoughts?
Also, the fan who caught the ball refused to give it to Matsui
http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/a ... b&c_id=mlb

[The_Show]

It's an accomplishment, but I wouldn't consider it as an argument to get into the Hall. It is the MLB Hall of Fame after all. I don't know much about the NPB, but I heard it's sort of like a AAAA -- harder than AAA, but easier than MLB.

[Skin Blues]

It's not the MLB Hall of Fame, it's the Baseball Hall of Fame. How many MLB games did Cool Papa Bell or Josh Gibson play? But still... I don't think he gets in.

[The_Show]

It's not the MLB Hall of Fame, it's the Baseball Hall of Fame. How many MLB games did Cool Papa Bell or Josh Gibson play? But still... I don't think he gets in.

Yea, technical mistake on my part there. But my original choice still stands.

[Tis]

My understanding is Japanese ballparks are fairly small. Dimensions.

So wouldn't this be like counting your HRs from the PCL?

Edit: MLB parks for comparison

[lastingsgriller]

i think to factor this in, i'd need to know how he performed against other Japanese competition.

was he the best player in Japan for the first half of his career?


side note: Ryan Vogelsong left for Japan a AAA baseball player and apparently came back an all-star.

[lastingsgriller]

My understanding is Japanese ballparks are fairly small. Dimensions.

So wouldn't this be like counting your HRs from the PCL?

Edit: MLB parks for comparison

this is also like comparing Jim Thome's 600 HRs to Willy Mays' when ballparks were significantly bigger, isn't it?

[lastingsgriller]

My understanding is Japanese ballparks are fairly small. Dimensions.

So wouldn't this be like counting your HRs from the PCL?

Edit: MLB parks for comparison

this is also like comparing Jim Thome's 600 HRs to Willy Mays' when ballparks were significantly bigger, isn't it?

Is anyone comparing the two? Either way, he'll be only the 5th more-likely-clean-than-not player to get there and he'll have eternal props from me - not too many 365-footers coming off Jim's bat in the last 15 years or so ...

sorry.. that was in no way intended to discount what Jim Thome has done. more of an attempt to give Matsui props for his accomplishment.