More on the Matsui Revenue Factor
By Mike Silva ~ November 18th, 2009. Filed under: Business of Sports, Japanese Baseball.
A theme that may become part of the Yankees decision making process is the revenue stream that Hideki Matsui’s creates. After much thought I think off the field financial considerations are just as important as his homers, RBI’s, and batting average.
NYBD contributor Frank Russo wrote about this in his latest column indicting a possible PR hit the club would take in the Far East. Another, more pressing, concern might be with the Yankees loss of revenue which Patrick Newman of NBP Tracker weighed in earlier this week.
Newman does a great job giving us a perspective on Matsui’s marketability overseas. He has offers to appear in eight commercials that may bring in an estimated $10 million dollars. An additional 100 requests for television interviews are out there as well. What if the Red Sox, rumored to be interested in Matsui, decide to give him a multiyear deal? The Japanese advertising we see at Yankee Stadium may move north to Fenway Park. Don’t think for a minute that’s something to take lightly in a terrible American economy. The other factor is the presence of the organization. Knowing that Matsui plays for the Yankees makes the club a desirable destination for other ballplayers of Japanese descent. Until there is an international draft the Yankees brand will continue to give them an advantage. You don’t want to harm that by unceremoniously dumping the 2009 World Series MVP.
It’s going to be hard to see the Yankees bringing back both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. If Matsui is healthy enough to play some outfield that, coupled with his marketability, might be the difference maker. Who knows, maybe a team is crazy enough to give Damon a four year contract and it doesn’t even come down to the international revenue stream.
I was skeptical about either player coming back. After hearing Matsui speak at Joe Torre’s “Safe at Home” dinner it sounded like he already was prepared to move on. Strictly from a baseball perspective I probably would allow both to sign elsewhere. After reading the articles by Russo and Newman it’s going to be awfully hard to walk away from this type of cash cow. Remember, the New York Yankees didn’t get to their current economic position by ignoring the dollars and cents or, in this case, the yen. It’s not crazy to think Matsui, even if he doesn’t perform to 2009 levels in the future, may be worth a multiyear investment because of the non baseball economic return.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Yes. Exactly. Finally, someone in the press is taking notice of this very crucial aspect of the Matsui equation. It is very important. I don’t know how much money Matsui’s presence brings the Yankees in advertising revenue, but I would not be surprised if it pays his salary. Say, for the next 2 years, who would you choose, Matsui for virtually free (plus all the intangibles) or Jason Bay for say $15+ million? Jason Bay isn’t that much better than Matsui. Do you want someone who epitomizes the Yankee character and spirit, or another Red Sox hand me up? If Matsui can play the field once a week, or once every few games, I’ll easily take Matsui, thank you very much. And if it were between Matsui and Damon, I would take Matsui — and I like Johnny Damon. Matsui is justifiably a fan favorite in New York but also world-wide — and that matters. You can take that to the bank.