In this unique and meaningful book, Shizuka Ijuin, an award-winning author and a friend of baseball legend Hideki Matsui, profiles the beloved New York Yankee–a world-class athlete who exemplifies a quality that Ijuin believes is central to success and well-being: modesty. Hideki Matsui embodies the Eastern virtue that combines compassion and self-effacement with high achievement. Born in a northern coastal town of Japan, Matsui was a phenomenon by the time he was a teenager, playing baseball in the famous high school league tournament at the Koshien Stadium and nicknamed “the wunderkind from the North.”

His character was formed early on: Matsui’s father once taught him not to complain about an opposing pitcher who had intentionally walked him five times in a row, for, his father asserted, the other boy was enduring something even worse. As class president and high school team captain, Matsui spoke out against verbal abuse and bullying. Turning pro with the prestigious Yomiuri Giants, Matsui became the best hitter in the league, a national hero whose feats on the field lifted fans’ spirits.

Matsui feared that his admirers would feel betrayed when he joined the Major Leagues in America, but instead they urged him on, asking only that he continue to make them proud. And Matsui has done exactly that, with his accomplishments and the dignified manner in which he has behaved. Matsui has set a high public standard, visiting Ground Zero soon after his arrival in the United States, sending relief money to earthquake victims and tsunami survivors, and always acting with modesty.

But this audiobook is more than an inspiring portrait of a sportsman with the soul of a stoic modern samurai. Shizuka Ijuin explains the role modesty plays in Japanese culture, showing, for instance, how Japanese Little Leaguers start games by properly greeting their elders, thereby learning that respect is more important than scoring. Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run is an audiobook sure to stand the test of time, transcending sports to express a philosophy of life.