Stand up Kaz

Steve Popper at North Jersey.com writes about Kaz Matsui:

Kaz Matsui never said the wrong things during his time in New York, never causing a bit of controversy even as his Mets' career went downhill.

Now playing for the Rockies, Matsui stayed true to his comments, placing the blame for his failings in New York squarely on his own shoulders.

"It's all my fault," Matsui said. "I just didn't do well and didn't make good results."

"That says it all right there," Willie Randolph said. "He came here and had big expectations and it just didn't work out. It's nice that he was honest about it.

''After the June 9 trade from New York, Matsui spent more than two months with the Rockies' Class AAA affiliate, including a month on the disabled list with back stiffness. But since his return to the majors last week, he's hitting .455, including three hits Tuesday.