Godzilla Is Coming.(Japanese baseball star Hideki Matsui)

Watch out, America! Godzilla is coming! This time, though, not in some dumb Hollywood sequel, but in the form of a home-run-belting Japanese power hitter with a face like a big, unpeeled potato. Late last week Hideki Matsui, star outfielder of the Yomiuri Giants, announced that he's seeking a career in America's major leagues. For months a national debate had raged over whether Japan's No. 1 slugger--nicknamed Godzilla since he first drew attention during his high-school ballplaying days-- would follow in the footsteps of Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki and Los Angeles Dodger Hideo (The Tornado) Nomo. Last Friday, in a nationally televised press conference, Matsui, 28, had tears in his eyes as he told fans it was time for him to move on. But he made them a promise, too: "Once there, I will do my best--as if my life was on the line."

Godzilla's new adventure is dominating the country's sports pages, street conversations and online message boards. Top government spokesman Yasuo Fukuda expressed the sentiment best: "I feel conflicted because I'll miss him in Japan, but at the same time I'm proud to see him play on the international stage." Yoshimi Okamoto, an 18-year-old baseball fan in Tokyo, added: "He'll show Americans our ballplayers are as good and big as theirs." That's the center of speculation now: does Matsui have what it takes to play in the majors, and which team will pick him up?

The answer to the second question will probably come soon after Nov. 13, when free agents are allowed to pair up with teams. But how Matsui will do in the big show will probably remain a hot topic all the way to spring training. He will inevitably be compared with Ichiro, which might prove tough for Godzilla, the first Japanese slugger to try his luck in the majors. Nobody in Japan can match his power, but it won't make him as unique in the States as Ichiro, who's lean, sure and awfully quick.

The fact that he's leaving Japan isn't a huge surprise. Although Matsui kept mum about his plans since he became eligible for free agency in April, the signs were there. For the past two years, the 6-foot-1, 210- pound star has declined a lucrative multiple-year contract, opting instead for one-year deals. Besides, Matsui has little left to prove in Japan. He has been a home run and RBI champ three times, and won a batting title and three Japan Series. Having brought the Giants to another championship last week, Godzilla ...