Leave Fukudome alone

May 27th, 2008 at 04:37pm Matt Trowbridge

While I enjoyed Mike Nadel’s column for GateHouse Media in Tuesday’s Register Star, and perked my ears up that the Cubs are considering moving Fukudome to center, I agree with Tony: Don’t move him on defense. On offense, I do agree with Nadel: Fukudome is a better fit batting second. I found it funny that much of the Jim Edmonds haters I heard on the radio were against the signing because they worried Edmonds would take Fukudome’s No. 5 spot in the batting order and bump him up to second. His high-average, high-walks, modest-power, slap-hitting style is perfect for a No. 2 hitter. … That said, the Cubs could also leave Kosuke Fukudome batting fifth and that would be OK, too. If it’s been such a bad fit, how come the Cubs lead the Majors in runs scored? He’s third on the team in runs scored and his .399 on-base percentage is only .011 points behind team leader Aramis Ramirez. Fukudome’s 32 walks lead the Cubs. … Ramirez’s on-base percentage, by the way, is 71 points higher than his career average. Ramirez has never drawn more than 50 walks in a season. This year he’s on pace for almost 100. The Cubs are second — SECOND — in the Majors in walks after ranking near the bottom almost every year now for 40 or 50 years. That all started with Fukudome. He’s not been a disappointment for $48 million. He’s been a bargain, no matter what his stats say.

 And this idea that some positions require power and others don’t is ridiculous. Who cares if your right fielder hits 10 homers as long as the center fielder hits 30? Is that any different than your right fielder hitting 30 and your center fielder 10? The Cubs aren’t crying out for more power. They rank 7th in the Majors in home runs.

Entry Filed under: Cubs hitters, Fukudome