Posts filed under 'Fukudome'
July 2nd, 2008
In early May when Alfonso Soriano was struggling at the lead-off spot, fans and media alike were screaming for a change. Of course, everyone looked at Kosuke Fukudome’s on-base percentage and walk-to-strikeout ratio as the answer at lead-off. And even when Soriano did finally find his form, it was argued that Fukudome would still be better suited at top.
Well, with Soriano and Reed Johnson on the DL, the time finally came for Fukudome to prove he’s the answer at lead-off.
Maybe not so much.
After 11 games (not counting two he missed with a calf injury), the Fukudome we’ve come to know and love over the last three months has taken a turn.
His batting and OBP averages are down and his walk-to-strikeout ratio is heavy on the strikeout side:
Fukudome batting fifth: .319 BA (193 at bats, 61 hits), 38:32 walk-to-strikeout ratio, .427 OBP
Fukudome batting first: .267 BA (45 at bats, 12 hits), 7:16 walk-to-strikeout ratio, .377 OBP (also, the Cubs are 4-7)
When it comes down to it, Soriano is the best lead-off option for the Cubs. He is hitting .297 at the top compared to Fukudome’s .267, Reed Johnson’s .227, Ryan Theriot’s .176 and Eric Patterson’s .118. The good news is that Soriano’s comeback is close, which means Fukudome can return to productivity at the fifth spot…or even be sent to the unknown at the two-hole.
June 3rd, 2008
While some people keep waiting for the sky to fall, recalling the Cubs’ history of losing, this is a new era. Remember how the Red Sox didn’t win for 85 years? Well, they’ve won twice in four years, now, and they are the new Yankees, while the Yankees look like they may be the old Red Sox. The Cubs, too, have changed. Forget, for a moment, Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez. The Cubs have often had a star pitcher and a bunch of home run hitters, but not even Ferguson Jenkins, Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo could get it done in 1969. But these Cubs take the easy route. They walk. The Cubs are second in the Major Leagues with 245 walks. The previous five years they finished 25th, 30th, 28th, 25th and 21st. The top five teams in walks all rank among the top teams in baseball: the Cardinals (.576 winning percentage), Cubs (.638), A’s (.534), Braves (.517) and Diamondbacks (.552). If the Cubs want to join the Red Sox in reversing their tragic past, the way to do it is to walk their way there. Boston has led the Majors in walks three years in a row and finished third in walks in 2004 when it broke its 86-year title-less jinx. As long as the Cubs keep following Kosuke Fukudome’s lead and continue to walk, they will win the NL Central. Period.
May 29th, 2008
All the Fukudome to center talk revolves around the premise that he can’t hit for power because he only has two homers so far. Well, maybe more will come later. Stumbled upon this comparison to Kaz Matsui and Hedeki Matsui at Hardballtimes.com:
|
PA |
BA |
OBP |
SLG |
| Fukudome |
214 |
.294 |
.399 |
.411 |
| Hideki |
219 |
.262 |
.311 |
.371 |
| Kazuo |
224 |
.262 |
.347 |
.431 |
So, the Cubs supposedly slap-hitting Japanese import has shown more power in his first one-third of a season in America than the Yankees’ Japanese right fielder who went on to average 24 homers and 108 RBIs in his first four full seasons in New York. … There is absolutely no reason to worry about any part of Fukodome’s game to this point. Especially not a day after he made three wonderful plays in right field to help the Cubs win 3-1.
May 27th, 2008
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.
May 2nd, 2008
Kosuke Fukudome has now played one game since his mug on the cover of Sports Illustrated hit newsstands. And by going 4-for-4 yesterday, it appears he’s avoided that mysterious SI cover jinx (which apparently doesn’t mean much to him). And according to SI writer Lee Jenkins, the cover boy didn’t even know about the Cubs’ infamous 100-year drought/”curse” until after he signed his contract.
But, that doesn’t mean the Cubs as whole are in the clear after blowing a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning. The “It’s Gonna Happen” headline will have a lot of fingers pointed at it if it doesn’t happen.
April 23rd, 2008
I was talking to a good friend of mine earlier today about how Kosuke Fukudome has greatly improved the dynamic of the Cubs lineup this season. My friend, Jeff, pointed out something interesting: Fukudome is averaging more pitches taken than anyone else in the league.
Sure enough, Fukudome ranks first in the MLB in number of pitches taken per plate appearance. In 86 plate appearances, he averages 4.70 pitches (Oakland’s Jack Hannahan is second at 4.48). Also, his 16 drawn walks leads the team.
Add to the fact that Fukudome (who generally bats in the middle of the order) has a MLB third-best OBP (.477) with a 1.23 walk-to-strike out ratio, and you have one of the most efficient/patient players in the sport…and that’s just 19 games into his MLB career.
April 3rd, 2008
Had to disagree with the earlier post by Mr. Garcia. Sorry, Tony, you couldn’t be more wrong. If batting Soriano first is a bad idea, the Cubs never should have paid him $136 million. Afterall, he’d hit leadoff basically his entire career. (Moving him down in the order would be about as smart as our co-blogger Wally Haas batting his own son last most of the year when Kevin Haas almost broke the Newshounds record for highest batting average in a season for our slowpitch softball team.) … The truth is Soriano is the no-brainer choice to hit leadoff. Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are far-and-away Chicago’s most expensive and most accomplished hitters. Theriot ranked 14th on the team in OPS last year, 12th if you count only players with at least 140 at bats. That’s below Jason Kendall. Every spot you move down in the batting order costs you 18 to 20 at-bats over a season. Do you really want Ryan Theriot batting 70 more times than Alfonso Soriano (if Soriano is fifth and Theriot first)? No way. Soriano, Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez — those first four should be set in stone. — Matt Trowbridge
April 1st, 2008
It didn’t take long for Fukudome to cement himself as a Cubs cult figure (much like Kerry Wood did in 1998 with his 20-strikeout game). The now suspected hybrid love child of Ichiro and Hideki Matsui showed his patience and power by going 3-for-3 with a walk and game-tying homerun in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Fukudome did just about everything from the plate in his debut, but as fellow newsroom Cubs fan Matt Torman said after the game: “It’s too bad he can’t pitch.” Clearly. Productive outings from Carlos Zambrano (6.2 innings, 3 hits, 5 Ks, 0 runs) and Carlos Marmol (1.1 innings, 3 Ks, 0 hits, 0 runs) were countered by a bullpen all Cubs fans have become familiar with over the past few seasons. In two innings, Wood and Bob Howry combined to give up 4 hits and 4 earned runs.
Regardless, I know it’s just one game and the most important thing is that Fukudome silenced his critics, including myself, who wrote him off as just as imported gimmick to further sell the MLB game in Japan. One thing for sure, yesterday’s performance granted him a get-out-of-jail-free card for the unforeseen future.
April 1st, 2008
Cubs fans were excited about signing Kosuke Fukudome because of his versatility; he’s the proverbial five-tool player who can hit, hit for average, run, throw and field. And, in the rarest of all Cub abilities, he works the count and takes walks. The Cubs need all the high on-base percentage guys they can get. Sure enough, Fukudome had one of the Cubs’ four walks in his 3-for-3 opening day (rookie catcher Geovany Soto had two, so maybe the Cubs’ finally have a couple of newcomers who can change their free-swinging culture). But, conversely, I also liked that Fukudome doubled on the very first pitch thrown to him in the Major Leagues. Yes, it’s great to have patience, as anyone who saw Shawon Dunston chase fastballs at his eyeballs knows. But it’s even better when your patient hitters are unpredictable. Fukudome showed he’s not just looking for walks; he’s looking for a good pitch to hit, and he’ll hit it whenever he gets it. Even if it’s the very first pitch. That will keep him from falling behind in the count. And, as Ted Williams always said, the entire key to hitting is getting a good pitch to hit.
