Chasing Cubtober: Welcome to the Fukudome
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by LMedina86
The Chicago Cubs introduced their newest player, Kosuke Fukudome, who apparently is ready to take on the challenges that come with playing Major League Baseball.
“I am very happy to be able to sign my contract and play with this historic team. I look forward to playing in such a historic ballpark and playing in front of such ecstatic fans,” Fukudome said in his opening press conference.
Fukudome’s biggest challenge will be to bring a championship to the Cubs and those “ecstatic fans” for the first time since 1908. He is no stranger to ending championship droughts. Last season his Japanese team, the Chuchni Dragons, won their first championship in 53 years.
``If I can do my best and help bring a championship to this city, that will be the best thing I can do,” Fukudome was quoted as saying in Jay Mariotti’s column in Thursday’s Chicago Sun-Times.
It looked for a while there that right field was going to become the new third base, and Sammy Sosa was going to become the new Ron Santo. With that said, Fukudome will look follow in the footsteps of great Cubs right fielders like Sosa and Andre Dawson.
In recent years, the Cubs have employed Jeromy Burnitz, Jacque Jones, Cliff Floyd, and Matt Murton in an attempt to fill the void Sosa left when he walked out of game 162 of the 2004 season. Needless to say, production out of right field hasn’t been the same since Sammy was coined “Sam-ME” in 2004.
There is a lot to like about the Fukudome signing. He has been described as a hybrid player in the mold of Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui and might turn out to be the real deal. He has a career average of .305 to go along with a .397 career on-base percentage and could bring a lot to the Cubs everyday line up.
Fukudome is the left-handed hitting outfielder that the Cubs have been craving all-season to balance a line-up that is heavily right-handed. He also provides line-up flexibility. He will likely hit second in the Cubs line-up, but could probably bat anywhere between the two and six slots in the line-up.
Manager Lou Piniella should take into consideration that Fukudome said he felt most comfortable batting third. Piniella came under fire a lot during the 2007 for batting Alfonso Soriano in the lead-off spot where he says he is the most comfortable, and has proven to be the spot where he is most successful.
He is also a remarkable defender, collecting four Gold Gloves in his nine seasons in Japan. Fukudome will likely be the Cubs everyday right fielder, which was one of the reasons he chose the Cubs over teams like the White Sox, Rangers, and Padres — all of whom offered more money than the Cubs.
With the addition of Fukudome, the Cubs outfield is currently constructed of three players with the arms to play right field and the speed to play center. It looks like Piniella got the athletic outfield that he wanted.
