Chicago, Meet Fukudome

By: Brian Livingston

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Cubs got their man. The Cubs signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a 4-year, $48 milliondeal. Last year, it was highly sought-after free agent Alfonso Soriano, who signed a record 8-year, $137 million deal.”It’s a tremendous day for the Chicago Cubs,” said general manager Jim Hendry, “We are thrilled to have Kosuke as our new right fielder.” According to Hendry, Fukudome wasn’t only their number one free agent target in the outfield - he was the Cubs’ only target.

Kosuke Fukudome shakes hands with Cubs GM Jim Hendry at the press conference announcing his arrival.
PHOTO BY Warren Wimmer

Fukudome is the first Japanese player in the Chicago Cubs’ 131-year history, and a native of Kagoshima, Japan. He spent his entire pro career with the Chunichi Dragons.

Fukudome batted .305 as a left-handed hitter, with a .397 on-base percentage and a .543 slugging percentage in 1,074 career games for the Dragons. He is a two-time batting champion, led the league in on-base percentage, and won four Gold Gloves. He also won the Central League MVP in 2006.

“I’m very happy to be able to finally sign my contract and play with this historic team,” said Fukudome, through interpreter Matt Hidaka. “I also look forward to playing in such a historic ballpark, as well as playing in front of such ecstatic fans.”

Despite receiving offers from other teams - including the White Sox - Fukudome felt the Cubs were the best suitors for him.

“After I declared my free agency, the Cubs were actually one of the only teams that tried to get me from the beginning to the end of this whole process,” said Fukudome. “They were also one of the teams that promised I could play right field.”

Fukudome was restricted to 81 games in ‘07 after a right elbow injury in August. He underwent surgery to remove bone chips, and is hopeful that he will be able to perform at the same level he did before the operation - “My rehab and elbow are coming along very well, and I think I will be able to play as strong as I did before my surgery.”

Right field in Wrigley is one of the toughest positions to field, due in large part to the sun shining in the face of the outfielder. To make the situation worse, the Cubs play more day games than any other team in the majors. But Fukudome doesn’t see day games being a problem for him.

“If you look over my stats, I actually perform better in day games, so I’m not too concerned with that,” he said.

In the past, when superstars from Japan come over to play in America, their numbers haven’t always translated. But Hendry remains confident that everything will work out with Fukudome.

“Everybody adjusts differently, I’m hoping the transition period, if there are some hiccups, will be in spring training or early on in the season; but we felt like he had the ability to want to play at the highest level,” said Hendry. “He plays the game in a very confident fashion.”

Signing Fukudome isn’t the end of Hendry’s pursuit to improve the Cubs, though.

“We’re going to try to still do a few things if we can. It will involve finding the right trading partners that would be our goal… The one thing about signing Kosuke, it doesn’t make you kick back and say, ‘oh we’re done,’” said Hendry. “By signing him it does enable you to look at your ball club and realize, at least position-player wise we’re probably a different kind of team then we ended the year, and in our opinion, a more versatile and a better club.”

Fukudome doesn’t have any set goals in mind in his first season with the Cubs, although helping the team win that ever-elusive World Series is something he hopes to accomplish.

“My target is to help win this team a championship,” said Fukudome. “There are a lot of expectations, but I look forward to meeting those expectations and I’m just ready to have some fun.”

Brian Livingston is a graduate of T.F. South High School and currently attends Columbia College where he majors in sports journalism. Livingston was raised on South Side of Chicago, but has an undying devotion to the Chicago Cubs. He can be found spending his summers at Wrigley Field cheering on his Cubbies.

Share This Article

No Comments

No comments yet.

Comment On This Article