Fukudome Fever

Every year someone roars out of the MLB gates and threatens to break every record in the books. In 2006, a little known first baseman for the Tigers named Chris Shelton hit 9 homers in his first 13 games. The fantasy waiver wires were torrid with "adds" and Tim Kirkjian was asked numerous times, “Can he keep this up?” and “Is Shelton on the doorstep of the most unlikely MVP season ever?” As it turned out, he ended the season with 16 homers in 373 at bats and everyone felt a little sheepish about getting all worked up over such a small sample size. So I want to qualify my complete adoration of Kosuke Fukudome by saying: While I understand that he’s only had 24 plate appearances, his .542 OBP and stellar arm in right field make me truly optimistic that we have the NL ROY on our hands.


Wrigley is abuzz over Fukudome after his dramatic Opening Day three-run homer off Eric Gagne to square the score in the bottom of the ninth. He’s only added to his status as an overnight legend in the coming days with timely hits, go-ahead RBI’s and frozen ropes to the plate. He’s received standing ovations, “we’re not worthy” salamis usually reserved Cubbie royalty and chants galore from the faithful. While it’s fairly typical for newly acquired players with hot starts to be embraced with open arms, this whole situation feels different. The intriguing cultural differences, the measured responses with interpreters and the uncertainty about how he’d fare against Major League pitching all hung precariously above our heads since his much ballyhooed signing. After only a handful of games and mere drop in the statistical bucket, we’ve got a pretty good idea at what all the fuss is about. Kosuke Fukudome is a ball player. His swing is as sweet as Sandburg, his command of the strikezone is Grace-like and the cannon affixed to his right arm rivals Dawson. His approach at the plate is incredible. I’ve seen him swing at ONE bad pitch so far this season and that was because the ump was calling strikes very liberally low and inside and he had to protect the plate with a two-strike count.

If you think I’m blowing his hot start out of proportion, you may be right. After all, there will be slumps and regression and bad breaks. However, I love the way this guy plays the game. I’ve always admired Ichiro and his abilities but I’ve never had the luxury of watching him over the course of many games. The small things that Japanese players do are interesting. In one game against the Brewers last week, Fukudome was on second and DeRosa was on first with one out. The pitch was low, in the dirt and squirted away from Kendall but only momentarily. DeRosa sold out and broke for second immediately while Fukudome shrewdly drifted off second only about 25 feet to gauge whether or not advancing was an option. DeRosa painted him into a corner by streaking to second after a nice block at the plate my Kendall. Upon a split second appraisal of the situation, Fukudome moved equidistant to second and third and froze while Kendall charged across the infield giving DeRosa time to make it safely to second and preserve the runner in scoring position. While not an extraordinary play, it was punctuated by a calmness of character that kept his team threatening. He bailed out a teammate who screwed him over. To me, that train of thought is everything. Filling the spot where Sammy once stood, he’s already proven that he understands more about winning baseball than our once Dominican slugger ever did. Sosa would swing for the fences late in a game when a single would do, frantically chopping away at the ball for his own glory. Many would argue that this approach was how he found his way into The Show in the first place, so why would he change his stripes now? It’s a good point, but one I would now ask about Kosuke. Despite the language barrier, what does he have in common with the once celebrated, now reviled Sosa. The answer: very little. Fukudome is a Cub today because of his ability to get on base, which is the trademark of the ultimate teammate. Ask any true baseball fan, there is absolutely nothing flash-in-the-pan about that.