Quietly, without fuss or complaint, Kosuke Fukudome has become something of a liability in the Cubs' lineup. Where once he drew walk after walk, liner after liner -- where once he hit three home runs in the season opener, forever endearing himself to Cubs fans -- Fukudome is now struggling. In July, his .236/.306./.382 split was in stark contrast to his early-season performance, and his August (.125/.214/.167) hasn't gone any better. Though Fukudome has largely escaped fan fury for his recent failures, they haven't gone unnoticed by Lou Piniella. Piniella needs to see more from Fukudome, or else:
The Cubs manager said if Fukudome didn't start hitting soon, he'd have to look at "other options" in right. "I just look at trying to put out lineups that produce runs, and we've got a couple guys that are swinging the bats, including Reed Johnson, that are not playing," Piniella said. "Sooner or later, I've got to give them opportunities."By far, the problem with Fukudome isn't so much that he's not hitting -- it's that he's not walking anymore, either. The overriding value to Fukudome was supposed to be his J.D. Drew-like on-base ability, the kind of batters' eye that keeps him productive even during slumps. That hasn't happened. Instead, Fukudome's been bad in almost all facets except his right field defense, which remains strong. Still, he's been bad, and needs to get better. That this isn't a big deal is a testament to how popular Fukudome has been at Wrigley all year ... but that fandom can vanish quickly if production doesn't keep up.
In the meantime, Jim Edmonds is hitting well and is rapidly becoming a Cubbie favorite. Worlds colliding. Cats and dogs. Etc.
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New York Mets' pitcher Pedro Martinez pumps his fist after ending the Pittsburgh Pirates at-bat during the third inning of the Major League Baseball game Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, center, loses control of the ball as New York Mets' Carlos Delgado, right, crosses home plate while umpire Bill Hohn looks on during the third inning of the Major League Baseball game Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Pittsburgh Pirates' Zach Duke pitches during the second inning of a Major League Baseball game against the New York Mets Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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New York Mets' Pedro Martinez pitches during the second inning of a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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New York Mets' David Wright, left, is greeted by Carlos Delgado after he Wright hit a three-run homer during the first inning of the Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Chicago Cubs' Ronny Cedeno hits a two RBI double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, in Chicago. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 6-2. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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Chicago Cubs' Kerry Wood works against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, in Chicago. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 2-6. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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St. Louis Cardinals' Joe Mather hits an RBI double against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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Chicago Cubs' Aramis Ramirez congratulates Alfonso Soriano after Soriano scored on an RBI single by Derrek Lee against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Ludwick throws his batting glove into his helmet after grounding out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-12-2008 @ 8:55AM
lookingdeadred said...
I agree that with the author that Fukudome needs to start
contributing some offense again, but it's hard to take someone
seriously who has such a glaring error in his article. This author
needs to fire his fact checker, or maybe he needs to hire one.
While Fukudome did hit a dramatic game tying homer in the 9th in the season opener, he didn't hit three homers in the season opener. I guess the author cannot tell the difference between Fukudome and Tuffy Rhodes.
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8-12-2008 @ 6:43PM
Bob H said...
Fukudome,seems to be swing with more with his "foot in the bucket" than he was earlier in the year. I hope he straightens out what ever the problem is, for his shake. He is a good fielder & has good speed. I wonder if he is having a problem of home sickness and all of the attension he get from home news reporters?
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