Unimpressive WBC for Fukudome

Though his team won the World Baseball Classic again, Kosuke Fukudome is likely now behind the proverbial 8-ball a bit when it comes to having a successful offensive season with the Chicago Cubs. The left-handed hitting, smooth-fielding outfielder fell almost completely out of favor in Chicago late in the 2008 season. He got off to a scorching start, but got progressively worse as the season continued.

This spring, he's been away from the Cubs for the past several weeks, pursuing said world championship with his home country. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. His offensive production in the Classic, however, is a cause for concern in Wrigleyville.

Fukudome collected only four hits in 20 at-bats -- a paltry .200 batting average. Worse yet, all of his hits were singles and he struck out seven times. You could take the seven walks as a good sign, considering it meant he sported a .407 on-base percentage. I would argue, though, that he's not going to continue piling up walks when he shows no power or ability to hit the ball with consistency in the majors. His walks in the second half of last season drastically declined, for example, because pitchers weren't scared of grooving pitches to him.

The 32-year-old -- he will be on April 26 -- is slated to platoon with Reed Johnson in center field for the Cubs in 2009. He's entering the second year of his 4-year, $48 million contract.

Unlike many Cubs fans, I'm willing to give him a chance to bounce back before booing him mercilessly, however, he's going to have to develop some sort of power to justify that bulky contract pretty quickly. As of March 24, things aren't looking good.

Hat-tip: Hard Ball