Fukudome Signs with Cubs for 4 years (MLB.com: $48 M)

[Handlebar McSkullet]

Tomorrow I can look forward to driving to work while listening to Peter Gammons wax philosophic on how this affects the Red Sox.

 

hilarious :D

[UK1679666180]

 

He swings like Ichiro. He seems to lunge at the ball. But he hit a homerun off a guy who looks like a right-handed version of Billy Wagner.

 

Fwiw, those were 80 MPH changeups on the inner half. He lunges like most japanese hitters but he keeps his hands back well, clears his hips, and can turn on the ball.

[The Voice of Reason]

Tomorrow I can look forward to driving to work while listening to Peter Gammons wax philosophic on how this affects the Red Sox.

 

 

=D> =D>

[BCVM22]

It's going to be a little while until I can turn off the habit of refreshing the Transactions forum every 5 minutes.

[Omar]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

[CubColtPacer]

It's rather apparent Hendry will not make the mistake again of letting someone come in and swoop up the guy he wants. It's really too bad that Furcal got away that first year. Imagine if you will a roster that had Furcal playing SS and then making this addition to the team.

 

RF: Fukudome

CF: Pie

LF: Soriano

3b: Ramirez

SS: Furcal

2b: DeRosa

1b: Lee

C: Soto

 

ItYowza.

 

True, but think about how mad all of us would have been last year when Furcal was making 13 million dollars while putting up a OPS of .688. It goes both ways.

 

He wouldn't have put up a .688 playing most of his games in the NL Central.

 

It's hard to say. He certainly was hurt by the pitching in the NL West. Furcal actually was helped by Dodger Stadium though, not hurt. He had a .765 OPS at Dodger Stadium and only a .608 OPS on the road. His numbers at NL Central parks this year:

 

Pitt-.764 OPS

Cin-.599 OPS

Hou-.368 OPS

Stl-.333 OPS

CHC-.216 OPS

Mil-didn't play

 

Even with limited at-bats overall (about 80 or so between the 5 different parks) that's still pretty horrendous numbers for Furcal on the road against the Central. I'm not sure if he would have really improved last year moving out of Dodger Stadium which was the one thing propping up his numbers.

[CubColtPacer]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

It's in between the level of the majors and the level of AAA.

[Exile on Waveland]

Nothing much to add but \:D/

[UK1679666180]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

Others like 1908 and Meph know more about Japanese baseball than me, but I would say it's between AAA and the Majors.

[TruffleShuffle]

has anyone told him that the cubs usually suck and haven't won a championship for 100 years? or is that just something he's going to learn as he goes along?

[BigSlick]

Hooray! I'm happy with this signing, and with only 4 years too. We can let him go at 34 if we so choose.

[BCVM22]

has anyone told him that the cubs usually suck and haven't won a championship for 100 years? or is that just something he's going to learn as he goes along?

 

:-$ Don't ruin the moment.

[VanceJergins]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

Others like 1908 and Meph know more about Japanese baseball than me, but I would say it's between AAA and the Majors.

 

So he faces the Rich Hills of the world everyday.

[The Voice of Reason]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

Very Carefully. Tuffy Rhodes hit 55 home runs in Japan and

 

OPS:

 

Kaz in Japan - .846

Kaz in MLB - .712

 

Iwamura in Japan - .877

Iwamura in MLB - .770

 

Iguchi in Japan - .813

Iguchi in MLB - .768

 

Ichiro in Japan - .942

Ichiro in MLB - .816

 

Hideki Matsui in Japan - .995

Hideki Matsui in MLB - .856

 

Dice-K in Japan - 2.81 ERA

Dice-K in MLB - 4.40 ERA

[Post Count Padder]

I'm still so happy I don't know what to do with myself.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

MLB.com Has the Story.

 

The Cubs' patience paid off. Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the team, pending his passing a physical.

 

Sources confirmed the contract Tuesday night, which would run through 2011, and was believed to be worth $48 million. The highly sought outfielder had announced his intention to come to the U.S. and the Major Leagues early Tuesday, and had several teams to chose from, including the Cubs, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers.

[seanimal]

Didn't Meph suggest that Japanese baseball will be close to being on par with the National League next year? I'm not sure if he was serious or thinking out loud, but there might be something to it. I really don't know.

[E.J.]

has anyone told him that the cubs usually suck and haven't won a championship for 100 years? or is that just something he's going to learn as he goes along?

 

Geez. You sure are negative nancy tonight.

[Deeg]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

It's in between the level of the majors and the level of AAA.

 

I agree, but I would put it closer to the major league level than AAA. The athletes are flat-out better here - bigger hitters, harder fastballs. But fundamentals ball is better there, and pitchers generally have better control and work the plater better.

[Outshined_One]

SLG tends to take a hit when a player comes over from Japan. IsoD and OBP, on the other hand, tend to translate fairly effectively.

[The Voice of Reason]

SLG tends to take a hit when a player comes over from Japan. IsoD and OBP, on the other hand, tend to translate fairly effectively.

 

 

Makes sense as the parks in Japan are a lot smaller.

[Post Count Padder]

SLG tends to take a hit when a player comes over from Japan. IsoD and OBP, on the other hand, tend to translate fairly effectively.

Which is why I think an .800-.850 OPS is a fairly reasonable expectation, at least for his first season or two.

[inari]

I'm so flipping happy!

[ThePenguin11]

I don't pay much attention to foreign baseball... How should we compare the level of baseball played in Japan to the MLB?

 

Very Carefully. Tuffy Rhodes hit 55 home runs in Japan and

 

OPS:

 

Kaz in Japan - .846

Kaz in MLB - .712

 

Iwamura in Japan - .877

Iwamura in MLB - .770

 

Iguchi in Japan - .813

Iguchi in MLB - .768

 

Ichiro in Japan - .942

Ichiro in MLB - .816

 

Hideki Matsui in Japan - .995

Hideki Matsui in MLB - .856

 

Dice-K in Japan - 2.81 ERA

Dice-K in MLB - 4.40 ERA

 

Considering Fukudome's career OPS of .935 (.995 over past 4 years) is most comparable to Ichiro and HMatsui, I'm feeling pretty good about him. And he can catch and throw, too.

[TruffleShuffle]

Didn't Meph suggest that Japanese baseball will be close to being on par with the National League next year? I'm not sure if he was serious or thinking out loud, but there might be something to it. I really don't know.

 

i went to a little league game last year, i'm pretty sure that wasn't far from the level of the national league