Fukudome: Time for some extended time off?

[ChiCubsfan0502]

I think it might be time for Reed Johnson to get some at bats and let Fukodome get his head back on straight. Maybe the rest of the Astros series? He looks really, REALLY bad right now.

 

This isn't a slump for 2 weeks, this is a slump for 2 months.

[TysonCBulls423]

He just had the ASB. Drop him back to the 5 spot is something I would approve of for the time being.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Maybe hes just more Matsui than Ichiro. Kaz that is.

[badnews]

Fukudome has been getting worse every single month. It's not a popular opinion, but I don't have a bit of faith in the guy anymore. To me, I've already stuck him in the category of "mediocre .740 OPS type Japanese hitters" with Iwamura, Iguchi, and Johjima. The walks are drying up because pitchers are less likely to walk a guy who doesn't hit for average or power.

 

I'm not saying he doesn't have another hot streak in him, but I'm not buying the optimist's line. He's not a particularly good offensive contributor. I think when all is said and done he's a .275 BA, .360 OBP, .390 SLG hitter. Which means he's a downgrade from last year's right field position.

 

But, uh. He's a good defender and All-Star or something.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

Fukudome has been getting worse every single month. It's not a popular opinion, but I don't have a bit of faith in the guy anymore. To me, I've already stuck him in the category of "mediocre .740 OPS type Japanese hitters" with Iwamura, Iguchi, and Johjima. The walks are drying up because pitchers are less likely to walk a guy who doesn't hit for average or power.

 

I'm not saying he doesn't have another hot streak in him, but I'm not buying the optimist's line. He's not a particularly good offensive contributor. I think when all is said and done he's a .275 BA, .360 OBP, .390 SLG hitter. Which means he's a downgrade from last year's right field position.

 

But, uh. He's a good defender and All-Star or something.

 

The 1st month pitchers had no idea how to work him. Now that they have discovered where the holes are in his swing, they are exposing them. He has looked EVERY BIT as bad as Jacque used to when he whiffed. He's spinning around and missing the ball by about a foot.

 

Not only that, his lack of any kind of gap/doubles power is past the point of alarming. He just doesn't drive the ball. If he gets a hit lately, it's a seeing eye single or a slap hit to left.

 

I am not giving up on the guy but I think it's safe to say the honeymoon is over and if the spiral continues, do not be surprised to start hearing a few boo birds at Wrigley.

[italianocubsfan7]

Drop Fukudome down to the eight hole where he belongs. How can be getting $12 million a year and only batting .115 since June 1? That's a really long time to be "in a slump" (aka he is already wearing down). And hear is the thing I hate- everyone defends him like he's a great Chicago sports player/icon. A great Chicago sports icon is someone like Ernie Banks or even Ron Santo. You think majority of fans and media (announcers especially) defended those two guys when they were in a little bit of a funk when they were playing? Let me check............... NOPE! [-X

[badnews]

Fukudome has been getting worse every single month. It's not a popular opinion, but I don't have a bit of faith in the guy anymore. To me, I've already stuck him in the category of "mediocre .740 OPS type Japanese hitters" with Iwamura, Iguchi, and Johjima. The walks are drying up because pitchers are less likely to walk a guy who doesn't hit for average or power.

 

I'm not saying he doesn't have another hot streak in him, but I'm not buying the optimist's line. He's not a particularly good offensive contributor. I think when all is said and done he's a .275 BA, .360 OBP, .390 SLG hitter. Which means he's a downgrade from last year's right field position.

 

But, uh. He's a good defender and All-Star or something.

 

The 1st month pitchers had no idea how to work him. Now that they have discovered where the holes are in his swing, they are exposing them. He has looked EVERY BIT as bad as Jacque used to when he whiffed. He's spinning around and missing the ball by about a foot.

 

Not only that, his lack of any kind of gap/doubles power is past the point of alarming. He just doesn't drive the ball. If he gets a hit lately, it's a seeing eye single or a slap hit to left.

 

I am not giving up on the guy but I think it's safe to say the honeymoon is over and if the spiral continues, do not be surprised to start hearing a few boo birds at Wrigley.

 

Ugh. I hate that business where he spins around when he swings and misses and ends up in a crouch. It just looks so incompetent.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

Drop Fukudome down to the eight hole where he belongs. How can be getting $12 million a year and only batting .115 since June 1? That's a really long time to be "in a slump" (aka he is already wearing down). And hear is the thing I hate- everyone defends him like he's a great Chicago sports player/icon. A great Chicago sports icon is someone like Ernie Banks or even Ron Santo. You think majority of fans and media (announcers especially) defended those two guys when they were in a little bit of a funk when they were playing? Let me check............... NOPE! [-X

 

He's hitting .233 since June 1st, which is awful but not .115 awful. He's hitting a blistering .167 in July with 1 HR, 2RBI and ONE DOUBLE, which is what he is getting paid very well to do.

[badnews]

Since May 4th, Fukudome has hit .248 with a .712 OPS. That's crap for a $12 million corner outfielder. Maybe a $1.75 million shortstop that'd be fine.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

IMO, the stat below is the most telling one.

 

Walks by month:

 

April: 18

May: 16

June: 17

July: THREE

 

He is not seeing the ball well. He is not walking because he can't hit and work the count when he has two strikes on him anymore. Back in April and early May he would foul off 5-6 pitches per AB with two strikes and either end up walking or hitting a single.

 

He is swinging at a lot more first and second pitches now because he has no confidence when he falls behind in the count.

[badnews]

A little more telling is the strikeout to walk ratio month by month.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

A little more telling is the strikeout to walk ratio month by month.

 

 

Walks in the left column, K's right column.

 

April: 18-18

May: 16-15

June: 17-22

July: 3-15

[USSoccer]

Or....and this may be totally crazy and off the wall...

 

He just might be adjusting to a new league.

 

Now, don't everyone go icing their knees just yet.

[Fu1kudome]

I'm sure he'll make adjustments. My crazy Sox friends are all up with the "Alexei Ramirez is fantasic thing". for the money he's making, he'd best turn it around.

[badnews]

Or....and this may be totally crazy and off the wall...

 

He just might be adjusting to a new league.

 

Now, don't everyone go icing their knees just yet.

 

Is this like when Adrian Beltre was "adjusting" to the AL after leaving the NL?

 

Somebody tell me when the popular vote on this message board is going to stop with the wishful thinking free passes.

[badnews]

I'm sure he'll make adjustments. My crazy Sox friends are all up with the "Alexei Ramirez is fantasic thing". for the money he's making, he'd best turn it around.

 

Everybody says they're "sure" Fukudome will get back on track, and I keep asking people how they can be "sure" outside of wishful thinking and nobody seems to have an answer.

 

In reality, the 2nd tier of Japanese hitters below Hideki Matsui and Ichiro are disappointing .750ish OPS blah players. Or Kaz Matsui, who is worse. Look up the Japanese numbers for Kaz Matsui, Akinori Iwamura, Kenji Johjima, and Kosuke Fukudome and you know what the difference is? The difference is the first three guys are paid like $5 million a year and Fukudome makes $12 million.

 

I mean, holy crap. If this were Ryan Theriot you guys would've all jumped off the bandwagon, but since this is Fukudome and he looked great for 3 weeks you're determined to ride this sinking ship all the way into the Mariana Trench.

 

You know what I'm learning? This board just can't be honest about Fukudome. All of you who say you're sure he'll go back to being a .800+ OPS guy seem like you're lying to yourself. I'm tired of this spin. If this were a less popular player the board would be allowed to get with reality.

[Sammy Sofa]

You know what I'm learning? This board just can't be honest about Fukudome. All of you who say you're sure he'll go back to being a .800+ OPS guy seem like you're lying to yourself. I'm tired of this spin. If this were a less popular player the board would be allowed to get with reality.

 

Why are you so angry?

[badnews]

I am not angry. I am frustrated that we must continue this charade of playing make believe for no good reason.

 

Nobody even has any reason to believe in Fukudome. It's just the most generic blandishments you can imagine. "I'm sure he'll make adjustments." "He's playing in a new league." That doesn't mean anything. That's empty double-talk. We're mired in deceptive doubletalk. It's like George Orwell's 1984 here. "War is peace. Doing crappy is good."

 

Well I'll tell you what. Fukudome is "doubleplus" sucking and this business where anyone who acknowledges is seen as some kind of ledge-jumper, instead of correctly identifying the type of hitter he is compared with similar Japanese players, is preposterous.

[sneakypower]

he reminds me as a cross between Ichiro and Godzilla

[badnews]

He's reminding me of a cross between Akinori Iwamura and Ben Grieve. Ben Grieve could wait out a walk too, that didn't mean he wasn't crap.

[rocket]

i don't really see where people are shrugging off fukudome's struggles or pretending that he isn't struggling. i thought the consensus of the board was that he's looked horrible the last couple months, and it's something to be worried about.

[badnews]

i don't really see where people are shrugging off fukudome's struggles or pretending that he isn't struggling. i thought the consensus of the board was that he's looked horrible the last couple months, and it's something to be worried about.

 

Then we're not reading the same topics. Look at the topic "So they've figured out Kosuke" where everyone says "He'll be fine, he'll make the adjustments." In this topic, the two previous posts before mine just now, the first one said worrying about Fukudome was an overreaction, and the one after that (the one that mentioned Alexi Ramirez) said yeah, it's okay, he'll adjust.

 

Seriously. Go read the topic on page 2 about "They've finally figured out Kosuke" and tell me there isn't some bizarre cabal on this board dedicated to maintaining this guy's illusion. Because if that's not the case I'm not sure why people are so content to pretend on this.

[rocket]

i don't really see where people are shrugging off fukudome's struggles or pretending that he isn't struggling. i thought the consensus of the board was that he's looked horrible the last couple months, and it's something to be worried about.

 

Then we're not reading the same topics. Look at the topic "So they've figured out Kosuke" where everyone says "He'll be fine, he'll make the adjustments." In this topic, the two previous posts before mine just now, the first one said worrying about Fukudome was an overreaction, and the one after that (the one that mentioned Alexi Ramirez) said yeah, it's okay, he'll adjust.

 

Seriously. Go read the topic on page 2 about "They've finally figured out Kosuke" and tell me there isn't some bizarre cabal on this board dedicated to maintaining this guy's illusion. Because if that's not the case I'm not sure why people are so content to pretend on this.

 

i read it. and i saw people expressing concern over his slump. but just because people aren't writing him off as a mediocre japanese player like johjima, kaz, et. all doesn't mean this board has some pro-fukudome bias or is delusional or anything like that.

 

fukudome looks horrible right now, and it is a bit worrisome. but i'm also confident that he also has another hot streak or 2 in him this season, and his numbers will even out.

[Choonch]

Add me to the list of Kosuke's detractors. He's been a massive disappointment at the plate. Very little power, his BA drops by the day and the walks continue to decrease.

[Abe Frohman]

Whatever is wrong with him, I think it is past time for him to move into the bottom of the order. Why isn't DeRosa hitting in the 2 hole anyway?