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Fukudome returning to form?

Gingerballs Lives

By Gingerballs Lives,
in Chicago Cubs Talk

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haubrich91 South Bend Cubs

haubrich91

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Last Thursday, his average was at .340, and now it's at .313. 3 hits since last Thursday is pretty bad. But the entire team is in a slump, so let's hope that's the reason for it.
Gingerballs Lives College Ball

Gingerballs Lives

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send some video to that guy in japan

 

I was just going to say that his manager from Japan recently paid him a visit.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, we shouldn't allow that guy to meet with him anymore. Fukudome was looking great early in the season, striding towards the pitcher, really getting into it. His plate appearances lately have been vintage 2008. Lou and Gerald need to straighten him out.

UMFan83 GOAT

UMFan83

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Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.
Gingerballs Lives College Ball

Gingerballs Lives

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Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.

 

 

I realize players slump but when he went last year, he went bad and never recovered (at the same spot on the calender, too).

 

I'd rather talk about something else, too, but I can't help but notice the change in his approach.

Cubbie Swagger Draft Eligible

Cubbie Swagger

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Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.

I don't think it's the slump that is of concern. It's the fact that he's physically doing the same things that caused him to fail miserably last year. The whole stepping towards first base thing is ridiculous. I don't know about you guys, but I was taught in little league that you put your foot back down TOWARDS THE PITCHER. I realize this could be a difference in teaching between Japan and the US, but I just don't see why Kosuke can't shake it. If someone told me right now to take a step in a certain direction, it would certainly not be a difficult task. I mean, isn't anyone actually telling Kosuke this stuff? Does he not notice or what?

CubColtPacer South Bend Cubs

CubColtPacer

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.

I don't think it's the slump that is of concern. It's the fact that he's physically doing the same things that caused him to fail miserably last year. The whole stepping towards first base thing is ridiculous. I don't know about you guys, but I was taught in little league that you put your foot back down TOWARDS THE PITCHER. I realize this could be a difference in teaching between Japan and the US, but I just don't see why Kosuke can't shake it. If someone told me right now to take a step in a certain direction, it would certainly not be a difficult task. I mean, isn't anyone actually telling Kosuke this stuff? Does he not notice or what?

 

Changing how he steps that drastically could potentially change his entire swing. It could take years to rebuild the swing...I'd rather work with what he has even if it is unconventional.

 

I haven't really seen an approach change from him. The copter has been there even during his hot streaks...that's just a natural result of his timing being off on that particular swing. The only thing i noticed different last night was that he swung at some terrible pitches in the dirt that he normally doesn't touch. But then again, by the midpoint of the game it looked like most of the Cubs couldn't see that pitch very well (Theriot and Soto especially also looked very much unlike them with the swings they were having). The night before that, Fukudome was seeing the ball very well and laying off some close pitches.

Cubbie Swagger Draft Eligible

Cubbie Swagger

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.

I don't think it's the slump that is of concern. It's the fact that he's physically doing the same things that caused him to fail miserably last year. The whole stepping towards first base thing is ridiculous. I don't know about you guys, but I was taught in little league that you put your foot back down TOWARDS THE PITCHER. I realize this could be a difference in teaching between Japan and the US, but I just don't see why Kosuke can't shake it. If someone told me right now to take a step in a certain direction, it would certainly not be a difficult task. I mean, isn't anyone actually telling Kosuke this stuff? Does he not notice or what?

 

Changing how he steps that drastically could potentially change his entire swing. It could take years to rebuild the swing...I'd rather work with what he has even if it is unconventional.

 

Well, it appeared to me that for the first part of this season, he had started stepping towards the pitcher. Judging by his success using that method, and then his decline as he started slipping into his old method, I would say it's not a coincidence. I could be wrong, though.

Careless Knoxville Smokies

Careless

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Kosuke has reached base 13 times in the last 8 games.

The OP might want to read posts like this that show that his frustration is wildly misplaced. Fukudome has a .360 OBP in the last week. Yeah. he doesn't have an .800 ops for May (.779), but his .417 OBP is #9 in MLB and his May OBP is #19 in MLB.

Gingerballs Lives College Ball

Gingerballs Lives

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Kosuke has reached base 13 times in the last 8 games.

The OP might want to read posts like this that show that his frustration is wildly misplaced. Fukudome has a .360 OBP in the last week. Yeah. he doesn't have an .800 ops for May (.779), but his .417 OBP is #9 in MLB and his May OBP is #19 in MLB.

 

He's still getting a fair amount of walks but it's been a while since he really drove a ball. When I say Kouske in the beginning of the season, he had totally abandoned the fukucopter and looked like a totally different player. Driving the ball all over the park, hanging in there much better.

 

However, lately I've been seeing the old approach and the results are declining. He got on base at a decent clip last year, too, and everybody still wanted his head by September.

 

If he keeps it up, his numbers are going to continue to decline. This I am sure of.

Careless Knoxville Smokies

Careless

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Kosuke has reached base 13 times in the last 8 games.

The OP might want to read posts like this that show that his frustration is wildly misplaced. Fukudome has a .360 OBP in the last week. Yeah. he doesn't have an .800 ops for May (.779), but his .417 OBP is #9 in MLB and his May OBP is #19 in MLB.

 

He's still getting a fair amount of walks but it's been a while since he really drove a ball. When I say Kouske in the beginning of the season, he had totally abandoned the fukucopter and looked like a totally different player. Driving the ball all over the park, hanging in there much better.

 

However, lately I've been seeing the old approach and the results are declining. He got on base at a decent clip last year, too, and everybody still wanted his head by September.

 

If he keeps it up, his numbers are going to continue to decline. This I am sure of.

If your .420 OBP CF is among your chief worries, you've got a very good baseball team.

chasinf5s College Ball

chasinf5s

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Are we going to have these threads all year. Baseball players slump. Don't worry about it after 5 bad games, worry about it after 20 or more.

I don't think it's the slump that is of concern. It's the fact that he's physically doing the same things that caused him to fail miserably last year. The whole stepping towards first base thing is ridiculous. I don't know about you guys, but I was taught in little league that you put your foot back down TOWARDS THE PITCHER. I realize this could be a difference in teaching between Japan and the US, but I just don't see why Kosuke can't shake it. If someone told me right now to take a step in a certain direction, it would certainly not be a difficult task. I mean, isn't anyone actually telling Kosuke this stuff? Does he not notice or what?

 

Are you serious? Do you really think teaching a 33 year old (or however old he is, im not going to check) an entire new swing is as easy as a 5 year old in little league?

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