Fukudome's First Was Fabulous, But He's No Kaz Matsui


Kosuke Fukudome's Cub debut was so riveting Monday afternoon, it was almost enough to distract from Kerry Wood's ninth-inning failure and the larger disappointment of losing the opener to the Brewers.

But terrific as it was, Fukudome's plate performance didn't quite match up to what one of his countrymen, Kaz Matsui, did when he first took the field for the Mets four years ago. On that evening, Matsui slugged the first pitch in his Major League career 429 feet, well over the center field fence in Atlanta's Turner Field, and set his new team off on a 7-2 season-opening victory. In addition to the homer, Matsui ripped a pair of doubles and walked twice, so he reached base five times in five PA's.

Given the way Matsui eventually stunk up New York, it could be argued that his Met career went straight downhill following that first game.

In any case, here's a review of the most prominent Japanese hitters to cross the Pacific and how they fared in their first regular season games on American soil:

Ichiro, Mariners
MLB Debut: April 2, 2001 v. A's
Went: 2-for-5, including a strikeout and a run scored
Team result: Mariners won 5-4

Hideki Matsui, Yankees
MLB Debut: March 31, 2003 v. Toronto
Went: 1-for-4, with an RBI
Team result: Yankees won 8-4

Kaz Matsui, Mets
MLB Debut: April 6, 2004 v. Atlanta
Went: 3-for-3, including HR, 3 RBI, and a run scored, plus 2 walks
Team result: Mets won 7-2

Tad Iguchi, White Sox
MLB Debut: April 4, 2005 v. Indians
Went: 0-for-4, including a strikeout
Team result: White Sox won 1-0

Kenji Johjima, Mariners
MLB Debut: April 3, 2006 v. Angels
Went: 1-for-3, including HR and a run scored, plus a walk
Team result: Mariners lost 5-4

Akinori Iwamura, Rays
MLB Debut: April 2, 2007 v. Yankees
Went: 1-for-3 with a run scored, plus a walk
Team result: Rays lost 9-5

Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs
MLB Debut: March 31, 2008 v. Brewers
Went: 3-for-3 with a double, game-tying, ninth-inning HR, 3 RBI, and a walk
Team result: Cubs lost 4-3

Of all these players, Iwamura--who manned third base in Tampa last season, but is playing second this year--had the most productive first month in the U.S., hitting .472/.482/961 (OBP/SLG/OPS).

Ichiro went .358/.431/789 in his first month with Seattle; Hideki Matsui, who currently has a lifetime OPS of 856, put up a dismal .320/.364/684 line in his first April with the Yankees.

Tags: 
Kosuke Fukudome
Cubs Opening Day
Submitted by Cubnut on Tue, 04/01/2008 - 11:46pm
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Comments

Submitted by 433
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:10am

Here is footage of Fuku's HR from WGN -- check out the fan who caught it -- spilled his beer all over the guy in front of him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjkNRWXyCI8

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:36am

Speaking of "rick rolls"...check out this footage of a REALLY BAD canadian television show making fun of the elderly

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H3KmjHt1Kb0

Submitted by Indiana JJ
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 8:31am

Well played Crunch

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:33am

Dude, that gag's tired.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 8:15am

hmmm, you might want to check this link again.

I got Richard Simmons...

Submitted by vorare
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 8:22am

Here's the correct link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KANI2dpXLw

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:18am

NOT April Fools Day!

Stop wasting our time.

not funny.

Submitted by vorare
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:28am

Whoa boy.

Submitted by Wild Thing
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:56am

Talk about a sandy vagina...

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 10:16am

talk about a weak stab at humor.

Submitted by Cubnut
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:28am

Also, a tip of the hat to TCR reader CUBBY, who obviously speaks Japanese and noted in last night's Comments that bleacher fans were holding up Japanese language signs that translated to, "It's a fluke."

Paul Sullivan addressed this in the Tribune today...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080331-chicago-cubs-milwaukee-brewers,1,2710174.story

...and it's sounds like the signs might have been professionally printed by the "It's Gonna Happen" guy, who either hooked up with a crappy translator or just trusted Babelfish to write the Japanese for him.

Submitted by CUBBY
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 3:14am

why thanks cubnut. im just your average long-suffering fan with no special knowledge of metrics or anatomy, so im glad i was able to contribute (if you can call it that). im an interpreter living in japan btw. and yes, the chunichi fans I know are pissed he left and bitter over his stunning debut. HA!
(theyre loving the “it’s a fluke” thing though. assholes.)

Submitted by Cubnut
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 6:32am

Chunichi fans are to Kosuke as Illinois basketball fans are to Bill Self.

Thanks, CUBBY. Hope you keep reading and updating us

By the way, is there any way to capture the spirit of It's Gonna Happen in Japanese? If not, that guy's Asian t-shirt sales are going to take a big hit.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 8:13am

"Chunichi fans are to Kosuke as Illinois basketball fans are to Bill Self"

LMAO! HAHA!

Nicely done, CN

Submitted by 10man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 6:57am

lol. I'd love to find out what Fukudome thought when he saw those things. maybe someone can post a youtube video of the signs?

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:36am

Are you asking to be Rickrolled? Don't taunt Carlos! He's armed!

Submitted by CUBBY
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 3:17am

uhh...thats definitely NOT footage of k-fuks homer. not even close. yeesh.

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:11am

While I expected it to happen at some point, I didn't expect it this early.

"Already coming off two injury-plagued seasons, Martinez limped away with a strained left hamstring in the fourth inning, after just 57 pitches.

"He said he felt kind of a pop," Mets manager Willie Randolph said."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280401128

Submitted by garsky
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 10:41am

Hope this isn't 3/44, but King Kaufman linked to a really good article on Brian Bannister:
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/550237.html

No, you are not being Rickrolled...

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 11:01am

Great article.

Submitted by 10man
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 11:40am

yeah, the classic underdog story.

Submitted by Indiana JJ
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 11:27am

One of these times you guys are gonna post a real link to K-Fuk's homer and E-Man's not gonna click on it. Then you're really gonna be sorry.

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:31pm

That's not funny.

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:33pm

Trans, when are you going to put up the game preview?

Submitted by Jace
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:34pm

Anyone seen a lineup?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:45pm

Lineup...

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/gameTrax?gameId=28040...

I think Cubnut has a preview coming up shortly...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:37pm

According to Mike Murphy from WSCR, his "insiders" said that Wood drilled Hall for popping off about the Cubs in spring training.

Take this with a large spoon of salt.

Submitted by Wes
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:51pm

I can believe it. I thought it might have been intentional.

It's a really stupid thing to do, obviously. We all know there's no reason to put the leadoff man on in a tie game, but Woody may have been a little too cocky that he could get out of it.

Submitted by Tito
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 12:38pm

Someone in another thread called Mike North the village idiot of Chicago sports radio. He's second in line; Mike Murphy is first.

Submitted by WrigleyNorth
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 4:20pm

This hybrid lovechild explanation of K-Fuk is a pretty good.

http://blogs.e-rockford.com/cubs/2008/04/01/no-off...

Submitted by jhelp456
on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 9:37pm

finally found a non-profane Fukudome t-shirt that I can wear in front of my kids if anyone is interested. www.fukudomeismyhomie.com. I'm sure they'll still think I'm lame.

Submitted by navigator
on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 8:51am

Ah, nothing like spam for breakfast.

Submitted by 10man
on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 9:41am

at least it's on topic spam

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