KND Report: Fukudome thriving in Chicago's leadoff spot

July 7, 4:24 PMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Fukudome legged out a triple in his second day
in the leadoff spot for the Cubs. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Lou Piniella announced before this Saturday's game that Kosuke Fukudome would be the new Chicago Cubs leadoff hitter "for a while."

He replaces an increasingly ineffective Alfonso Soriano, who is hitting .227/.290/.413 on the year, bad numbers for any player, but awful for the guy who's supposed to be the offensive sparkplug.

Fukudome, on the other hand, is hitting .268/.384/.439 in 2009. While that's not an amazing line, it's that middle line—on-base percentage—that's most important.

It reflects, of course, the ability of a hitter to get on base, something Fukudome's doing far better than anyone else on the team, which Piniella said was the reason he chose his Japanese centerfielder for the role.

"He works the count well. He'll draw a walk," the Cubs manager said of Fukudome before Saturday night's game. The lefty has 45 walks against 51 strikeouts, an excellent .88 batting eye.

In the three games since the switch, Kosuke has hit even better, with 5 hits in 13 PAs, for a .455/.462/.727 line, scoring 3 runs. Just as importantly, the Cubs have gone 2-1 in that span.

The move is a further recognition that last year's big second-half swoon may be past the Cubs' outfielder.

Kattobase Nihonjin Dairiigaa!

Earlier last month, it looked like Fukudome might repeat his collapse, as he hit just .150/.271/.200 in the first three weeks of June.

But he's rebounded lately, with a .302/.354/.558 line since June 24. The move to leadoff could further leverage this surge, permitting Fukudome to continue to exercise the patience he's shown all year long, and removing the pressure to hit for power, something he's done far less consistently.

While this represents a shift in batting order for Fukudome, his platoon will continue. With the return of Reed Johnson from the DL, Fukudome will still sit against lefties, just as he's done most of the year.

The combination of platooning and leading off could be just the thing that Fukudome and the Cubs need to return to the playoffs, and get out of the first round.

If nothing else, it's an acknowledgement of Fukudome's importance to the future of the Cubs, and a good sign for future NPB position players looking to make the move to MLB.