Fuk-U-Do-Me? No, Fukudome. Or just Kosuke.
Posted by: Richie Rich in Cubs, Drunken Fans, Japan, Kosuke Fukudome, Padres, White Sox
Kosuke Fukudome is coming to America. He’s coming to Chicago. He’s coming to Wrigley Field. The Cubs outbid the Padres and White Sox offered the most attractive situation for Fukudome. He’ll play Right Field, which the Sox couldn’t or wouldn’t offer.
I can’t wait for 2,000 drunken Trixies in the Wrigley Bleachers to mispronounce “Fukudome” 30 times a game.
As we said once before … it’s pronounced Foo-Koo-Doh-May.
Not Fuk-U-Do-Me.
But if you’re hoping to get a Cub jersey for Christmas with an easily mispronounced sexual innuendo on the back … I think you’re going to be disappointed.
Because Fukudome’s jersey is probably going to look like this …
Fukudome is one of the best hitters in Japan. He’s a proud man. I doubt he’s going to want to play under a name which will be mostly sideshow.
Since the the Cubs pride themselves on being a “family” ballclub, I’d expect them to look for alternatives to the mispronounceable Fukudome.
There’s also precedent for using Kosuke on his jersey instead of Fukudome. Ichiro Suzuki’s Mariners uniform reads “Ichiro” and not “Suzuki.”
Mind you, Ichiro used his “Ichiro” on his uniform while in Japan. Fukudome did not use “Kosuke.” Suzuki is a very common last name in Japan. Fukudome – not as much.
And Dick Pole was on the Cubs’ coaching staff for years.
So there’s hope.
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December 12th, 2007 at 11:09 am
great stuff as usual…i was already having fun with this a bit too when i first heard the news…
December 12th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Hey Richie Rich. You took Japanese in college, care to venture a translation or is this a name that needs none?
December 12th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
In honor of Harry Caray…
December 13th, 2007 at 1:13 am
As a Dragons fan, I’m glad he’s at the Cubs…
Wrote an article on this probability a lil’ while back for the Chicago Sports Weekly –
And his family name probably means ’stay lucky’. The problem with kanji is that it often has several meanings… but ‘fuku’ is usually translated as ‘luck’, and ‘tome’ or ‘dome’ as ‘to stay’ – so together ’stay lucky’. Good name for a ball player.
Stress is on the ‘DOH’, and the last ‘me’ is more like ‘meh’ rather than ‘may’. Pronunciation is ‘foo-koo-DOH-meh’…
And I agree – he’ll probably go with Kosuke on his back. He’s a good player, and I think he’ll do well at Chicago. Nice get.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:33 am
The Cubs outbid the Padres and White Sox for Fukudome.
No they didn’t. The Sox offered $2mm more than the Cubs. Fukudome reportedly wanted to be the first Japanese player on the franchise, and since the Sox have already had two, including one who had won a World Series, he went with the Cubs.
A big F-U to Fukudome.
December 13th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Steven -
Corrected.
I posted before Fukudome’s agent explained his reasons.
And lay off the sour grapes. They’re not healthy.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Don -
I was going to email you about that. Thanks.
My translation was “Stopping luck” but I knew that wasn’t quite right.
I have forgotten almost all the Japanese I had in college.
March 17th, 2010 at 9:23 am
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