Home Run Derby

Japan has given the world some pretty good baseball players …

Ichiro, Wally Kaname Yonamine, Hideki Matsui, Kosuke Fukudome (jury’s still out) and the legendary Sadaharu Oh (and his World Record 868 Home Runs – suck it Barry) come to mind.

But none of them did anything as cool as this guy …

Watch as this martial arts master shows some incredible baseball skill by hitting a baseball with a pair of nunchaku.

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So I read the other day that the Japanese professional baseball leagues are going to try to shorten their games this season.  They’ll do it by making teams switch from fielding to hitting in no more than 2 minutes and 15 seconds as well as limit the time between pitches to 15 seconds when no one is on base. 

Why? 

To help fight Global Warming. 

As part of the fight against global warming, Japanese professional baseball has come up with a plan to shorten its games and reduce carbon dioxide emissions at stadiums.  Teams will aim to cut playing time by six percent, or 12 minutes …

Why six percent?  Well, that’s what Japan pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2010 under the Kyoto Protocol.  And it sounds as if Japan needs all the help it can get in meeting that goal … which is why Japanese baseball is making this gesture.  According to the article, baseball games result in the emission of …

… a huge amount of carbon dioxides to be discharged through the use of energy to move players and spectators, supply electricity for lighting and other purposes.

They forgot to mention all the gas emissions caused by the mass consumption of nachos, sausages, peanuts, and beer consumed at baseball games. 

Do they eat that kind of food at baseball games in Japan? 

Mind you … if shortening the length of baseball games is a quick fix to help in the fight against global warming, I have a simple solution …

Stop Steve Trachsel from pitching anymore.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Trachsel is often referred to as “The Human Rain Delay” because he takes so much time between pitches.  Don’t believe me?  I present evidence …

Slowest Worker Ever
Slow Hand Trachsel
Human Rain Delay

Trachsel has been known to visualize every pitch before he throws it.  This can really slow a ballgame down.  In the 1998 Wild Card tiebreaker game between the Cubs and Giants, Trachsel pitched 6 1/3 of the most deliberate innings ever.  He pitched great (1 hit with 6 K and 6 BB) and the Cubs made the playoffs …  but wow, did that game take forever.  Three hours and 40 minutes for a 8.5 inning game.

And now, Trachsel has a starting gig and has assumed a mentor’s role in Baltimore, where he’s teaching the art of pitching to the young hurlers on the Orioles.   Hey Trachsel – this season’s already going to be a long one for O’s fans … don’t make it any longer.  Steve Trachsel’s slow speed makes for good concession sales, but he’s apparently bad for the environment (if the Japanese are to be believed.)

I guess we’ll never see Trachsel pitch in Japan.  Or be seen in the same room as Al Gore.

Think you’re good at picking Home Run hitters? 

Play homerderby.com’s Home Run Derby Contest and find out … and compete for $2,500 in prizes while you’re at it. 

See the Official Rules for details.

We might as well rename this website Fukudome Derby.  Because here come another post about the Chicago Cubs’ new right fielder, Kosuke Fukudome.

A while back, we found video of Fukudome completing the ever-so-rare 9-3 putout.

So that proved Fukudome has a cannon arm. … But right field to first base is one thing …

Can Dome (pronounced Dough-May) throw with that kind of power and accuracy across the diamond? 

Let’s watch as the Hanshin Tigers find out … the hard way.

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Even though the Cubs play the American League East this season, for some reason the Chicago Cubs don’t play the Boston Red Sox. Or the New York Yankees. Do you think MLB wants the Cubs to make the playoffs again this season, or what?

So that means we’ll have to wait until the 2008 All Star Game (maybe) or the 2008 World Series (even bigger maybe) to see Kosuke Fukudome (the Chicago Cubs’ prize acquisition in free agency) take some swings against someone like the Red Sox’ Josh Beckett, who won 20 Games last season and was the AL Cy Young Runner Up. Right?

Wrong. Over ten years ago, a Texas High School flamethrower named Josh Beckett pitched for the semi-pro Reno Astros (then in Houston) in the 1997 Grand Forks International Tournament. Beckett was on loan from another Texas team for the tourney.

In the tournament, Reno played a Japanese National Team and Kosuke Fukudome was a member of that squad. Let’s watch Josh Beckett pitch to Kosuke Fukudome …

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So last week, the North Side of Chicago got an early Christmas present (or a late Hanukkah gift) when Kosuke Fukudome was introduced at a press conference after he signed his four-year, $48 Million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Contrary to prior speculation (and another wrong prediction by yours truly), Kosuke Fukudome will be wearing FUKUDOME on his jersey.

The Wrigley Bleachers will never be the same.  Or just moreso anyway. 

There’s lots of video out there of Fukudome hitting home runs and throwing tantrums after getting called out on strikes. But what we haven’t seen is any evidence about how he plays defense.  Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus mentioned it the other day.

Well, that was enough of a challenge for HRD.  And … here’s a little bit of Fukudome’s defense …

That would make the highlight reel of every nightly sports segment in America.

It’s been reported that the White Sox offered more money to Fukudome than the Cubs did, but he chose the Cubs because they guaranteed that he would play right field.

The White Sox should have let him play whatever field he wanted.

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 …

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A bunch of months ago, we gave a preview of Kosuke Fukudome, who we expect to be the next big Japanese import to Major League Baseball.

Sources say that the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres are all interested in Fukudome.

Which could mean he might get the $10-13 million per year that he reportedly wants to cross the Pacific and play in Major League Baseball.

We could talk about his hitting and fielding skills or his August elbow surgery that limited him in Japan’s Central League this year – but we’d rather show you how he behaves when things don’t go his way.

The following video begins as Fukudome has a 3-0 count with two outs.  And then the ump decides to start calling strikes on the outside corner.

Hilarity ensues …

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Some Famous Japanese Imports to American Culture: Honda, Sushi, Ichiro, Toyota, Dice-K, Bukkake, Godzilla, Fukudome.

Wait – who was that last one?

The reigning MVP of Japan’s Central League could be coming to a Major League Baseball team near you in 2008. Kosuke Fukudome turned 30 this year and his contract with the Chunichi Dragons expires in 2007.

Which means there won’t be a Daisuke Matsuzaka-esque bidding war before an MLB team can even talk contract numbers with him.

Fukudome is a natural hitter and is an excellent outfielder (RF). He’s got a rocket arm and blazing speed. He has led the Central League in Fielding Percentage the past two seasons. He led the 2006 Central League in batting (.351) while slugging .653 with 47 Doubles, 31 HR, and 104 RBI. That’s how you get yourself named MVP.

He is a two-time Olympic Baseball Medalist (1996 – Silver, 2004 – Bronze) and was a member of the Japanese National Team which won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Let’s compare Fukudome’s Japanese career stats to some other heralded Japanese outfielders who have left Japan for the Major Leagues. Not too Shabby - especially considering that his first few years have been nowhere near as good as his recent performances.

But the reason I hope he leaves Nippon Baseball for the Majors is to hear people mispronounce his name. It’s gonna be vulgar, especially over at the Booyah Network when analysts like Dusty Baker and Joe Morgan have to speak it. Let’s have a quick pronunciation lesson so you don’t get your mouth washed out with some Mr. Sparkle …

It’s Koe-Sue-Kay Foo-Koo-Doh-May.

Not Koe-Sucky F*ck-You-Do-Me.

Good God I wish Harry Caray was still alive to mispronounce that.

You can watch Fukudome throw a spaz after getting called out on strikes right here.

There. My one year of Japanese in college paid off. See, Dad – I told you it wasn’t a waste of money.