Home Run Derby

And here we go … a new feature here at Home Run Derby. 

Baseball Jersey of the Week.  We’re going to highlight the most creative personalized baseball jerseys/shirts we can find.  And we’ll start with a good one …

In honor of the continuation of the White Sox vs Cubs Interleague Series (The Black and Blue Series) … here’s a Chicago Baseball fan who apparently has two favorite players in the Windy City.  The Cubs’ Kosuke Fukudome and the White Sox’ Jim Thome.

FUKUTHOME !!

I love it.  It’s a Frankenstein-like creation.  Mind you, the name looks a little off center … but it’s pretty sharp and self explanatory to most knowledgeable baseball fans (which will exclude most of the overserved patrons in the Wrigley Bleachers during a Night Game.)

FUKUTHOME Jersey Rating:

• Cleverness: 8
• Originality: 10
• Understandability: 8

Does the guy have a matching White Sox jersey? 

Home Run Derby would love your pics for Jersey of the Week. 
Drop us a line right here.

Unfortunately, it was in a losing effort for the Cubs, but nothing anyone else hit yesterday can beat Kosuke Fukudome’s game-tying Home Run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Brewers.

I was at the Cubs’ home opener yesterday and Fukudome’s eye at the plate is everything it was advertised to be.  The first pitch he saw he hammered for a double, followed by a walk, a single and that blast.

By the way, Brent Musburger did a fine job announcing baseball.

Thanks to Awful Announcing for the original clip … which MLB already took down.  I replaced it with a view from the section next to mine.

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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Woo Hoo!! The Chicago Cubs read Home Run Derby.  I’m sure of it.  At least the Cubs’ marketing and art departments anyway.

The proof is in the Cubs’ newly unveiled 2008 marketing campaign surrounding Kosuke Fukudome.  And here it is …

Fukudome silhouetted against a Japanese Imperial Flag with the Cubs logo replacing the Rising Sun …

Wait a minute … that looks familiar.  Like I’ve seen it before … And I know why.  Because Home Run Derby posted this (badly) photoshopped image back on December 12, 2007.

The crack (read: unpaid) artistic department at Home Run Derby is honored and flattered in a “been ripped off” kinda way. 

Sure, the Cubs’ artwork might be a little more polished … but someone got paid to do that. 
They probably got paid to scour the internet for ideas, too.

Let me know what you think …

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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.