News flash: Kosuke Fukudome is really good
It’s tough to think of Kosuke Fukudome as a rookie, what with the nine seasons of Japanese professional baseball under his belt and all, but the reality is that Mr. Fukudome is a rookie by Major League standards.
And what a rookie he is.
In April, Fukudome hit .326 with seven doubles, two triples one home run and nine RBI. Those are stats worthy of a “Rookie of the Month” award.
I mention this not because Major League Baseball has announced its Rookie of the Month Award, but because Jayson Stark named Fukudome his rookie of the month.
Evan Longoria is probably the rookie of the half-month. But you can’t beat Fukudome’s April, even if “rookie” doesn’t seem like the right word for him. He has been on base in every game but two. He’s batting .327, with a .436 on-base percentage. He’s hitting .370, with a .491 on-base percentage, with men on base. He’s second in the league in pitches per plate appearance. And he seems genetically incapable of doing anything wrong. “That’s a good way to make Cubbie fans like you,” laughed Derrek Lee.
Yup. The fans really do love Fukudome.
