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Monday, August 11, 2008

Chicago Tribune: Fukudome put on notice by Piniella: Hit more

Lou Piniella’s warning to Kosuke Fukudome on Sunday could lead to more playing time in right field for Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson and more time at second for Mike Fontenot.

The Cubs manager said if Fukudome didn’t start hitting soon, he’d have to look at “other options” in right.

“I just look at trying to put out lineups that produce runs, and we’ve got a couple guys that are swinging the bats, including Reed Johnson, that are not playing,” Piniella said. “Sooner or later, I’ve got to give them opportunities.”

His month-by-month AVG, OBP and SLG have an amusing trendline - all three have gone down each and every month. He’s consistent!

NTNgod Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:36 AM | 37 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:48 AM (#2898041)

Funny what a difference a couple of months can make. Fukudome's still something of a cult hero in Chicago for his early-season heroics, but it's been quite a while since he was steadily producing. It doesn't seem like the casual fans have quite picked up just how dramatically his offense has declined as the season's progressed, but that may be a good thing. The last thing he needs is having the fans turn on him. He isn't walking as often, either. Earlier in the season, he wouldn't swing at a pitch if he felt it was even a bit off the plate. Even if the end results aren't great, you'd still like to see him make pitchers pile up pitches. He's still the best defender the Cubs have had manning that area of the outfield in years and I'm not convinced he's destined to be another Kaz Matsui, but it's crazy to think Jim Edmonds' offensive numbers are very much comparable to Kosuke's.

2. Raskolnikov Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:53 AM (#2898042)

Isn't his line about where his PECOTA projections are? High OBP, light on the SLG.

3. Dag Nabbit apealing [sic] his own check swing Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:07 AM (#2898047)

APR .327/.436/.480
MAY .293/.388/.404
JUN .264/.387/.402
JUL .236/.306/.382
AUG .125/.214/.167

His last 25 games: .217/.290/.337.

Only one word accurately descibes this performance folks - dreck.

4. ian Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:11 AM (#2898048)

BABIP thing? His IsoD is still stellar and the IsoP eyeballs as consistent.

5. NTNgod Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:16 AM (#2898051)

I'm sure some Cub fans will chime in, but I don't think it's just a BABIP thing. His swing/approach seems all screwy compared to earlier in the year, and he doesn't seem to hit the ball with authority nearly as often.

Anyone have the month-by-month LD% on him?

6. NTNgod Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:25 AM (#2898053)

MLB.com: Piniella: Fukudome needs to hit

Fukudome went 0-for-4 with a pair of groundouts on Sunday. Piniella repeated his concerns after the game. Fukudome, who continues to receive widespread praise from Cubs fans, said he remains confident.

"Nothing much I can say," Fukudome said through interpreter Ryuji Araki. "If Lou decides to put me on the bench, then that's where I will be. I'm not going to start hitting just because he said something like that, either. So I'll just follow whatever Lou tells me to do."
...
Fukudome said Piniella has not expressed his frustrations with him face-to-face.

"It doesn't bother me at all," Fukudome said. "Maybe that's the American way of doing things around here."
...
"[Hitting coach Gerald Perry] hasn't seen me play all year round," Fukudome said. "He hasn't seen me when I'm really hitting good. He hasn't seen me when I'm really hitting bad. Gerald has not seen everything that he needs to see to give the best advice."

Subtle jab at Piniella by Fukudome with the "American way" comment there?

7. Walt Davis Posted: August 11, 2008 at 08:49 AM (#2898078)

Any chance he had a chat with Ichiro at the AS game ... and turned all slap-happy?

8. Portia Stanke Posted: August 11, 2008 at 09:28 AM (#2898081)

It'd be interesting to see his stats by pitch type. From what I've seen, pitchers with good velocity just knock the bat out of his hands with high fastballs.

9. RMc is the loyal supporter of the MLB event Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:08 PM (#2898088)

APR .327/.436/.480
MAY .293/.388/.404
JUN .264/.387/.402
JUL .236/.306/.382
AUG .125/.214/.167

His last 25 games: .217/.290/.337.

Only one word accurately descibes this performance folks - dreck.

Where's the "THAT'S RACIST!" kid when you need him?

10. retro-shiite Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:15 PM (#2898089)

Where's the "THAT'S RACIST!" kid when you need him?

RMc, king of the strawman.

11. OCD SS Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:20 PM (#2898091)

"Nothing much I can say," Fukudome said through interpreter Ryuji Araki. "If Lou decides to put me on the bench, then that's where I will be. I'm not going to start hitting just because he said something like that, either."

Translated: "My manager may be a crazy person. Please allow me to speak as a rational person before he kills and eats me."

12. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:22 PM (#2898092)

Piniella put on notice by Fukudome: ##### less

13. retro-shiite Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:25 PM (#2898093)

Piniella put on notice by Fukudome: ##### less

Not sure what was bleeped out, but neither forced celibacy nor forced constipation seem likely to turn things around for Kosuke.

14. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:26 PM (#2898094)

I mentioned this earlier but based on conversations with baseball folks Fukudome was getting calls earlier in the season from umpires who found his approach at the plate distracting. Fukudome gives up on pitches and literally steps out of the box as the pitch crosses the plate. The belief of some of these folks is that umps would catch this out of the corner of their eye and that plus Fukudome's rep allowed the guy to get the close pitches called his way.

But umpires have adjusted and Fukudome hasn't made pitchers pay when they do attack the strike zone.

If you take out Fukudome's seasonal line against Milwaukee (.459/.512/.811) his batting average alone drops 16 points..........

15. retro-shiite Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:29 PM (#2898095)

I don't think it's strictly a matter of pitchers throwing him more strikes, either; even when he was hitting well and seeing a ton of pitches, he still regularly swung at the first pitch if it was there for him; he wasn't a passive hitter. Now, though, aside from not being as selective, he's hitting a TON of lazy fly balls, which is not his game. I think he's pressing, AND that there's something amiss mechanically.

16. retro-shiite Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:33 PM (#2898096)

Fukudome gives up on pitches and literally steps out of the box as the pitch crosses the plate. The belief of some of these folks is that umps would catch this out of the corner of their eye and that plus Fukudome's rep allowed the guy to get the close pitches called his way.

He does that on occasion, but he also has genuinely excellent strike zone judgment; the first two months especially, he took a LOT of borderline pitches on which he hung in there. (Whether he's still getting those calls, I have no idea, but I don't notice him getting the shaft--it just doesn't seem to me he's taking those pitches lately.)

That I think his batting eye is as good as it ever was is part of the reason I think he's pressing now. That, and the fact that his mechanics are screwed up.

17. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM (#2898098)

he's hitting a TON of lazy fly balls, which is not his game

Here is the THT Fangraph of his GB/LD/FB percentages. It looks like he's stayed a ground ball hitter throughout the season.

He can't possibly put up the power numbers he did in Japan by posting a 30% fly ball rate, so it's apparent he has changed his approach in the US. He's been in an extended slump and I wouldn't think it's a bad idea to see if his old approach would work in MLB.

18. Twoey Guillen Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM (#2898099)

His last 25 games: .217/.290/.337.

Only one word accurately descibes this performance folks - dreck.

So over that time frame he's performing JJ Hardy-bad (.245/.286/.425), but at least he hasn't plunged to Jason Kendall-bad (.170/.255/.250). It's not the end of the world.

19. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 11, 2008 at 12:51 PM (#2898102)

"Not sure what was bleeped out..."

Female dog.

20. Tricky Dick Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:08 PM (#2898111)

I'm not convinced he's destined to be another Kaz Matsui

Current 08 stats:

Kaz Matsui .288, .351, .421, .772

Fukudome .269, .369, .399, .768

21. Jeff K. Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:13 PM (#2898116)

Of course it's the headline writer, not Piniella, but I still love the implication that Fukudome will *now* realize that he's expected to hit.

22. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:42 PM (#2898135)

but it's crazy to think Jim Edmonds' offensive numbers are very much comparable to Kosuke's.

Comparable? Edmonds has the best offensive #s on the team. Fukudome has the worst of the starters.

23. RMc is the loyal supporter of the MLB event Posted: August 11, 2008 at 01:44 PM (#2898137)

Where's the "THAT'S RACIST!" kid when you need him?

RMc, king of the strawman.

Retro, king of the humourless knee-jerk.

24. retro-shiite Posted: August 11, 2008 at 02:13 PM (#2898156)

Retro, king of the humourless knee-jerk.

My "humour" detector is designed to go off only when "humour" is present.

Short version: You ain't funny.

25. CW hits the pinata for the candy Posted: August 11, 2008 at 02:57 PM (#2898186)

Comparable? Edmonds has the best offensive #s on the team. Fukudome has the worst of the starters.

Same OPS+ as Ryan Theriot.

26. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:01 PM (#2898190)

With a lower OBP.

27. Moses Taylor lost his pants to a pair of nines Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:02 PM (#2898193)

Good to see snarky NTNGod back after the beatdown in Milwaukee. This race isn't the same without that. :)

---

Fontenot definitely deserves more playing time, if that comes at the expense of Fukudome I'm ok with that. I wonder why Lou hasn't just sat him more and felt the need to go to the media first. He's done a pretty good job of mixing guys in and out without really spelling things out before.

28. CW hits the pinata for the candy Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:17 PM (#2898209)

With a lower OBP.

Which means a higher SLG.

Look, I really don't want to rehash this arguement - OPS+ does weight OBP higher than SLG, just perhaps not as much as one would like.

But fine. Let's go to EQA:

Dome: .268
Theriot: .268

Theriot eats into his positional advantage by not being very good at playing his position.

29. Boots Day Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:18 PM (#2898210)

When was the last time an All-Star game starter lost his job before the end of the season?

30. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:32 PM (#2898228)

It's picking nits I guess, I'd give Theriot an advantage for being a below average SS compared to an above average RF, but I'd rate Kosuke as a better baserunner

31. bunyon Posted: August 11, 2008 at 03:44 PM (#2898243)

Fukudome better watch his wallet.

32. SuperGrover Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:11 PM (#2898272)

I picked Fukudome up about 40 games ago. That corresponds almost exactly with his his slump.

Anyone have any individuals you'd like to curse? Let me know and I'll pick them up and ruin their season/career (look at what I did to Travis Hafner)!

33. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:13 PM (#2898281)

"Anyone have any individuals you'd like to curse?"

Brett Myers, please.

34. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: August 11, 2008 at 04:50 PM (#2898319)

Moses:

Don't know what's snarky about pointing out the obvious.

If you take out the four game series against the Crew (6-16) here is Fukudome's line since the ASB: .186/.294/.237

He had 2 of his 5 doubles and his only triple and homer of the second half in that series. Folks can claim "sample size" or "selective endpoints" but I see a guy who hasn't hit the ball with any authority in about two months.

On June 27th he was hitting .301/.407/.441.

Since that time he has 6 doubles, 1 triple and 2 homers.

9 extra base hits. In six weeks............

35. noiseboy Posted: August 11, 2008 at 05:59 PM (#2898413)

Fukudome HAS looked lost at the plate recently. . .

but what I find amusing is Lou's manipulation of the Chicago media who has a tendency to go from giggly to doom-and-gloom at the drop of a batted ball. . .

his post-game press conferences are setting the table for looking at the current team in real terms. . . (ie - yes, we're winning, but if Dome doesn't get his butt in gear, it'll be a problem in the future. . )

36. Moses Taylor lost his pants to a pair of nines Posted: August 11, 2008 at 07:21 PM (#2898554)

Don't know what's snarky about pointing out the obvious.

I was referring to the intro. And I don't disagree with the assessments of Fukudome here.

37. RMc is the loyal supporter of the MLB event Posted: August 11, 2008 at 08:36 PM (#2898797)

Short version: You ain't funny.

But you are, retro. Or is that just the way yo momma dress you?

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Chicago Tribune: Fukudome put on notice by Piniella: Hit more

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