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July 17, 2007

Nippon Prospectus

Kosuke Fukudome

by Mike Plugh

Perhaps the most anticipated free agent of the 2007 class is Chunichi Dragons outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (Koh-skay * foo-koo-DOH-may). What’s his background? What kind of player is he? What has he accomplished in his Japanese career?

My enduring image of Kosuke Fukudome comes from a pivotal moment in the inaugural World Baseball Classic--a moment perhaps more responsible for Japan’s championship than any other in the course of the tournament. Having lost to rival Korea by one run in each of its two previous encounters in the tournament, Japan found itself in another low-scoring pitcher’s duel. Koji Uehara and Jae Seo had put zeroes on the board late into the contest, when Japan managed to put a runner on to lead off the 7^th against reliever Byung Doo Jun. Byung-Hyun Kim was brought into the game to face Fukudome, who was pinch-hitting. The Chunichi center fielder had struggled in the WBC, and was on the bench for this semi-final contest with Korea. Showing a flair for the big moment, and adding to the embarrassing career lowlight reel of Kim, Fukudome launched a two-run homer into the right field stands to break the scoreless tie and open the floodgates for Japan; they would score a total of five runs in that inning, and go on to win the game 6-0.

In the championship game against Cuba, Fukudome once again found himself on the bench to start the game, and once again provided an important hit in the late innings to seal a victory. With a 6-5 lead entering the ninth inning, Japan managed to mount an attack featuring an RBI single by Ichiro Suzuki, and then punctuated by a bases-loaded, pinch-hit single by Fukudome that scored two, putting the game out of reach. Although he didn’t start either the semi-finals or the championship contest in San Diego, Fukudome managed to shake off his early tournament struggles to go 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI, helping Japan to the title.

Many Major League fans got their first glimpse of Daisuke Matsuzaka via the WBC, and we may end up going back to examine that tournament again more closely, especially as some of the stars find their way to the USA to play in the major leagues. However, Kosuke Fukudome is at the forefront of the next wave of players from that group to potentially join a Major League club in 2008, along with fellow Japanese standout Koji Uehara. Where did it begin for Fukudome, and what is he about?

Fukudome was born in 1977 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As a high school student, Fukudome chose to attend Osaka’s famed PL Gakuen High School, recently named as Japan’s most successful high school program. It is the school that produced, among others, Kazuo Matsui, current Pirates reliever Masumi Kuwata, and Japanese legends Hideji Kato and Kazuhiro Kiyohara. At PL Gakuen, the young Fukudome was a flashy shortstop with a quick bat and decent range. Despite hiss power displays at Koshien (the Japanese high school baseball tournament), PL Gakuen was unable to capture a title during his time there. He graduated without a Koshien crown.