Japanese free agent Kosuke Fukudome has finally made up his mind. He's decided against playing for the Yomiuri Giants and will instead sign with a big league team in the United States.
Fukudome -- pronounced "foo-koo-DOH-may" -- claimed the Giants would be the only Japanese team he would consider heading to next season, but is now more interested in joining the likes of the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, or the Chicago Cubs, who seem to be the front-runners in the sweepstakes.
The 30-year-old outfielder, who underwent surgery on his right elbow in August, is considered one of the best ballplayers in Japan, as he was a key ingredient to Team Japan's trip to the Inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.
Fukudome has 192 career homers with a .305 batting average over nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons, who won their first championship in 53 years this past November.
[Chicago Sun-Times]
5 comments:
Worth noting that he didn't actually play in the team that won (due to that injury)...
Still, a great player - one of my favourites (wrote an article on him at CSW a bit back)... For my part I do hope he ends up a Cubbie.
I hope the Padres get serious with him. They blew re-signing Milton Bradley, they've decided against going after Mike Cameron (a decision which I totally agree with) and all they have now is a single aging outfielder - Brian Giles. I think the San Diego fans would love to have Fukedome in town.
This is going to lead to so many sportcaster features on "TV Blunders 19".
Foo-koo-DOH-May... hmm...
Then again it may lead to the biggest selling shirt in any sport. Eva!
SANCHEZ!!! Dude, where have you been? We missed ya!
Ha! Hello sexy!
I've been busy coaching High School Football. Badly.
But it's all good!
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