Kosuke Fukudome facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kosuke Fukudome 福留 孝介
Fukudome with the Hanshin Tigers in 2013
Outfielder
Born: (1977-04-26) April 26, 1977 (age 48) Osaki, Soo District, Kagoshima, Japan
Batted: Left Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 2, 1999, for the Chunichi Dragons
MLB: March 31, 2008, for the Chicago Cubs
Last appearance
NPB: September 23, 2022, for the Chunichi Dragons
MLB: June 3, 2012, for the Chicago White Sox
NPB statistics
Batting average	.287
Hits	1,951
Home runs	285
Runs batted in	1,075
Stolen bases	76
MLB statistics
Batting average	.258
Home runs	42
Runs batted in	195
Stolen bases	29
Teams
Chunichi Dragons (1999–2007) Chicago Cubs (2008–2011) Cleveland Indians (2011) Chicago White Sox (2012) Hanshin Tigers (2013–2020) Chunichi Dragons (2021–2022)
Career highlights and awards
NPB Central League MVP (2006) 2× Central League Batting Champion (2002, 2006) 4× Best Nine Award (2002–2003, 2006, 2015) 4× NPB All-Star (1999, 2002–2004) 5× Golden Glove (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2015) 2× Hit for the cycle (June 8, 2003), (July 30, 2016) MLB All-Star (2008) WBC 2× World Baseball Classic champion (2006, 2009)
Medals Men's baseball Representing JPN World Baseball Classic Gold 2006 San Diego Team Gold 2009 Los Angeles Team Olympic Games Silver 1996 Atlanta Team Bronze 2004 Athens Team

Kosuke Fukudome (born April 26, 1977) is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder known for his strong hitting and fielding skills. Fukudome played for many years in Japan's top league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), with the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States from 2008 to 2012, mostly with the Chicago Cubs.

Before joining MLB, Fukudome was a star in Japan. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with the Japanese national team. He also helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic twice, in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Japan's Central League.

Early Baseball Career

Fukudome went to PL Gakuen High School, where he quickly became a top player. Many professional teams wanted to draft him. In 1995, seven teams picked him in the first round of the draft. However, Fukudome wanted to play only for the Chunichi Dragons or Yomiuri Giants. So, he decided to play for a company baseball team called Nihon Seimei instead.

In 1996, when he was just 19, Fukudome made history. He became the youngest player ever chosen for Japan's Olympic baseball team. His team did very well at the Atlanta Olympics, winning a silver medal.

Professional Baseball Journey

Playing for the Chunichi Dragons

The Chunichi Dragons drafted Fukudome in 1998 as a shortstop. He was a big fan of Dragons player Kazuyoshi Tatsunami, who later became his teammate. In his first year, Fukudome played in 132 games. He hit for a .284 average and hit 16 home runs. He helped his team win the league championship. However, he struggled with fielding ground balls at shortstop. He made some mistakes that cost his team in the Japan Series.

In his second year, he moved to third base, but his fielding still needed work. The next year, he became an outfielder. He worked hard and got much better, becoming the team's regular right fielder. Because he was fast and had a strong throwing arm, he won five Golden Glove awards as an outfielder.

His hitting also got much better. In 2002, he led the league with a .343 batting average. The next year, he hit .313 with 34 home runs. This showed everyone he was one of the best hitters in the league.

In 2004, he played for the Japanese Olympic baseball team again. They won a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics. He also played in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He hit a two-run home run in the semi-finals against Korea. In the finals, he hit a two-run hit against Cuba, helping Japan win the championship.

In 2006, he had an amazing season. He hit .351 with 31 home runs and 104 RBIs. He won the Central League MVP award for being the best player. After this great year, Fukudome said he was interested in playing in the Major Leagues in the United States. In November 2007, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

Time with the Chicago Cubs

On December 11, 2007, Kosuke Fukudome signed a four-year contract worth $48 million with the Chicago Cubs. He chose the Cubs because he wanted to be the first Japanese player on their team. He also liked that Chicago had a large Japanese community.

Fukudome played his first Major League game on March 31, 2008. He had a great start, getting three hits and a walk. He even hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning to tie the game!

After a strong start, Fukudome's hitting slowed down during his first year. He was still chosen as a starter for the 2008 MLB All-Star Game in July. His manager, Lou Piniella, said Fukudome was a great player in right field. However, by the end of the season, his hitting struggles continued.

In 2009, the Cubs moved Fukudome to center field. He became the team's leadoff hitter in July. He walked 93 times and had 38 doubles. Fans in Chicago really liked Fukudome, and his jersey was very popular.

Playing for the Cleveland Indians

On July 28, 2011, Fukudome was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He played 59 games for them, hitting .249. He mostly played in center field and right field for the team.

Short Time with the Chicago White Sox

Fukudome signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 14, 2012. He played 24 games for them, but his hitting was not as strong. He was released by the team in June 2012.

With the New York Yankees (Minor League)

The New York Yankees signed Fukudome to a minor league contract on July 13, 2012. He played 43 games for their AAA team in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .264. He was released by the Yankees in September 2012.

Return to Japan with the Hanshin Tigers

After his time in MLB, Fukudome went back to Japan and signed with the Hanshin Tigers in 2013. In 2015, at 38 years old, he had a fantastic season. He played almost every game and hit .281 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs. These were his best numbers since 2006.

At the end of 2015, Fukudome won his fourth Best Nine Award and his fifth Mitsui Golden Glove Award. It had been nine years since his last Golden Glove, which was a record in the Central League! In 2016, he became the fourth player in NPB history to get two cycle hits. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run all in one game. He helped the Tigers win against his old team, the Chunichi Dragons. He became a free agent in December 2020.

Second Time with the Dragons

On December 18, 2020, Fukudome signed a contract to return to the Chunichi Dragons. He played for them until September 23, 2022, when he retired after a 24-year career. Fukudome was the last active NPB player who had played in the 20th century.

World Baseball Classic Success

Kosuke Fukudome was a key player for the Japanese national baseball team. He helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic championship twice. They won in 2006 and again in 2009, showing they were the best baseball team in the world.

Images for kids

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  Fukudome with the Cubs

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  Fukudome at bat with the Chicago Cubs

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  Fukudome with the Cubs in 2008

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  Fukudome with the Chicago White Sox