Kosuke Fukudome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kosuke Fukudome福留 孝介 |
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Fukudome with the Hanshin Tigers in 2013
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| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: April 26, 1977 Osaki, Soo District, Kagoshima, Japan |
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB
MLB
WBC
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Medals
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Kosuke Fukudome (福留 孝介, Fukudome Kōsuke, [ɸɯ̥kɯdome koːsɯ̥ke], born April 26, 1977) is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and had a long career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He was known for playing with the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers in Japan, and the Chicago Cubs in the MLB.
Before joining MLB, Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons. He was also a key player for the Japan national baseball team. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic twice, in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, he was named the Central League's MVP.
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Early Baseball Days
Kosuke Fukudome went to PL Gakuen High School. Professional baseball teams quickly noticed his talent. Seven teams wanted to draft him in 1995. The Kintetsu Buffaloes won the chance to sign him.
However, Fukudome wanted to play only for the Chunichi Dragons or Yomiuri Giants. So, he decided not to turn pro right away. Instead, he joined Nihon Seimei, a company baseball team.
In 1996, when he was just 19, he made history. He became the youngest player ever chosen for Japan's Olympic baseball team. His team won a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
Professional Career in Japan
Playing for the Chunichi Dragons
The Chunichi Dragons drafted Fukudome in 1998 as a shortstop. He had always been a fan of Dragons player Kazuyoshi Tatsunami. It was exciting for him to become teammates with his idol.
In his first year, manager Senichi Hoshino played Fukudome in 132 games. Fukudome hit well, with a .284 batting average and 16 home runs. He helped his team win the league championship. However, he also had many strikeouts.
Fukudome was fast and had a strong arm, but he struggled with fielding ground balls at shortstop. He made several errors that cost his team in the Japan Series. Because of this, he was often taken out of games late.
The next year, he moved to third base, but his fielding did not get much better. Then, he was moved to the outfield. He improved a lot and became the team's regular right fielder. His speed and strong arm helped him win five Golden Glove awards in the outfield.
His hitting also got much better. In 2002, he led the league in batting average with .343. This stopped another great player, Hideki Matsui, from winning the Triple Crown. The next year, he hit .313 with 34 homers. He became one of the best hitters in the league.
In 2004, he joined 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.
In 2006, he had an amazing season. He batted .351 with 31 home runs and 104 RBIs. He won the Central League MVP award.
After the 2006 season, Fukudome said he was interested in playing in the Major Leagues. He became a free agent in November 2007.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Joining the Chicago Cubs
On December 11, 2007, the Chicago Cubs signed Fukudome to a four-year contract. Fukudome said he chose the Cubs because he wanted to be the first Japanese player on the team. He also liked that Chicago had a good Japanese community.
Fukudome played his first MLB game on March 31, 2008. It was against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. 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 in April 2008, Fukudome's hitting slowly dropped off. Even so, fans voted him to start in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game on July 7, 2008. Cubs manager Lou Piniella supported him, saying Fukudome was a great player in right field.
However, Fukudome struggled in the postseason. He only got one hit in ten tries.
In 2009, the Cubs moved Fukudome to center field. He also became the team's leadoff hitter in July. He had a good on-base percentage, getting on base often. During his time in Chicago, Fukudome became a favorite among Cubs fans.
Time with 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 during his time there.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
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Fukudome signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 14, 2012. He played 24 games for them. On June 22, he was released by the team.
Short Stint with the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees signed Fukudome to a minor league contract on July 13, 2012. He played 43 games for their AAA team. He was released by the Yankees on September 3, 2012.
Return to Japan
Playing for the Hanshin Tigers
After the 2012 MLB season, Fukudome went back to play in Japan. He signed with the Hanshin Tigers. In 2015, at 38 years old, he had a great comeback 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 fifth Mitsui Golden Glove Award. It had been nine years since his last Golden Glove, which was a record in the Central League. He continued to play for the Tigers in 2016.
On July 30, 2016, Fukudome made history again. He became only the fourth player in NPB history to hit for the cycle multiple times. This helped the Tigers win against his old team, the Chunichi Dragons. He became a free agent on December 2, 2020.
Final Years with the Chunichi Dragons
On December 18, 2020, Fukudome signed a contract to return to the Chunichi Dragons. He retired on September 23, 2022, after a 24-year career. Fukudome was the last active NPB player who had played in the 20th century.
World Baseball Classic Success
Fukudome was a key player for the Japanese teams that won the World Baseball Classic in both 2006 and 2009. These wins showed his importance on the international stage.
Images for kids
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Fukudome with the Hanshin Tigers in 2013
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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
