Most Disappointing First Chicago Season: Fukudome vs. Huet

On Dec. 11, 2007, heralded Japanese star Kosuke Fukudome was a prized signing for the Chicago Cubs, inking a four-year, $48 million deal to be the Cubs' right fielder.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of opening day, he hit a game-tying, three-run home run in the rain against the Milwaukee Brewers to take Fukudome-mania to a level not seen at Wrigley since the great Sosa-McGwire season of 1998.

But then came the months of June, July, August, and September. In those months, Fukudome would bat .264, .236, .193, and .178; his batting average after the All Star Break was .062 lower than before. He lost confidence, and playing time.

The man who was worshipped on that 40-degree, rainy April afternoon was booed off the field in August. The Cubs now have him slotted in a platoon with Reed Johnson in center field to start 2009.

Fukudome's achilles' heel was breaking pitches low and outside; with his cartoonish spinning in the batter's box, he has struggled to keep his hips closed on anything off speed and outside.

On July 1, 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks signed the top, free-agent goaltender on the market, Cristobal Huet, to a four-year, $22.4 million contract.

Huet, unlike Fukudome, did not distinguish himself out of the gate. In fact, while Nikolai Khabibulin wasn't even in the arena for much of the preseason with the Hawks trying to sell his contract to Russia, Huet struggled enough that it became a reality that the Hawks needed the veteran to split time with Huet.

After combining between Montreal and Washington to put together a record of 32-14-6, Huet has not had as much success in Chicago. He is just 19-14-4 entering play Tuesday evening (which Chicago is losing in the third 3-0).

In fact, his play has been so sporadic that Huet's only consistent stretch of starts was while Khabibulin was injured in February; Huet has only started two games after March 13.

Huet's achilles' heel has been soft rebounds right back in front of the net.

So who's been the bigger disappointment in their first Chicago season?

It has been two different scenarios for these two wastes of money.

Fukudome was blessed by the Cubs adding Jim Edmonds to their outfield last year, as Edmonds became the left-handed bat the Cubs so desired when importing the right fielder.

Huet, on the other hand, has been blessed by a resurgent season from Khabibulin, allowing him to fade into the background for the Hawks.

Neither player has done enough to deserve a second season at their given salaries, but both are tied to their respective franchises because of the economy forcing teams to avoid overpaid pieces of garbage.

As the 2009 baseball season is upon us, all we can do is hope that Fukudome's second try at Wrigley starts (and stays) better than Huet's first is ending.