Chicago Cubs Closer Look: Kosuke Fukudome

Yes, his name is probably the most easy in the MLB to poke fun at on a few different levels (I recently read that his name in Greek means man who loves bald heads...Perhaps there was a reason for Zambrano shaving his head), but Kosuke Fukudome's presence in this year's 2008 Cubs line up may not seem like much unless you look more into it.

Fukudome is one of the most patient hitters in the MLB. Earlier this month, he was seeing more pitches per plate appearance than any other batter in the league. He is currently sixth in the NL in BB, his OBP is right above .400.

A patient hitter is exactly what the 2008 Cubs needed, because in 2007 they were a very free-swinging team. Last year, they finished ninth in the NL in OBP; this year they're currently leading the NL in that category.

A huge reason for this is that batters who used to swing at pretty much any pitch have learned from their Japanese teammate that staying back and getting ahead in the count will usually produce a higher quality at bat.

Fukudome has only seen his average slip below .300 a few times. He's coming off a tough road trip where he fell into his only true "slump" of the season, and he still was able to contribute by doing what he does best: getting on base.

The only thing that Fukudome could improve upon is his power. So far he has only hit two long balls, both coming at Wrigley Field where he has easily become a fan favorite.

While everyone is contributing up and down the '08 Cubs line up, it's been Fukudome who has been the most consistent, and has inspired his other teammates to take a similar approach (Ted Lilly has taken it a bit far, he's started to hold the bat a lot like Fukudome, and his batting stance was weird enough to begin with) and help bring up their OBP.

Continue to expect nothing but great things from yet another great Japanese import.