When Derrek Lee’s long fly ball into the teeth of an east wind landed harmlessly in Hunter Pence’s mitt and the Cubs’ 3-0 loss to Houston was complete Monday afternoon, it was only the second most demoralizing moment in the home half of the ninth inning.

The low point was having Kosuke Fukudome rap into what would have been a game-ending double play had Alfonso Soriano not upended Jose Castillo, the Astros second-baseman.

I found Fukudome’s at-bat depressing because he looked as hopeless through most of that turn against Houston closer Jose Valverde as he has through most every turn at the plate for many, many weeks.

An average in the .260s, a homer total in the high single digits, 50+ RBI—the Cubs have granted significant playing time over the years to outfielders who produced much less offense. And when you factor in Fukudome’s speed and range and generally superb throwing accuracy, the first-year Cub is far from an embarrassment.

It’s just that he is nowhere near the star, at least not yet, that many of us thought he would be.

At different points this season, as the Cubs offense has binged whether or not Fukudome was contributing, I have thought back on one of the best-hitting teams of my lifetime, the Big Red Machine of the mid-‘70s. A mainstay of those teams was the centerfielder, Cesar Geronimo, who was the weak link offensively but an exceptional asset in the field.

Here is a comparison between Geronimo’s career, 162-game averages, his totals in 1975, and Fukudome’s numbers this season:

Geronimo (162-game averages): .258 AVG, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 683 OPS, 93 OPS+
Geronimo (1975): .257 AVG, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 690 OPS, 90 OPS+
Fukudome (2008): .263 AVG, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 748 OPS, 94 OPS+

It looks to me like the comparison is a fair one, and if Fukudome only ever turns out to be Cesar Geronimo, maybe it's not the end of the world.

Particularly if the Cubs follow the path of the '75 and '76 Reds for whom Geronimo played and win a World Series.

With a division lead of 5 games, a record that now stands a dizzying 31 games above .500, a .614 winning percentage that's higher than the season-ending number for any Cub team since 1945, and a 98.89% chance of making the playoffs (according to Baseball Prospectus's Playoff Odds Report), the Cubs are making me feel...do I dare use the word?...hopeful.

On the other hand, consider this thought which crossed my mind as I was watching tonight's rout:

If the Brewers had simply managed a split of their big four-game series with the Cubs several weeks ago in Milwaukee instead of spitting the bit in all four contests, the Cubs' record would be 79-52, the Brewers' record would be just one game worse at 78-53, and everyone in the Cub-loving universe would be even more obsessed with the moment-by-moment reports from MLB.com Gameday than we already are.

No spine-tingling drama coming out of Pittsburgh tonight, however, as Ted Lilly shut down the Pirates while Lee, Edmonds, and Fukudome—two of whom, Edmonds and Fukudome, have been non-contributors this month while Lee has been so-so at best—conspired to bash the Pirates' brains in. The trio went a combined 9-for-13 with four doubles, a triple, 4 runs scored, and 6 RBI. Lilly, meanwhile, is now 13-7, has won 6 of his last 7, and has delivered Quality Starts in 9 of his last 11 outings.

And if you're wondering how the late, great Harry Caray might have reacted to all this, you don't have to wonder—just hear what he has to say following every Cub game the rest of the season at 1908worldchampions.com.

On the WGN pre-game show before Wednesday night's Cubs-Reds broadcast, Ron Santo mentioned that the wind was blowing in off the lake, which is atypical for a late summer game at Wrigley Field but was a repeat of the conditions for Tuesday night's game. Santo's prediction of a low-scoring game proved correct, as the Reds totaled just four hits and the Cubs three, with the visitors ultimately winning 2-1.

Lou Piniella was clearly peeved afterward at the loss and the Cubs' failure to cash in on scoring opportunities like the one they faced in the fourth inning. Then Kosuke Fukudome came up with men at first and third and none out and couldn't even produce a double-play ball that would have plated a run. Instead, he blooped a fly ball to short center that produced nothing more than the first out of the inning, after which Geovany Soto rapped into a rally-killing double play.

It's hard to blame Soto, who has been so productive this year, but impossible not to blame Fukudome, who has been less than feeble for a very long time. Piniella's warning last week that Fukudome had to start hitting or expect to see his playing time curtailed could well get repeated in coming days if the Cub rightfielder's bat doesn't wake up.

Fukudome's OPS by Month:
March/April 915
May 792
June 789
July 688
August 455

Fukudome's batting average, which didn't dip below .300 until May 26th of this season, is now at a season low .266, and his average for the month of August is around .170.

All in all, Wednesday night's game was a turd, especially for Ted Lilly, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and was masterful overall. He deserved better than Fukudome and his mates gave him.

On Sunday, Lou Piniella said Kosuke Fukudome—with 2 HR and an OPS of 602 since July 1st—would have to snap out of his slump if he wanted to hold his place in the Cubs lineup.

On Saturday when the Braves played the Diamondbacks, Bobby Cox's batting order did not include Jeff Francoeur, who has hit just .209 with 6 HR in 90 games since April 25th and has just 1 HR in his last 176 at-bats. Instead Cox started rookie Gregor Blanco, who went o-for-2 with 3 walks.

On Tuesday, Paul Sullivan of the Tribune reported that Piniella was backing away from what he said a little more than 48 hours previously:

In [Tuesday night's scheduled] game...[Piniella] had Fukudome in right field and hitting second in the lineup.

"We want this young man to hit," Piniella said. "We're pulling for him. … I never said I was disappointed. All I said, basically, was we'd like to see him start hitting—and it created a stir. I mean, I've said that about other players.

"He's a good player, a real good player, and to his credit, he has continued to hustle and he has played really well in right field. He's just in a little bit of a slump...He's not working the count the way he was earlier. He just needs to swing at more strikes.

"I really respect him and I really like him as a player. But I get asked every day, and I said, 'Look, if a guy is struggling, whether it's Fukudome or anybody else—if he continues to struggle, you try to find somebody else who's swinging the bat. That's all I said. And if it created a stir, I'm sorry."

Of Francoeur, David O'Brien wrote in Tuesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The erstwhile Braves "Golden Boy" has been mentioned in trade rumors — something inconceivable a year ago when he was on his way to a second consecutive plus-100 RBI season.

He has regressed from 29 homers in his first full season in 2006, to 19 homers last season and nine homers and 49 RBIs through 118 games this season.

Francoeur is struggling to a great degree in two areas where he previously excelled — hitting with runners in scoring position and against left-handers.

After batting .338 with runners in scoring position in 2005, .320 in 2006, and .341 in 2007, Francoeur is worst among Braves regulars with a .186 average with runners in scoring position this season.

According to O'Brien, Blanco will man rightfield in the opener of Wednesday's day/night doubleheader, and Francoeur, who was actually demoted to the Braves' Double-A Mississippi team for a weekend last month, will start in the nightcap.

32
Combined number of runs by which the Cubs won the last four games of their 7-1 homestand (13-1 and 13-6 vs. the Pirates; 7-1 and 8-1 vs. the Mets).

78
Number of years since the Cubs last won four games in a row by at least 6 runs each.

33
Number of years since the Cubs last went 14-6 in the season's first 20 games.

20
Number of games below .500 the '75 Cubs played following their 14-6 start (finishing 75-87, 5th in the NL East, 17 1/2 games behind the Pirates).

9
Number of days until Alfonso Soriano's expected return to the Cub lineup.

6
Number of games Soriano has missed since straining his right calf muscle.

4
Number of hits by Cub leadoff men since Soriano went on DL (4-for-26, .154).

7
Number of consecutive times Kosuke Fukudome has reached base (5 hits and 2 walks).

0
Number of times Fukudome has hit leadoff this season.

9,999
Number of games the Cubs have won since the inception of the franchise. (Only the New York/San Francisco Giants have won more.)

139
Cubs' magic number to clinch NL Central.

It's not a decision on who will make up the five-man starting rotation. (After promising earlier in the week to unveil the rotation today, Lou Piniella said the announcement will now come Monday.)

It's not the official anointing of Kerry Wood as Cubs closer. (Again, stay tuned until Monday.)

It's not an answer to the question of who besides Felix Pie is capable of player center field. (Piniella says he doesn't currently have an answer; is he waiting for Jim Hendry to close a deal over the weekend?)

And the news is not that Piniella has settled confidently on a batting order. (He plans to do more experimenting, starting with Saturday's game against the White Sox, in which Kosuke Fukudome will get a chance to hit second, with Theriot leading off and Soriano, Ramirez, and Lee hitting 3-4-5.)

The big news is that apparently, Fukudome's nickname is "Fooky."

Wanting to move Alfonso Soriano out of the leadoff spot, where he might "feel pressured to run" and thereby risk re-aggravating hamstring and quadriceps injuries that troubled him in 2007, Cubs manager Lou Piniella slotted Ryan Theriot in the leadoff spot, had Soriano hitting second, and moved Kosuke Fukudome down to fifth for Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Theriot was 2-for-4, Soriano was 1-for-3, and Fukudome went 1-for-4 in the Cubs' 3-2 victory. That's a combined 4-for-11 with a walk and a run scored...and a victory. I guess that settles it. It's a good idea. Let's move on.

Seriously, if Alfonso Soriano is miscast as a leadoff man, his long swing and strikeout tendencies would seem to render him at least as much of a miscast in the two-hole.

Here is what Soriano told Carrie Muskat:

"I have to make a small adjustment hitting with somebody on base," Soriano said. "I want to be the same guy. Batting second is more hitting, and not really running so much."

He should get more RBI opportunities.

"I think batting second I can help the club more," he said.

The "experiment" is supposed to be temporary–how temporary would seem to be a function of how productive the new-look Cub lineup is.

---

Jason Marquis had his longest outing this Spring on Thursday, throwing four scoreless innings against the Padres.

According to Paul Sullivan in the Tribune, Marquis picked the right time to blank the Padres, since the HoHoKam Park stands were full of other teams' scouts.

One line of thinking is that Marquis could be of interest to the Red Sox, from whom the Cubs might like to pry Coco Crisp. The Red Sox pitching staff has been thinned by Curt Schilling's latest injury and more recently, Josh Beckett's back problems.

It was Schilling's injury, however, that caused the Sox to sign Bartolo Colon as a free agent. Colon also threw on Thursday, allowing one run in two innings but maybe more importantly, hitting 93 on the speed gun.

Maybe the Red Sox will decide they need double insurance and pursue Marquis also.

I'm glad the New York Times had room to write about Lou Piniella and the Cubs over the weekend, because today they've been really busy with other things.

Murray Chass's Sunday baseball column focused on Piniella's role as hitting guru for Asian imports Ichiro Suzuki and now, Kosuke Fukudome.

If you've had the chance to see Fukudome in any of the Cactus League games, you know that he invariably hits with his foot in the bucket, i.e., striding toward first base with his lead foot instead of stepping toward the pitcher, which we Americans were all taught to do from our first days in Little League.

Speaking of the Japanese players, Lou explains:

“They’re very disciplined hitters,” Piniella said. “They have great work habits, they have a unique style of hitting that isn’t taught in this country. They learned it through batting practice, their instruction and they use film. They have their own way of hitting.

“They stand a little closer to the plate than American hitters. When they stride, they don’t step toward the pitcher but more toward first base or third base, depending on whether they’re left-handed or right-handed. Their top stays stationary so they’re nice and square and their hands are steady when they hit.

“It’s a unique way of hitting, but it’s effective. Ichiro can hit the ball anywhere he wants. He can spray it to left, slap it to center, pull it to right.”

Comparing Ichiro and Fukudome directly, Piniella says...

"(Fukudome) looks more like a prototype American hitter than Ichiro when he first got here. They both hold their hands high, the bats up and down not flat. They stride away from the pitcher, they don’t stride to the pitcher, they stride between first base and second base so they clear their body.”

Piniella actually sees Fukudome as a cross between Ichiro and another countryman, Hideki Matsui of the Yankees. “(Fukudome is) not as fast as Ichiro and doesn’t have as much power as Matsui,” Piniella said.

In seven seasons with the Mariners, Ichiro has compiled 162-game averages of .333 AVG with an OBP/SLG/OPS line of .379/.437/816, averaging 10 HR and 39 stolen bases per season.

Matsui has played five seasons with the Yanks, compiling 162-game averages of .295 AVG with a line of .371/.485/856, 25 HR and 3 SB.

That means a true "cross" between Ichiro and Matsui would put together a .314 average with a .375/.461/836 line; 18 HR and 21 stolen bases.

Last year, Cub rightfielders hit .293 with a .375/.419/794 line and 12 HR.

So if these numbers play out, the Cubs would see an improvement over last year's production from Floyd, Jones, Murton, et al; nothing earthshaking, but an improvement nonetheless. That says nothing, of course, about the huge upside Fukudome is expected to deliver in the field.

And if Lou can provide a little dash of that guru magic...who knows how big a season Fukudome could be in for.

Zero: the number of home runs Daryle Ward hit for the Cubs in 52 plate appearances as a pinch hitter in 2007. (Ward's pinch home run was a key blow in the Cubs' 6-4 win over Seattle on Friday.)

Zero: the amount of interest that the Cubs showed this winter in free agent centerfielder Torii Hunter. (Hunter told buddy Derrek Lee that if the Cubs had asked, he would have been highly interested.)

Zero: how much Jose Ceda enhanced his chances of getting from Class "A" to the big leagues in one big jump by allowing five hits and four BB in just two innings this Spring. (Ceda was one of nine Cubs sent to the Minor League camp on Friday.)

Zero: the number of at-bats Alfonso Soriano has gotten in the last six days. (Soriano is scheduled to return to the Cubs lineup Saturday, just a week after fracturing his right middle finger during a fielding drill.)

Zero: the number of hits Ichiro has in ten AB so far this spring. (That's five fewer hits than Ichiro's countryman, Cubs rookie Kosuke Fukudome, has collected in Cactus League play.)

Zero: the likelihood that I will EVER set foot in U.S. Cellular Field to see the Chicago Cubs play a "home" game. (Note: every time Crane Kenney opens his mouth, bad things come out.)

The Cubs won their second game of the Spring on Monday, nearly coughing up a 6-2 ninth-inning lead against the Mariners, but holding on to win 6-5.

Jon Lieber was tagged for two runs and three hits in two innings of work as he returned to Cub pinstripes. Jeff Samardzija pitcher two scoreless relief innings and was credited with the victory.

At the plate, DH Jake Fox (double and a triple), Ronny Cedeno (3-for-5), and Ryan Theriot (2-for-3) led the way. Kosuke Fukudome went 0-for-2 and is now 1-for-7 in Cactus League play. Lou Piniella is considering letting Fukudome hit second to see if he is "more comfortable there."

Speaking of Fukudome, Chris Jaffe of the Hardball Times offered this note on Monday, which, in case you needed it, serves as a handy reminder of why the Cubs pursued the Japanese star so relentlessly over the winter:

"The 2007 Cubs had an historically large split between their righty and lefty bats. The former posted an impressive sOPS+ of 112, while the latter floundered at a replacement-level mark of 74.

"That 38-point edge in sOPS+ for right handers is the seventh-greatest in the last half century. In two-thirds of the team's at-bats, righties went .283/.345/.453 while their counterparts poked an ineffectual .248/.309/.358. Righties had an OPS similar to Miguel Tejada's 2007 while the southpaws hit as badly as Craig Biggio did in his swan song.

"Could be worse though—the 2005 Cubs had the fifth-biggest gap favoring righties."

– The Chicago Tribune reports that a new investor group has announced its intention to get in on the bidding for the Cubs. Called Robinson-Greenberg and Associates (after Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg), it "would represent the first African-American majority ownership of an MLB franchise."

Principals include: a Lutheran minister named Anthony Williams; real estate investor and catering company owner Marshall Bynum, Jr.; and entrepreneur Harold Davis.

According to the Tribune...

Bynum said the group intends to purchase both the Cubs and Wrigley Field, and is prepared for a price tag of $1 billion dollars or more. Tribune Co. has indicated it prefers to sell the stadium and team separately.

The Trib story also quotes a baseball official who questions whether or not this heretofore unknown investor group could possibly be a serious bidder for the club.

– Alright, it's my fault. I dared to think that the Cubs might go through the Cactus League season and the regular schedule without losing a game, and look what happens.

On Friday afternoon in Mesa, Les Walrond was tagged for an eighth-inning grand slam by the Giants' Eddy Martinez-Esteve, as San Francisco turned a 5-4 deficit into an 8-5 lead, eventually dumping the Cubs 8-6. Carlos Zambrano and Rich Hill gave up a combined one earned run over the first four innings. Kosuke Fukudome collected two more walks and scored two of the Cub runs.

Alfonso Soriano, who sat out the Spring Training opener on Thursday, made his debut Friday and went 0-for-2. Aramis Ramirez was absent from the lineup for the second straight day owing to a "tight right shoulder."

The Cubs (Jason Marquis) will visit the Angels (Jered Weaver) in Tempe on Saturday.

– The Cubs have already sold 2.7 million tickets for the upcoming season. That's a franchise record this far out from Opening Day.

Put another way, it's more tickets than the White Sox, Mariners, Rangers, Blue Jays, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Indians, Twins, Orioles, Reds, Nationals, A's, Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays, or Marlins sold in all of 2007.

– The Wrigley Company is not reacting to Sam Zell's reported desire that they pony up for the naming rights to Wrigley Field and, in the words of the Sun-Times, start to "pay for what the chewing gum company has been getting for free," i.e., the promotional value of having their name on one of the world's most famous sports venues.

The Sun-Times says that Zell would prefer to peddle those rights to Wrigley since that would allow him to put many millions of dollars in the Trib's corporate pocket and spare Cub fans the trauma of having to attend games at Boeing Park or McDonald's Field.

Always thinking about the fans--Sam seems to be really great that way.

Day One of Cactus League 2008 is in the books, Ryan Theriot is hitting 1.000, Kosuke Fukudome has a 1.000 OBP, and who needs Brian Roberts when we have homer-hittin' Mike Fontenot?

The Cubs tatooed the Giants, 12-6, in Scottsdale Thursday on the strength of 15 hits and a five-run third inning. Theriot had three singles and a stolen base batting out of the leadoff spot--Alfonso Soriano had the day off, but is expected to play on Friday when the Cubs meet the Giants in Mesa--while Fukudome, who batted third, was hit by the first Major League pitch he saw from Giants starter Noah Lowry. Fukudome later walked and singled.

Fontenot had a homer and a triple, good for 3 RBI in four at-bats, though he didn't even start the game at second base. New Cub Alex Cintron received that honor, with Mark DeRosa recovering at home following his minor heart procedure. (Can any heart procedure be considered "minor"?)

On the mound, starter Ryan Dempster gave up a first-inning homer to Randy Winn and a single to new Giant Aaron Rowand. But he also struck out two in his two innings of work and I guess on balance, you would have to say this was a positive first step for Dempster in his quest to join the rotation.

Finally, Felix Pie took an early lead in the battle for the Cubs center field job, going 2-for-2 with a double, a homer and three runs scored. Sam Fuld, Pie's competition for the position, went hitless in two AB's.

Brad Lefton of the New York Times profiles the new Cub Kosuke Fukudome and traces his career arc from defensively challenged shortstop to rifle-armed outfielder. Fukudome spent the first three years of his professional career trying to master the infield.

Fukudome, who was interviewed for this article in Japanese, quickly replied with a laugh when he was asked what kind of shortstop he was: “The kind that caused my pitchers great anxiety.”

Unlike many poor-fielding infielders who are escorted to left field, Fukudome was converted to right. His strong arm and speed were seen as more appropriate for the higher demands of the position. But no one could have projected what he was about to accomplish. In his first season in right field, with no prior outfield experience, he won the first gold glove of his career.

“Early on, everyone tried to run on me because I was inexperienced out there,” Fukudome recalled proudly. “But I had 14 assists that year and 13 of them were direct throws to the base. In retrospect, right field was the position best suited to take advantage of the strength of my throwing arm. The gold glove came largely because of my high assists total.”

Fukudome also talks about the way his offensive game improved as soon as he was shifted to the outfield.

“I definitely don’t think it’s a coincidence that my batting improved when I shifted to right field,” Fukudome said. “I was always on edge in the infield because you don’t know when the ball’s going to come shooting at you. I found the outfield much more relaxing. Even when the ball’s hit my way, the spatial difference allows me plenty of time to react. The higher relaxation meant a better rhythm, and I was able to take that into the batter’s box."

According to the story, Fukudome will be in Mesa this Thursday, four days before position players are required to show up in Cubs camp.

Let the 楽しみ begin.

Last week, I first encountered David Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool. In a post today at Baseball Musings, Pinto feeds Tom Tango's "Marcel the Monkey predictions" for the 2008 Cubs into his run-scoring projection machine, and he reports the following results:

It looks like the Cubs get a nice offensive boost in 2008. Not only does (Kosuke) Fukudome help set the table, Geovany Soto may not last long in the number eight spot. That's a great prediction for the catcher, and if he lives up to that, the Cubs pitchers can count on much better run support in this season.

Pinto also reports that when examining the output of all the possible permutations of the Cubs lineup, he found a huge difference between the best case scenario (5.25 runs per game) and the offense produced by the likely Cubs lineup (4.92 rpg; I presume this would be the lineup Lou Piniella offered at the Cubs Convention).

Of the difference, Pinto says:

Mostly it comes from using two projected power hitters at the top (Alfonso Soriano) and bottom (Soto) of the lineup, when they should really be in the middle.

Pretty sound logic, I would say. I'm one of the millions of Cubs fans who believe it's managerial malpractice to plant Soriano and his lifetime .327 on-base percentage atop the Cub batting order, when his big bat could produce so much more thunder farther down in the lineup.

As for Soto, based on his Pacific Coast League numbers last season (.353 AVG/.424 OBP/.652 SLG) and how he performed for the big club after his call-up, I'm looking forward to seeing him as the everyday catcher in '08.

Still, there's a part of me--the serial pessimist part--that wonders if the real Soto isn't the one whose numbers before 2007 were these: .261 AVG/.343 OBP/.370 SLG.

After enduring the Mitchell press conference this afternoon and following the reactions later in the day from Bud Selig and Donald Fehr, I can definitively say that I am choking on my ambivalence.

I'm disgusted by the players who may have flaunted multiple federal laws, the most basic notions of fairness, and the integrity of a game many of them would presumably claim to love.

But I'm just as disgusted by the carnival that Major League Baseball staged today wherein the names of dozens of players were splashed across every form of media in the English-speaking world--the Spanish-speaking world too, I imagine--and effectively identified as law breakers and cheaters without anything even resembling due process.

I'm guessing that many, most, perhaps all of the players named did what the general public now assumes they did. But in a country that purports to believe that you're innocent until judged guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of peers, that really isn't the point.

I hope any player who is so inclined hires legal counsel and drags MLB through the courts system until it hurts. The plight of those players who might in fact be innocent of the implied charges brings to mind the case of former U.S. Secretary of Labor Ray Donovan, who famously said after being acquitted on corruption charges in a New York City courtroom, "Which office do I go to to get my reputation back?"

---

Baseball Prospectus fed Kosuke Fukudome into their PECOTA player performance projection machine and threw the switch.

PECOTA's guess at Fukudome's 2008 numbers:

.289 AVG/.410 OBP/.504 SLG/15 HR/58 RBI/94 SO/70 BB

BP's Chief PECOTA-Keeper, Nate Silver, says those numbers make Fukudome look an awful lot like Boston's J.D. Drew.

More from Silver:

PECOTA holds Fukudome’s playing time projection down because he missed about half of last season due to elbow surgery. If he’s healthy in spring training, that should no longer be a concern. And look at that pretty OBP! Fukudome is unlikely to be a huge power threat, but that on-base ability should address one of the Cubs‘ primary areas of weakness.

The question, of course, is whether they’ll be smart enough to put him in the leadoff spot (Fukudome also runs pretty well) and demote Alfonso Soriano.

For the benefit of those who haven't properly prepared for the arrival of the newest Cub by learning his native tongue, that headline means "Yes!" (Myself, I've been in Berlitz classes for weeks. It's called devotion to the cause, folks.)

With all of the Kosuke Fukudome rumors and partial truths that the media have reported in recent weeks, I am still coming to grips with the fact that this deal is actually done. But reports to that effect have been all over the Chicago media this evening, led apparently by one from David Kaplan of WGN Radio.

Around 10pm, Pat Boyle of Comcast Sportsnight reported that he had spoken to Jim Hendry shortly before going on the air, and Hendry confirmed the Cubs had signed the Japanese star to a four-year deal. Hendry did not confirm a dollar figure; Boyle said Comcast's sources placed the number at somewhere around $14MM per season.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports phoned into the Comcast show and said Fukudome had actually made up his mind to come to the U.S. several days ago, when Rosenthal reported that he had. Rosenthal contends Fukudome and his representatives only denied a decision had been made because Japanese baseball etiquette dictates that a player formally and respectfully inform the team he is leaving of his plans before he starts to entertain new offers.

(Respectful behavior in baseball negotiations--funny stuff, huh? Fukudome really does have a big adjustment in front of him.)

More from Foxy Ken:

• Scouts say the U.S. player whose game most resembles Fukudome's is Raul Ibanez of the Mariners, who, ironically, was rumored to be on Jim Hendry's radar if Fukudome landed elsewhere. (For those not well versed in Ibanez, the 12-year, career American Leaguer is a lifetime .285 hitter. His 162-game average line over those 12 seasons--21 HRs, 91 RBI, .345 OBP, .471 SLG and an OPS+ of 111.)
  

• Fukudome could hit as high as second in the batting order, but could also be a big contributor lower in the lineup.

• Fukudome should be fully recovered by Opening Day from the elbow problems and endoscopic surgery that ended his 2007 season in Japan.

• The Fukudome signing will not help the Cubs pry Brian Roberts loose from the Orioles. The problem is not that Jim Hendry has been unable to focus his attention on striking a deal with Andy MacPhail; it's that Orioles owner Peter Angelos has a management-crush on Roberts, one of his favorite players, and MacPhail will have to do a lot of sweet talking, tap dancing, and maybe a few other things to persuade Angelos that it's in the O's interest to trade Roberts at all.

• Speaking of the trade discussions with the Orioles, don't expect Felix Pie to be part of any deal. The Cubs don't want to trade him and have told Baltimore as much.

Rosenthal's bottom line: Fukudome is going to a difference-maker for the Cubs.

Lastly, I would be remiss and completely out of character if I didn't point out how utterly and profoundly ecstatic I am that Kosuke Fukudome will NOT be wearing the black pinstripes of the Chicago White Sox.

So I'm going to point that out--I'm beside myself with joy.

This is it. The announcement that Kosuke Fukudome will absolutely, positively, for sure-no-kidding be playing in the Major Leagues in 2008; one giant step closer to the BIG announcement, when Fukudome devastates all of Cubdom by signing with someone other than the Cubs.

So, Mr. Fukudome, you need a day or two more to ponder the biggest decision of your career, if not your life. (Frankly, I don't know where you get off keeping so many baseball fans on pins and needles.)

Just so you're aware, Mr. Lifetime .300 Hitter and Potential National League All-Star, the Cubs aren't intimidated by the possibility that you could choose to stay close to home or sign with some other Major League team: our GM, Jim Hendry, will have plenty of other free agent, left-handed-hitting outfielders to choose from.

I'm talking Barry Bonds, Milton Bradley, Darin Erstad, Steve Finley (yes, he's still alive), Luis Gonzalez, Shawn Green, John-Ford Griffin, Geoff Jenkins, Ricky Ledee, Kenny Lofton (he was swell back in '03), Rob Mackowiak, David Newhan, Trot Nixon, Orlando Palmeiro (it's his brother who has the steroid and truth-telling issues), Corey Patterson, Scott Podsednik (that groin injury will heal some day), John Rodriguez, Brandon Watson and DeWayne Wise. Yes, that DeWayne Wise.

By my count, Mr. Fukudome, that's 19 alternatives with previous big league experience, 18 of whom--to the best of my knowledge--are not under federal indictment.

Just wanted you to know where we stand, sir.

We await your answer.

AHNY's Japanese correspondent reports that, according to Tokyo newspapers, at least ten Major League teams are after Kosuke Fukudome. The lowest offer he has received is $33 million for 3 years, far above the $18 million/4-year offer to the veteran outfielder from the lone Japanese team still in pursuit, the Yomiuri Giants.

The Tokyo press lists the Cubs, Rangers, San Francisco and the Padres among the favorites to win the bidding. The Rangers are trying to leverage their recent hire of former Cub Jim Colborn as Far East Scout. Colborn has definite Japanese ties, having coached for the Kobe Blue Wave. Also, his Major League resumé includes coaching stints in Los Angeles, where he tutored Hideo Nomo and Kaz Ishii, and with the Mariners, who imported Ichiro during Colborn's time there.

Japanese media are speculating that in the end, Fukudome's annual salary will be the largest ever for a Japanese player, maybe as much as $13-$15 million.

At espn.com today, Jayson Stark mentions a free agent outfielder who actually played in the Major Leagues last season and might be a fit for the Cubs, though he hasn't garnered much attention lately, from the Chicago press or any other outlets–Andruw Jones:

"...it's amazing how little you hear Andruw Jones' name these days. But two front-office men we spoke with said they've figured out the perfect dark-horse destination for him–the Royals.

"'Think about it,' said one of them. 'The GM [former Braves executive Dayton Moore] has ties to him. They have money to spend. They want to make a splash. And they desperately need a center fielder. The fit there is better than you'd think.'"

I posted some thoughts on the Kerry Wood signing at The Cub Reporter today. If it's too cold outside for you to make the trip over there, I'll summarize here:

I think the Cubs coddled Wood about as effectively as they could have last season, limiting his innings and his exposure to high-pressure situations. But between his injury history and a complete lack of evidence that he can bear the workload of a true closer, I think it's pretty dopey to be thinking of him as our ninth-inning guy.

What the Cubs did Monday was sign a driven, injury-prone player to an incentive-rich contract, and that's a combination to keep your eyes on.

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In pursuit of news, any news, about the Japanese nationals like Hiroki Kuroda and Kosuke Fukudome who are supposedly on the Cubs' radar, I have made japanball.com, the Japan Times, and Daily Yomiuri Online regular stops on my daily Web jaunts.

Finally, tonight, I turned up some news, that the Hanshin Tigers have decided to drop out of the Fukudome Derby, leaving "the Yomiuri Giants and major league clubs as the remaining bidders for the 2006 Central League MVP."

Not an earthshaking development...but something.

I now feel validated for having bookmarked the Japan Times, though even before tonight, I'd learned more about sumo wrestling than I realized there was to know.