Fukudome makes quite a hit on first day with Cubs

MESA, Ariz. -- A hush came over Cubs camp Friday as Kosuke Fukudome stepped into the covered batting cage and began to take his hacks.

Thwakkkk.

Thwakkkk.

Thwakkkk.

"What do you think, Coach?" manager Lou Piniella asked Hall of Famer Billy Williams.

"Good," Williams replied. "Quick. Good balance. Quick hands."

On a chilly, damp day at Fitch Park, Fukudome brightened things up considerably by making a grand entrance with his new team.

The Japanese media began staking out the front door before it was fully light outside.

Shortly after 8 a.m., their man arrived.

Fukudome passed through the media ranks and headed for the Cubs clubhouse, where teammate Carlos Zambrano had a surprise for him. Zambrano, the ace of the pitching staff, was wearing Fukudome's No. 1 jersey and had a No. 11 jersey hanging in Fukudome's locker.

Zambrano then took off the jersey and handed it to Fukudome as a way of welcoming the Cubs' new right fielder.

Not since the days of Sammy Sosa's annual late arrivals to spring training has there been this much excitement around these parts about somebody simply showing up. Fukudome, whom the Cubs signed to a four-year contract in December, reported early and proclaimed himself ready for work.

Fukudome didn't seem to share the excitement of the American media or that of the 30 or so reporters and camera people from Japan.

"Not quite yet," he said through interpreter Ryuji Araki.

Fukudome also seemed to take in stride the mild hazing he underwent at the hands of Zambrano.

"I was surprised there was one extra 1 (on the jersey)," he said.

To hear Zambrano tell it, the little practical joke was his way of making his new teammate feel welcome.

"That's a welcome," Zambrano said. "He's a good guy. Just let him know that we are his family, and he can spend a good time this season with us, and he can help us and feel comfortable here with the Cubs."

Fukudome spent more than 20 minutes in the morning answering questions from American and Japanese reporters. He adopted a modest tone.

"I'm not quite sure yet if I can help this team in any way, but I wish I can bring the good luck to the Chicago Cubs from Japan," he said.

Although he speaks little English, Fukudome said he has bought a book to study American baseball terms. As far as getting the terminology right on what to call him, he left it open-ended, even throwing in an American idiom through the interpreter.

"There has been some article about the difficult pronunciation of my last name, 'Fukudome,' " he said. "So I'm comfortable with any nickname anybody comes up with or 'Kosuke,' or whatever floats the boat will be fine for me."

It was then onto the field, where every step of Fukudome's running drills was chronicled by the Japanese media.

But what everybody wanted to see was Fukudome take his hacks, even if the wet grounds forced him under a roof. A .305 lifetime hitter with a .397 on-base percentage for the Chunichi Dragons, Fukudome didn't disappoint, as the left-handed hitter made good contact from the get-go.

"He's pretty good," said Daryle Ward, the Cubs' left-handed pinch-hitting specialist. "He stays on top of the ball well. That's one thing that my dad (former big-leaguer Gary Ward), as a professional hitter, always talks about what good hitters do. They always stay on top of the ball."

Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry watched in silence.

"He didn't say anything to him, so, obviously, he's doing it right," Ward said. "He's got a little more pop, too, than you would think for his size. He's got a quick bat, so it's going to be nice. I think he's going to have a little flair to his game. I can kind of see it. When he gets going and he gets hot, you can tell that he kind of puts on a show, so it's going to be fun to watch."

When the day was done, Fukudome's manager came away impressed, too.

"Fukudome's got a nice, quick, short swing," Piniella said. "He uses his hands really well. He's got really good balance at home plate. He's very impressive. The ball jumped off his bat. You can see why he's been such a good hitter."

An early theme of camp has been the Cubs' 100-year anniversary of their last World Series. Maybe it'll be a good thing for the Cubs that Fukudome expressed little interest in or knowledge of jinxes and curses.

"I don't know of anything like that in Japan," he said, "and even if there is, I don't believe in them."