Cubs continue to win, but Piniella might replace Japanese outfielder

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BY GEORGE CASTLE
Times Correspondent | Monday, August 11, 2008 | (7 comment(s))

CHICAGO | Lou Piniella officially took the bloom off the Kosuke Fukudome rose a few hours before the Cubs' 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday night that featured Ryan Dempster's team-leading 13th win.

The Japanese import Fukudome had little to do with the Cubs taking the big weekend series two games to one to knock the St. Louis Cardinals seven games back in the National League Central while keeping the Milwaukee Brewers four games behind.

Lack of anything in the box score may be Fukudome's biggest trouble these days. After impressing with his patience and plate discipline in the first two months of the season, he has done little offensively, and has looked terrible striking out, spinning around almost 180 degrees with his bat stiffly extended.

Against the Cardinals, Fukudome -- batting second -- was 0-for-4, including a double-play grounder in the first. He apparently has hit a wall in his first American pro season, going 30-for-138 in his past 39 games. Fukudome went 3-for-28 on the recently concluded nine-game home stand as his average dropped to .269 to go along with just eight homers and 42 RBIs.

"We need him to start hitting," Piniella said. "Otherwise, we'll look for other options."

Those options, Piniella said, might include second baseman Mike Fontenot (.291, eight homers, 30 RBIs), who "needs to play," Piniella said. If Fontenot starts, Mike DeRosa simply would switch to right field -- Fukudome's position.

Piniella said another player deserving of more time is outfielder Reed Johnson (.300, six homers, 41 RBIs), who loses a lot of at-bats when Jim Edmonds starts in center field against right-handed pitchers.

Piniella has praised Fukudome -- voted in as an All-Star starting outfielder -- as the NL's best defensive right fielder. He made a nice diving catch in the ninth inning Sunday, prompting loud chants of "Fukudome."

"He does such a good job in right field that we hate to take him out of the lineup because of that," Piniella said.

But the Cubs will need more hitting as they embark on a six-game road trip.

Their offensive production is noticeably lower on the road, where they are still just 26-30 despite their recent four-game sweep of the Brewers in Milwaukee.

The Cubs are virtually unbeatable at home (45-17) after they took a 5-4 season edge over the arch-rival Cardinals. Dempster, 13-5 overall but 11-2 at Wrigley Field in 15 starts, allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. Valparaiso 's Jeff Samardzija (1/3 of an inning, a hit and a strikeout in the seventh), Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol nailed down the win in relief.

Dempster, Edmonds and first baseman Derrek Lee contributed fine defensive plays, and Ronny Cedeno's two-run double was the key hit in a five-run sixth inning.

Cubs 6, Cardinals 2
Turning point: The Cubs' five-run sixth inning put the game out of reach.
Up next: Cubs (Rich Harden 1-1) at Braves (Charlie Morton 3-5), 6 p.m. Tuesday.
TV/Radio: WGN (Ch.9)/WGN-AM (720).

Cubs look ahead
Cubs at Braves, 6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Cubs at Marlins, 6:10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 12:10 p.m. Sunday.
No soft touches await the Cubs on their upcoming road trip. The Atlanta Braves have been reeling out of contention, but that's when teams seem most dangerous to the Cubs -- using players, particularly starting pitchers, they have never seen.
The Cubs also will need a productive lineup during the weekend against the Florida Marlins, a team that won 10 in a row against the Cubs before splitting a series in Chicago in late July. The Marlins are second in the NL in homers with 159.
Remembering this team's troubles against the Marlins, Cubs manager Lou Piniella will talk to his players about keeping their focus before that series.
-- By George Castle

The White Sox hit three home runs in nail-biter win against the Boston Red Sox. B3

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hey paul wrote on Aug 13, 2008 7:51 AM:

" Tired already? Maybe he doesn't belong here then if he is tired in august its not like he is a pitcher or anything. Just so you know ichiro was rookie of the year and has always hit a ton and didn't have to adjust so nice try you can't compare fukudome to ichiro. Mabye I will stop laughing when he stops twirling around like a balerina at the plate. There is a time and place for that its called a stage, like broadway or something no on a baseball field. I'll laugh even harder when my brewers take over the NL. "

paul h wrote on Aug 11, 2008 11:57 PM:

" He seems tired. Add that to pitchers figuring him out and there's a problem. The great hitters know how to make adjustments, Ichiro is one of the many. Matsui?, both of them hit a wall too. Will he figure it out? In the meantime, ypu, Fontenot at second, DeRosa in right. The, a bit of Reed in right. Lou knows he needs to rest the regulars. It's a nice problems to have when you've got a good bench like the Cubs do. And the goof who's laughing, zip up and you'll stop. "

JOHNNY wrote on Aug 11, 2008 2:11 PM:

" AS BEING A FAN OF THE CUBS,AND PUTTING IT AS HARRY WOULD SAY,"GIVE THE KID A CHANCE,HE"LL COME ARUOND." "

laughing wrote on Aug 11, 2008 10:39 AM:

" I wish i could find all the people that were crowning him mvp and rookie of the year 3 weeks in the season so i can laugh in there face. I can't help but laugh everytime somebody throws him a low inside pitch and he waves at it. Maybe its the cubs uniform he is wearing. "

Cubs Fan wrote on Aug 11, 2008 9:14 AM:

" Get rid of him, he isn't doing anything offensively. We need some more people to help produce runs! "

Waahhh wrote on Aug 11, 2008 9:00 AM:

" Just another over-rated cub that fans idolize. I'm sure cub fans will be crying like usual! "

Baseball wrote on Aug 11, 2008 3:33 AM:

" I agree with Lou Piniella, Fukudome has
been in a hitting slump lately. In the out field he's been great, but he needs to contribute in hitting too. "

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