Kosuke Fukudome has returned to Japan after five seasons in America, with Sponichi News reporting that he’s agreed to a three-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers.
Fukudome was largely viewed as a huge bust after leaving Japan in 2008 to sign a four-year, $48 million deal with the Cubs, but while he certainly wasn’t worth that investment he did prove to be a solid (if incredibly streaky) player with a .360 on-base percentage in 596 games.
He spent most of last season in the minors at age 35, so Fukudome was unlikely to get more than a minor-league deal if he remained in America.
-
- paperlions - Jan 9, 2013 at 4:35 PM
-
Well, that’s it then. He’s never getting into the HOF.
-
- tfbuckfutter - Jan 9, 2013 at 4:38 PM
-
Yeah but if Yu Darvish gets a museum Kosuke may get a stadium named after him.
Which actually works out really really well.
-
- cambodianbreastmilk - Jan 9, 2013 at 4:36 PM
-
So glad the Padres didn’t sign this guy when he first came over, Towers was the GM, and they were rumored to be locking him up.
-
- Minoring In Baseball - Jan 10, 2013 at 4:39 AM
-
Maybe Hanshin will build a new stadium now. Call it the Fuku Dome.
http://minoringinbaseball.com/
