| Tue, 25 Dec 2007 |
Japanese Super Star, Kosuke Fukudome, joins Chicago Cubs. |
Kosuke has dreamed of becoming a Major League player since he entered an elite baseball school in Osaka at 16 years of age, a point in time when he also obtained his first SSK baseball equipment, including a glove, an aluminum bat and cleats. Now his dream has come true. The Chicago Cubs signed the superstar outfielder that has played for the Chunichi Dragons-Nagoya team for the past nine years and became a free agent after this season. His career batting record is .305 with a .397 on-base percentage. He is a two-time league batting champion in the Central League and a 4-time Gold Glover. Kosuke was honored as the Central League MVP in 2006.
After Fukudome graduated from a high school, he played for an industrial team before the Chunichi Dragons drafted him as their #1 pick. Kousuke participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as the youngest player on the Japan National Team and also was a member of the 2004 Athens Olympics. He played for the World Champion team (led by manager, Sadaharu Oh) at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. He was in the Japan Baseball Series Championship this past year. The 30 year-old, left-handed batter has earned his reputation as one of Japan’s top players.
Fukudome has been using SSK baseball equipment for 15 years. We are very pleased that he has achieved so many defensive and offensive awards performing with SSK products. SSK is now proud and thrilled that Kousuke will play for one of the most storied big league teams for many years to come. We wish him well in seeking to help bring a World Series Championship to the Chicago Cubs, thus ending a 100-year drought since the team’s last championship in 1908.
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