Chicago Cubs Introduce Finley. er... Make that Fukudome

If I were a Cubs fan (which, by the way - they are one of the few teams outside my hometown that I do root for...), I'd be a little concerned. 

Jim Hendry, Cubs GM, recently introduced their big outfield acquisition of the offseason - the supposed gap-hitting-machine of Kosuke Fukodome.  Fukodome's career stats in Japan are impressive - .305 batting average, .397 on base percentage and a .593 slugging percentage - thus, the Cubbies sent him $48 million U.S. dollars (yeah, that's 5,420,469,100 yen...cha-ching!) to do his thing in right field for them for the next four years.

I've always been a little curious how things will turn out when hitters are brought to the MLB from Japan.  Ichiro has obviously worked out nicely, and I suppose you can say the same for Hideki Matsui, although he hasn't produced like the "Godzilla" he was in Japan.  But anytime I think of the difference between the talent level in Japan and the MLB, I think of Tuffy Rhodes.  

For those of you unfamiliar with Tuffy - he played six seasons in the major leagues with Houston, the Cubs, and Boston.  His best year was with the Cubs in 1994 when he hit 8 home runs, batting .234 in 95 games.  Yeah, Tuffy sucked here.  I say "here" because Tuffy took his game to Japan where he went on to hit 333 HR's over 9 seasons there.  Tuffy became Babe Ruth in Osaka.  Bad here, God-like there.

However, I like this Fukudome kid - a lot.  I had really hoped that my Mariners would have brought him in to play right field for them, but no such luck.  In fact, Fukudome is so good that assistant GM, Randy Bush, compared his play to none other than Steve Finley.

screech.

Steve Finley?  I mean, no disrespect to Finley - but at least lie to us, Randy - say that he reminds you of Ichiro with more power or that he has the grace of Andruw Jones in the OF and reminds you of Derrick Lee with the bat.  But Steve Finley?  Career .271 hitter with a .775 OPS?  Wow.  You obviously never worked in advertising, did you Randy?