MESA, Ariz. — If anyone understands what awaits Japanese star Seiya Suzuki at Wrigley Field, it’s his countryman Kosuke Fukudome.
Fourteen years after Fukudome became the first Japanese player to play for the Chicago Cubs, the 44-year-old’s career continues where it started, in Nippon Professional Baseball, now playing for the Chunichi Dragons.
For five seasons — 3 1/2 with the Cubs — Fukudome was one of the most notable Japanese players in Major League Baseball. His 2,276 plate appearances rank sixth among the 21 Japanese-born position players to appear in the majors, while his 596 games rank seventh. An All-Star appearance during his 2008 rookie season makes Fukudome one of only four Japanese hitters to earn the honor.
His fond memories of Chicago haven’t diminished in the years since returning to Japan. Fukudome spoke to the Chicago Tribune with Japanese reporter Naoko Sato serving as an interpreter.
“I had a really great time in Chicago, very beautiful city and really convenient to live even for Japanese like us,” Fukudome said. “It was a great honor for me to play for the team with such a great history. I loved playing in front of enthusiastic fans at Wrigley.
“The fans are really honest. Sometimes they might be harsh on you, but that’s because they really love the Cubs and care about wins.”
Fukudome’s return to NPB in 2013 coincided with an 18-year-old Suzuki’s first season in the league. Fukudome recalls Suzuki being a good young player out of high school and was impressed by his significant growth every year. After nine seasons of competing against the new Cubs outfielder, Fukudome is impressed.
“He is one of the best all-around players I’ve ever seen (in NPB),” Fukudome said. “Not only he can hit balls with power, he can maintain hitting a high average. His defense is one of the best and has great speed as well. The one thing I really like about him is he is really a quick learner.”
Fukudome hasn’t talked to Suzuki about the transition to MLB, but he believes a player with Suzuki’s ability does not need advice about how to acclimate to the majors. Instead, experience will be most valuable. Fukudome is confident the 27-year-old is capable of quickly making the necessary adjustments.
“I don’t think the velocity difference is a problem,” Fukudome said. “There are quite a few strong arms in NPB. ... In general MLB pitchers are bigger and more powerful than NPB pitchers, so he might get a different feeling when he hits the same velocity pitches. The pitches in MLB could give him a bit heavier feel in his hands.”
He expects Suzuki’s power to translate almost equally, especially playing at Wrigley.
“I guarantee you will love to see him play,” Fukudome said.
Suzuki has gotten a taste of the attention he will receive in the majors. Japanese reporters made up most of the 40-plus media members gathered for Suzuki’s introductory news conference Friday at the Cubs’ Nike Performance Center. He talks to the Japanese reporters daily, something Fukudome is familiar with from his time on the Cubs.
Fukudome says he didn’t feel pressure as a star coming from Japan nor from the added responsibilities of dealing with Japanese media. Rather, those media scrums gave him an opportunity to speak his own language outside of his family.
Fukudome anticipates that the cultural changes, particularly involving lifestyle and language, will represent Suzuki’s greatest challenge.
“Even though there is a translator for a Japanese player, it’s not an easy thing to express what I think or how I feel correctly,” Fukudome said. “Also, the same can be said to understand what others think or feel of me. Those cultural adjustments could be distractions on the field. Once you figure out and settle your life down in the USA, you can focus on what you do on the field.”
Once he officially plays in a big league game, Suzuki will be the ninth Japanese player to don a Cubs uniform. His interest in playing in the majors became heightened in 2015 when former Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda returned to Japan, where they were teammates on the Hiroshima Carp for two seasons (2015-16).
Since Fukudome’s arrival in Chicago, 27 players have gone from Japan to MLB, including eight who played in 2021. Those numbers, he says, indicate that Japanese baseball is not far behind MLB and that more Japanese players are ready to play in the majors.
“Twenty years ago, if you asked kids what your dreams are in the future, they would tell you to be baseball players in Japan,” Fukudome said. “Today, if you ask the same questions to kids, they would answer they want to be an MLB player.”
