The Oracle on Fukumori Signing

by rangeressary on Dec 14, 2007 11:22 PM CST

Wow. This is pretty negative...but it's not that any of us thought this was a great signing anyways though.

"Texas Rangers - Signed P Kazuo Fukumori to a 2-year contract.

It's official: Jon Daniels thinks that all Japanese people look alike - having a Japanese last name doesn't make you Matsuzaka or Sasaki or Kuroda. Kinda like when Steve Phillips got all excited over Tsuyoshi Shinjo for no reason in particular. Fukomori's had an up-and-down career and arm problems and there's really no reason to sign him for a 2-year deal over signing any random AAA reliever to a minor-league deal. ZiPS has him with a 5.10ish ERA - sorry, it just crashed on me. Think Kevin Gryboski."

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it was definitely a weird signing

even if you took his japanese numbers as if they were MLB numbers, they just aren't very good. maybe the minor league deal is a tad overstated, but it seems odd that they went out and got him. but i guess the point is that the salary is relatively negligible.

by ab03 on Dec 14, 2007 11:14 PM CST 0 recs

Ridiculously ignorant.

by brettgardner on Dec 14, 2007 11:37 PM CST 0 recs

Sounds

like the Oracle is cranky.

by Randy Richardson on Dec 14, 2007 11:51 PM CST 0 recs

I think I might know why...

I sent him an email yesterday saying that there has been no word on any of the three moves since the Shelton deal. I did use the phrase, "What gives?". Maybe he thought I was being too pushy. Whatever.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Dec 15, 2007 7:16 AM CST up 0 recs

I think JD is planning on the unfamiliarity of

the league. He will be effective for a year or two on deception alone.

Also, TMetcalf will never hit major league pitching.

The three true outcomes - Does it make me money, does it get me fed, or does it get me laid?

by JTodd on Dec 14, 2007 11:58 PM CST 0 recs

Ummmm

if he already has hit major league pitching, that would seem to disprove your point.

Jan. 7th LSU rises again!

by BlackGloveRighty on Dec 15, 2007 1:43 PM CST up 0 recs

Your sig

How can you be excited about a two loss team playing a craptacularly mediocre Ohio St. team in what is unequivocally the lamest BCS title game ever?

College football is probably my second favorite sport behind MLB, but I just can't muster up any excitement for that game. Weak f'ing sauce.

"God plays by his own rules, folks. And HGH is f***ing legal as hell up in heaven." -Andy Pettitte

by thedirkatron on Dec 15, 2007 2:40 PM CST up 0 recs

Because LSU

is an obsession with me and the fact that my favorite team is playing for the national championship, that stirs my excitement level a little bit.

I wouldn't care if they had six losses and got in because every other program disbanded, I'd still get excited at the possibility of a national championship.

Jan. 7th LSU rises again!

by BlackGloveRighty on Dec 15, 2007 8:06 PM CST up 0 recs

lsu

curious, how is it you became such a big lsu fan?

Can you please Look into getting a less funny signature? That's sarcasm, btw. - Sharky

by rentz on Dec 15, 2007 8:20 PM CST up 0 recs

Dad brought back a hat in sixth grade..

and since then I was hooked. It happened just before Warren Morris hit his walk off CWS homerun so seeing that helped. All i cared about was playing at LSU, pro ball wasn't even a thought of mine.

Jan. 7th LSU rises again!

by BlackGloveRighty on Dec 15, 2007 10:12 PM CST up 0 recs

Ah, well

that'd explain it.

"God plays by his own rules, folks. And HGH is f***ing legal as hell up in heaven." -Andy Pettitte

by thedirkatron on Dec 15, 2007 10:01 PM CST up 0 recs

Metcalf

I'm not sure I'd call what the Orioles ran out there last year "major-league pitching." :)

"Then I met some friends for a beer, went to a BoDeans's concert, and son of a vondruke, if I didn't leave him at the concert hall."

by RCCook on Dec 15, 2007 4:53 PM CST up 0 recs

Metcalf had a line of

.287 .331 .491 .822
after the all-star break in 108 ABs. However, 36 of those ABs were against SEA with a line of .444 .459 .722 1.181

The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws. ~Rick Wise, 1974

by RangerMad on Dec 15, 2007 9:34 PM CST up 0 recs

If we would have signed him

after his 06 season, the "oracle" would have been completely behind it.

ignant.

by clark on Dec 15, 2007 12:04 AM CST 0 recs

The who?

by Longhorn on Dec 15, 2007 1:05 AM CST 0 recs

The Transaction Oracle

Baseball Think Factory's Transaction Oracle

by rangeressary on Dec 15, 2007 1:25 AM CST up 0 recs

Fukumori video

I tried hard to find some action video of the guy - no joy. Lotsa Rakuten Eagles highlight vids but I couldn't find any with KF in them.

I did find an interview he did about a year ago. He seems to be a bit of a card in this video, seems to crack the room up at will. I believe nose-hair clippers are discussed about 1:00 into the preceedings there. There are some quiet dull moments in the middle but Kaz seems to liven the room back up toward the end. He's the player on the far right - http://youtube.com/watch?v=kodKgWd8oeA

And BGL, if Kaz ever gives you crap about how hokey the Cotton-eyed Joe is during a game, just throw this in his face - http://youtube.com/watch?v=3FS2rZYK8PM - yikes!

by shroomer on Dec 15, 2007 3:23 AM CST 0 recs

Found a Fuku highlight

The interview above is part 4 of a 4-part interview. Here are the first 3 parts. About 2:00 into part 1 is a highlight of Kaz throwing one pitch. The highlight is captioned "A Guardian Deity" - which should be useful for jokes during LSB game threads -

part 1 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=D_SdXe5xiZo
part 2 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=7XKbaySW5vk
part 3 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=mYCt3TWkYzI

by shroomer on Dec 15, 2007 4:13 AM CST up 0 recs

I posted a video

and scouting report that somebody here at LSB found over at BTiA: http://mvn.com/mlb-rangers/2007/12/12/rangers-close-on-fukumori/

Baseball Time in Arlington

by jamcadbury on Dec 15, 2007 6:14 PM CST up 0 recs

Mushy Galoshes

Seems like an easy-going dude. Easy to pull for.

by shroomer on Dec 15, 2007 6:41 PM CST up 0 recs

Nice

Good stuff, thanks.

by zywica on Dec 15, 2007 9:48 PM CST up 0 recs

He'll remind folks

of former Ranger Great Hideki Irabu probably.

"As of now they're (The Astros) world series favorites. Period." - Sharky

by DJCahill on Dec 15, 2007 6:42 AM CST 0 recs

Thanks Dan

I had totally forgotten about him...

by rangeressary on Dec 15, 2007 9:10 AM CST up 0 recs

well I guess since Aki is gone..

we needed the token Asian magnet on the team.
Couldn't we have gotten someone a little better though? I'm afraid he's going to take a liking to fast food and we're going to have another Steinbrenner ish fat toad on our hands. I'm still having Chan Ho flashbacks..haven't we suffered enough??

"Take this offer and shove it !!" Hunter,Gagne, Jones, Fuku

by LAMuscleFag on Dec 15, 2007 11:39 AM CST 0 recs