Dome's diary - Oct. 8th, on the end of 2009 season

by dragonsfanatic on Oct 9, 2009 1:28 AM CDT Comment 25 comments

Dome keeps his diary posted on his website once or twice a month, and here's quick summery of what he wrote on Oct. 8th, a note on the end of 2009 season.

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- Hello, our season is just over. We couldn't make the playoff. I feel so frustrating, so miserable. I know we had a lot of chance to make it, so it's even more frustrating. I remember I wrote the same thing last year. I also know we got into a self-destruction pattern, as we had too many injured players.

- Personally, my numbers looks like almost same with last year's, but I felt much better this year. I could perform my best swing even when I got out in so many at bat, that makes big difference. The good thing was I could do what I tried to do at plate. The bad thing was I could not make quick adjustment when I went into slumps.

- I would give myself "?" if I try to do self-evaluation for this year. Well, it might not be worth to evaluate in anyway.

- For now, I would stay with my family and relax a little bit, and refresh myself. Not decided when I will come home in Japan in this off-season yet.

- Thank you all so much for your support this year. I will train hard in Japan in this winter again and do my best next year.

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I guess he will use Dragons training facility in Nagoya again while they are visiting Chatan, Okinawa for annual spring training. I hope I would see Cubs in better shape, ready to win next April.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Thanks Dragon!

Appreciate these so much.

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Oct 9, 2009 7:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Dome had a better year this year.

He still seemed to run out of gas late in the year, had a tough September. If he could only figure out a way to keep strong all year, maybe we’d see the player we thought we were getting two years ago.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 9, 2009 7:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe that RF platoon system is the best for him. It would seem to give him opportunities to rest through the season...

so he wouldn’t wear down as much late.

"Pain don't hurt you none" - Sparky Anderson (1987)

Obviously Sparky was never a Cubs fan...

by Zeke on Oct 9, 2009 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Still, he looked a lot better than last year. Still some of the helicopter swinging, but he didn’t get progressively worse like he did in 2008.

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Oct 9, 2009 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you look at his 2008 and 2009 stats... they are amazingly similar

Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
2008 CHC 150 501 79 129 25 3 10 58 81 104 12 4 .257 .359 .379 .738
2009 CHC 146 499 79 129 38 5 11 54 93 112 6 10 .259 .375 .421 .796

It’s amazing the Runs and Hits are exactly the same. To his credit his OBP, SLG and OPS did improve,

Stats here: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8165

Mustache be gone!

by digitalbenjamin on Oct 9, 2009 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The difference in SLG is significant...

… note the 38 doubles this year compared to 25 last year.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 9, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yes, very true.

His SB and CS took a real step back. Wonder why?

Mustache be gone!

by digitalbenjamin on Oct 9, 2009 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was really hoping he'd make it to 40 doubles.

That seems to be a high-water mark many people look at.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 9, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, the runs and hits thing is remarkable.

But the higher OBP and SLG (and, therefore, OPS) is key. His OPS+ rose from 90 to 105.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 9, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also his SHT (Swinging Helicopter Twirl) ratio is down this year.

Mustache be gone!

by digitalbenjamin on Oct 9, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta work an 'I' in there somehow.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 9, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Swinging Helicopter Incomprehensible Twirl.

How’s that?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 9, 2009 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

...

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 9, 2009 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The difference was also consistancy.

Lou knew what he was getting when he penciled Dome in. In ’08, the second half falloff created uncertainty.

if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand

by N Oakley on Oct 9, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, Dragon.

I still support Kosuke Fukudome – not as an infallible superstar but as a useful player who, yes, did improve from last season.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 9, 2009 9:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed

if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand

by N Oakley on Oct 9, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

next season

He will be an interesting player to keep an eye on next year. I don’t expect a super star, but, he never really got hot this year.

I don’t see a reason why he couldn’t replicate the first two months of 08 for stretches and level out to his 09 level for the remainder of the season (with, of course, some cold spells such as he had in Sept. 09).

Eamus Ursuli!

by WGNstatic on Oct 9, 2009 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

It might be that the league figured him out a bit. At the beginning, there probably wasn’t a whole lot of scouting information. As that increased, the league figured out how to attack him. I am most encouraged that Dome obviously figured out how to adjust to that now and we have a solid player.

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Oct 14, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am still glad we've got the guy.

Very good defensive outfielder, decent at getting on base (maybe our best leadoff guy) and a class act the whole time. And I think he will be better next year – maybe he’ll get the end-of-season fatigue thing licked with more stamina training?

by MN exile on Oct 9, 2009 2:41 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

He has a hard time with left handers.

A platoon of Johnson and Fukudome in rf would help both, and create a two headed monster like we had last season with Edmonds and Johnson. Reed can also play cf on occasion.

But where would our other rbi bat come from? How about in house. Soriano and Soto can’t possibly tank like they did in 09? Can they?

by Clark Addison on Oct 9, 2009 5:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Anyone...anyone

Bueller…bueller

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Oct 14, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

awkward silence

Seriously, a Dome/RJ platoon in right field is an idea I can get behind. Of course, that leaves the question of who would play centerfield. Perhaps Cameron (signed as a free agent) or Rowand (traded for Milton).

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 14, 2009 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs