'Fukudome' Is Now a Bad Word to Both Lou Piniella and Chicago Area High Schools

Kosuke Fukudome’s opportunity to be the Cubs’ everyday right fielder has come ... and gone. For the remainder of this season, at least, which may very well be one more game.

The Japanese import, who Chicago is paying $48 mill over four years, has been increasingly inept at the plate as the season’s worn on. Nearly every relevant offensive statistic has decreased month-by-month for Fukudome, with September ultimately being the pinnacle of futility (.178 AVG, .288 OBP, .289 SLG). Despite all this, Lou Piniella started him in the first two games of the divisional series, presumably for his glove more than his bat. Fukudome rewarded Lou’s decision to play him with a combined 0-8, four strikeout performance.

After Game 2’s loss, Lou apparently can stand for the swinging and missing no more. After the brutal loss, Piniella told reporters than Fukudome will see nothing but the bench for the rest of the playoffs:

"From now on I don't want to hear about Fukudome, whether he'll play or not," Piniella said. "I'll play [Mike] Fontenot or Reed Johnson or someone, and that's the end of that."

“Or someone.” Read: Or anyone other than Kosuke Fukudome. Man, Opening Day must seem like a long time ago for Cubs fans.

It's a wise decision by Lou, although he made it two games too late. But perhaps there’s a different, non-performance related reason behind Piniella benching of Fukudome. Maybe he’s just trying to help disparage teens from buying Fukudome jerseys, thus sparing them the embarrassment of being forced to wear dirty gym t-shirts around school:

The Elgin High School sophomore [Jill Howe]had to remove her Kosuke Fukudome jersey and wear a gym T-shirt to class Wednesday because of a misunderstanding about how to pronounce the All-Star right-fielder's last name.

Jill called her mother after school to tell her what happened.

"She's a big Cubs fan, and we got the jersey at Dick's," said Jill's mom, Nancy Howe. "We were going to get a [Kerry] Wood one, but it cost more."

Wait, Jill’s mom actually paid money for a Fukudome jersey? I’m pretty sure that after the Cubs lose this series in L.A., Dick’s will be handing out their overstock #1 jerseys for free.

(Related: If you're a Cubs fan, and you want someone who can relate to the anger you're feeling, check out Mouthpiece Sports.)

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.