Who do you think is the best Japanese position player in Japanese baseball right now?

That may sound redundant, but I'm trying to qualify this to exclude foreign players in Japan and Japanese players in the major leagues.

Could it be Michihro 'Guts' Ogasawara, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters first baseman?

Or maybe Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks slugger Nobuhiko Matsunaka?

How about Akinori Iwamura, the talented third baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows?

The consensus of a bevy of MLB scouts who have recently come through Japan points to Kosuke Fukudome, outfielder for the Chunichi Dragons as the best all-around Japanese performer in either Japanese league.

The 29-year-old, left-handed swinging Fukudome is currently the leading hitter in the country, posting a batting average of .353 through games of Sept. 14.

He's also got 26 home runs on the year, 85 RBIs, and he is tops in the Central League with 96 runs scored, 34 doubles, a .435 on base percentage and a .649 slugging average.

Fukudome's speed is reflected in the fact he also has four triples and 10 stolen bases, and his fielding, whether he's playing right or center, is superb.

He's only made one error this season in 106 games, and he's got an above-average throwing arm.

Did you know Fukudome came to the pros as a shortstop?

He joined the Dragons playing that position in 1999, and then-teammate Leo Gomez predicted he would eventually be moved to another defensive spot.

"He doesn't have the hands to be a shortstop over the long term," Gomez said then. "He'll probably wind up as a third baseman."

Instead, Fukudome has become an outstanding outfielder and, arguably, the best Japanese player in Japanese baseball.

Should the Dragons keep their lead and go on to win the 2006 Central League pennant, Fukudome would be the leading candidate for MVP.

Ever dream of becoming a major league player?

You can find out what it is like to go through an MLB team training session at Play at the Plate's Major League Elite Reality Camp.

It takes place Jan. 10-14, 2007, at Roger Dean Complex and Stadium, the spring home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins.

Scheduled to appear at the camp are former major leaguers Joe Niekro (Phil's brother and another old knuckleball pitcher), Dave Bergman, Jack Clark, Dave Rozema and Jon Warden.

Participants receive a major league uniform of their choice, two meals a day, four nights at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott and some great giveaway gifts.

A dinner party takes place on the last night of the four-day event, and there will be a game against the former pros. Cost is $2,650.

For more information, call Play at the Plate in the U.S. at (631) 594-1135, or visit the Web site and click onto the Elite Camps at: www.playattheplate.org

In country the last week was Bob Bavasi of JapanBall.com and his annual tour that takes fans from North America around Japan to see the various Japanese stadiums and do some sightseeing.

One tour member, Leon Dehaven, is going from Hokkaido to Kyushu to see a game at all 12 home ballparks of the Central and Pacific League teams.

Dehaven claims he's been going to ballgames for more than 40 years and never had a rainout until the Yakult Swallows-Yokohama BayStars contest, scheduled for Tokyo's Jingu Stadium on Sept. 13, was washed away.

There was a close call for Leon at the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles-Orix Buffaloes game in Sendai on Sept. 6, but they got in six innings and an official game before the rain got too heavy.

Then he saw the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Eagles play in a steady drizzle at Chiba on Sept. 12. But Leon's good fortune finally ran out on the unlucky 13th.

Still, if you're going to a game in an outdoor stadium and are worried about the weather, invite Leon Dehaven along for the best chance of a avoiding a postponement.

Finally this week, you know you are at the right place to get to Tokyo Dome when you get off a Sobu Line train at JR Suidobashi Station near the Big Egg.

As a warning the train doors will soon close, the doorman pushes a button to play a jingle, and the melody is the Yomiuri Giants fight song.