The Captain Hits #2000!
By Alishia Thompson
Since Paul Konerko’s first hit (a single) on September 8, 1997 as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers, he has delighted, awed, and given fans of both sides of town something great to be proud of and believe in. Tonight, he’s continued that tradition by reaching another milestone, his 2000th career hit.
In his 14 year career, Konerko has put together a humble stat line of 2000 H/393 HR/1242 RBI/.282 AVG/.359 OBP/.502 SLG with a 280.7 VORP and 23.4 WARP. He’s made 5 All-Star appearances and has been Captain of the White Sox, one of only 3 in baseball, since 2006. While he’s rarely talked about by the national media and tends to shy away from public praise and cameras, Paulie has been the epitome of a major league baseball player. He’s grown mentally and physically both on defense and with his team carrying offense. As a young player, he was a lot like Carlos Quentin, taking every swing personally and beating himself up when at bats didn’t go his way. Over time, he’s developed into what Greg Walker has called, “very mechanically and technically correct with his swing.”
In recent years, it’s looked like Konerko was settling in and slowing down. Nagging bone bruises and month long slumps gave the impression that his days were numbered. He was spending more time as a DH and less as an automatic everyday first baseman. In 2010, it was a contract year and the White Sox Captain would be a free agent at the end of the season. What a season it was! 2010 was an amazing year for the slugger with 171 H/39 HR/111 RBI/.312 AVG/.393 OBP/.556 SLG a VORP of 37.1 and a WARP of 3.4. He was like a new man, yet still undervalued in his profession by both baseball and the media. Loyal fans cheered and gave ovation after ovation for Konerko game after game, terrified of what the future seemingly held for him. The annual slump never came and if it was to be his swan song, it was one that Paulie and Chicago could be proud of.
In the off-season, the White Sox signed career slugger Adam Dunn. A move that looked to end Konerko’s amazing run on the South Side. Thankfully, however, this would not be the case as Konerko signed a 3 year, $37.5 million contract to likely finish out his career with the Sox. The fear then became the question of Paulie’s ability to continue last year’s success in the 2011 season. Not that it’s Konerko’s style, but athletes tend to have stellar seasons when contract talks come around and then settle into lower comfort levels once the ink has dried. Like I said, that’s not Konerko, and 2011 has been just as phenomenal for him, with his numbers currently looking as though he can finish even better than last season in every category.
The White Sox owe 90% of their season to their Captain, who lately, has reminded fans of another Chicago athlete known to reach new levels of play and success when faced with bouts of illness or injury. His career will never be compared to that of Michael Jordan, and shouldn’t. Konerko is all class, and regardless of which local team you cheer for, he is a player we can all be proud of and will hopefully enjoy watching for years to come.
Since Paul Konerko’s first hit (a single) on September 8, 1997 as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers, he has delighted, awed, and given fans of both sides of town something great to be proud of and believe in. Tonight, he’s continued that tradition by reaching another milestone, his 2000th career hit.
In his 14 year career, Konerko has put together a humble stat line of 2000 H/393 HR/1242 RBI/.282 AVG/.359 OBP/.502 SLG with a 280.7 VORP and 23.4 WARP. He’s made 5 All-Star appearances and has been Captain of the White Sox, one of only 3 in baseball, since 2006. While he’s rarely talked about by the national media and tends to shy away from public praise and cameras, Paulie has been the epitome of a major league baseball player. He’s grown mentally and physically both on defense and with his team carrying offense. As a young player, he was a lot like Carlos Quentin, taking every swing personally and beating himself up when at bats didn’t go his way. Over time, he’s developed into what Greg Walker has called, “very mechanically and technically correct with his swing.”
In recent years, it’s looked like Konerko was settling in and slowing down. Nagging bone bruises and month long slumps gave the impression that his days were numbered. He was spending more time as a DH and less as an automatic everyday first baseman. In 2010, it was a contract year and the White Sox Captain would be a free agent at the end of the season. What a season it was! 2010 was an amazing year for the slugger with 171 H/39 HR/111 RBI/.312 AVG/.393 OBP/.556 SLG a VORP of 37.1 and a WARP of 3.4. He was like a new man, yet still undervalued in his profession by both baseball and the media. Loyal fans cheered and gave ovation after ovation for Konerko game after game, terrified of what the future seemingly held for him. The annual slump never came and if it was to be his swan song, it was one that Paulie and Chicago could be proud of.
In the off-season, the White Sox signed career slugger Adam Dunn. A move that looked to end Konerko’s amazing run on the South Side. Thankfully, however, this would not be the case as Konerko signed a 3 year, $37.5 million contract to likely finish out his career with the Sox. The fear then became the question of Paulie’s ability to continue last year’s success in the 2011 season. Not that it’s Konerko’s style, but athletes tend to have stellar seasons when contract talks come around and then settle into lower comfort levels once the ink has dried. Like I said, that’s not Konerko, and 2011 has been just as phenomenal for him, with his numbers currently looking as though he can finish even better than last season in every category.
The White Sox owe 90% of their season to their Captain, who lately, has reminded fans of another Chicago athlete known to reach new levels of play and success when faced with bouts of illness or injury. His career will never be compared to that of Michael Jordan, and shouldn’t. Konerko is all class, and regardless of which local team you cheer for, he is a player we can all be proud of and will hopefully enjoy watching for years to come.
Love this piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really enjoyed writing it!
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