We better keep Konerko, his numbers are just as...

[WilliamTell]

Konerko is a COMPLETELY one-dimensional player, and next year he will probably be an extremely overpaid one JUST because of home run totals.

 

Any ground ball is an insta-double play. He constantly clogs up the basepaths for the hitters behind him. He's serviceable, but not remarkable defensively. He's streaky to a maddening extent, and much, much worse with runners in scoring position/in clutch situations.

 

Do you ever remember Konerko hitting a game winning homer or hit? I can't in recent memory but it's early monday morning so maybe I'm just wrong.

 

In his early-mid 20s, he was consistently a .290-.300 hitter with 25-30 homers. For the last three seasons, he hasn't cracked .280, and .277 in '04 seems like the top of his threshold since he's turned into a pure slugger. Except for maybe 5-10 extra home runs and maybe 10-15 RBIs AT BEST, what are you getting out of Konerko that you couldn't get out of literally ANY other major league first baseman?

 

I appreciate everything he has done in the past several seasons, but we could get a first baseman that could hit 20-30 home runs and have 80-90 RBIs for much, much less and go out and get even more help with the extra cash.

 

 

 

I miss Konerko's hard line drives to the outfield walls back a few years ago. He was more willing to go opposite field too if I remember correctly. But he was also batting in the 5th and 6th hole, now he's our 4 hitter and thinks he must hit for power.

Edited August 15, 2005 by WilliamTell

[southsider2k5]

Konerko is a COMPLETELY one-dimensional player, and next year he will probably be an extremely overpaid one JUST because of home run totals.

 

Any ground ball is an insta-double play. He constantly clogs up the basepaths for the hitters behind him. He's serviceable, but not remarkable defensively. He's streaky to a maddening extent, and much, much worse with runners in scoring position/in clutch situations.

 

Do you ever remember Konerko hitting a game winning homer or hit? I can't in recent memory but it's early monday morning so maybe I'm just wrong.

 

In his early-mid 20s, he was consistently a .290-.300 hitter with 25-30 homers. For the last three seasons, he hasn't cracked .280, and .277 in '04 seems like the top of his threshold since he's turned into a pure slugger. Except for maybe 5-10 extra home runs and maybe 10-15 RBIs AT BEST, what are you getting out of Konerko that you couldn't get out of literally ANY other major league first baseman?

 

I appreciate everything he has done in the past several seasons, but we could get a first baseman that could hit 20-30 home runs and have 80-90 RBIs for much, much less and go out and get even more help with the extra cash.

 

LMFAO, 40 Hrs and 110 RBis is "serviceable". You do realize that there are only about 10-15 guys in all of baseball who will put up these numbers now right?

[Greg Hibbard]

LMFAO, 40 Hrs and 110 RBis is "serviceable".  You do realize that there are only about 10-15 guys in all of baseball who will put up these numbers now right?

 

I said serviceable defensively.

 

There have been a s***load of injuries at 1st base this year, and a s***load of platooning situations.

 

Look, Arizona has a platooning first base combo of Tracy and Clark, right? Combined home runs...39 (I know they have played other positions too..but even if you adjust to Konerko's numbers you get a comparable number. Clark has 21 homers in like 230 at bats.

 

Tino Martinez/Jason Giambi? Comparable numbers out of that position. Tino himself has 17 home runs in 200 something at bats.

 

Morneau and LeCroy have platooned a bit at first too, no?

 

Lee, Pujols and Texeira are all gonna have more home runs. Sexson might have more than Konerko when it's all said and done. And that's just first basemen.

 

Sweeney's been injured and has been playing hurt when not on the DL...Thome's been injured all year or he would be up there with the other sluggers. Both would certainly be ahead of Konerko in OPS if injury-free.

 

My point is that I'm willing to give up 5-10 homers nad 10-15 rbis in that position to free up some cash. Konerko's OPS is behind Nick Johnson for christ's sake, and he has only 11 home runs.

[Kyyle23]

Konerko is a COMPLETELY one-dimensional player, and next year he will probably be an extremely overpaid one JUST because of home run totals.

 

Any ground ball is an insta-double play. He constantly clogs up the basepaths for the hitters behind him. He's serviceable, but not remarkable defensively. He's streaky to a maddening extent, and much, much worse with runners in scoring position/in clutch situations.

 

Do you ever remember Konerko hitting a game winning homer or hit? I can't in recent memory but it's early monday morning so maybe I'm just wrong.

 

In his early-mid 20s, he was consistently a .290-.300 hitter with 25-30 homers. For the last three seasons, he hasn't cracked .280, and .277 in '04 seems like the top of his threshold since he's turned into a pure slugger. Except for maybe 5-10 extra home runs and maybe 10-15 RBIs AT BEST, what are you getting out of Konerko that you couldn't get out of literally ANY other major league first baseman?

 

I appreciate everything he has done in the past several seasons, but we could get a first baseman that could hit 20-30 home runs and have 80-90 RBIs for much, much less and go out and get even more help with the extra cash.

 

 

hmmmmm, lets think way way back, to the good ole days of 2005, in fact it was August 10th, 2005. Paul Konerko wound up, in the 9th inning against Alan Embree and sent the pitch an estimated 450 feet into the Yankee monuments. It put the Sox up 2-0, in a game which they won 2-1, making it the game winning homerun. It was such a long time ago, you seem to have forgotten.

[Greg Hibbard]

hmmmmm, lets think way way back, to the good ole days of 2005, in fact it was August 10th, 2005. Paul Konerko wound up, in the 9th inning against Alan Embree and sent the pitch an estimated 450 feet into the Yankee monuments.  It put the Sox up 2-0, in a game which they won 2-1, making it the game winning homerun. It was such a long time ago, you seem to have forgotten.

 

This is quite a stretch.

[southsider2k5]

hmmmmm, lets think way way back, to the good ole days of 2005, in fact it was August 10th, 2005. Paul Konerko wound up, in the 9th inning against Alan Embree and sent the pitch an estimated 450 feet into the Yankee monuments.  It put the Sox up 2-0, in a game which they won 2-1, making it the game winning homerun. It was such a long time ago, you seem to have forgotten.

 

3 times in the last week or so, Paul Konerko supplied HRs that were the game winning margin.

[Kyyle23]

This is quite a stretch.

 

Boy its amazing how many people cannot admit they are wrong when the facts are put in their faces.

[Greg Hibbard]

game winning home run is not the same thing as "insurance run which eventually was the difference"

[Greg Hibbard]

remember that fifth inning bloop single that Timo hit which was the game-winning single?

[Greg Hibbard]

I mean, how f***ing ridiculous does that sound.

[Kyyle23]

I mean, how f***ing ridiculous does that sound.

 

there is only one thing f***ing ridiculous that i see. Go find a mirror Greg, you might see it too.

[Greg Hibbard]

there is only one thing f***ing ridiculous that i see. Go find a mirror Greg, you might see it too.

 

Your definition of "game-winning home run or hit" is not the same as 99% of other people in the world. Go ahead, ask around the office and get back to me.

[Kyyle23]

game winning home run is not the same thing as "insurance run which eventually was the difference"

 

Well you didnt say walk-off homerun did you? you said GAME WINNING HOMERUN OR HIT. I just gave you an example that happened last week, and it doesnt fit the criteria of your argument, so you try and say it doesnt count.

 

deal with it.

[AirScott]

Don't think the Brew Crew is really to concerned with the IF. Feilder, Weeks, Hall and Helms should be fine for the next few years...

 

The Brewers will be listening to alot of offers for Overbay in the off-season, and I hope and expect the Sox to be one of those teams calling.

don't forget JJ Hardy. outside of July he hasn't produced (at all) offensively, but he could be a Gold-Glove SS in 3-4 years.

[Greg Hibbard]

Very well, let me just f***ing edit my statement to reflect the fact that Soxtalk is a website that is big on semantics.

 

How many times has Paul Konerko ever hit a walk-off home run or single? My point is that when the chips are down and we are down 2 in the ninth, 2 out, 2 on and Konerko is up, you can count on a pop-up.

[Greg Hibbard]

Can we please get back to talking about how Paul Konerko is not a $10 million dollar a year value

[Kyyle23]

Very well, let me just f***ing edit my statement to reflect the fact that Soxtalk is a website that is big on semantics.

 

How many times has Paul Konerko ever hit a walk-off home run or single? My point is that when the chips are down and we are down 2 in the ninth, 2 out, 2 on and Konerko is up, you can count on a pop-up.

 

Right, every other first baseman in the league besides Paul Konerko is more likely to hit a walk-off other than Konerko.

 

Oh yeah, and a Walk-off homerun is the criteria of a good player.

 

Someone quick, get Lyle Mouton on the phone! He hit a walk-off homerun one time, he must be good!

[Kyyle23]

Can we please get back to talking about how Paul Konerko is not a $10 million dollar a year value

 

that statement is fine. I agree with it. But you act like Paul is no big deal. he has been a huge spark for a team desperate for a spark, and noone is noticing because they dont want to see it.

[Greg Hibbard]

that statement is fine.  I agree with it. But you act like Paul is no big deal. he has been a huge spark for a team desperate for a spark, and noone is noticing because they dont want to see it.

 

Like I said, I like Konerko. I just think we can get about as much for much, much less. Like I said, his numbers with RISP are not good...

[Balta1701]

Paulie has been incredibly important to this team, but he's also been an incredible disappointment to this team for 1 reason; his hitting with Runners in scoring position.

 

Let's do a quick comparison with a real #4 hitter: Manny Ramirez.

 

With Runners in scoring position, Ramirez has had 123 at bats. He is hitting .374 in those situations. With RISP and 2 outs, he has had 58 at bats, and is hitting a respectable .293.

 

Konerko has fewer at bats with RISP, so we can't compare 1 to 1. But with runners in scoring position, Paulie is hitting a paltry .240 in 104 at bats. In other words, when there are runners in scoring position, Manny becomes better, while Paulie becomes worse.

 

On top of that, with RISP and 2 outs, Konerko is hitting a ridiculous .138, also in 58 at bats.

 

Both Konerko and Ramirez have the same # of at bats with RISP and 2 outs. Konerko has 15 RBI, Ramirez has 31.

 

If Paulie were just hitting his average with RISP, he could be upwards of 80-90 RBI's right now, and he could have helped us to a lot more big innings just by keeping things going with 2 outs. He should have 90-95 RBI at this point already this season, but his hitting in the clutch has just been that bad.

[southsider2k5]

Wow, comparing Pauly to Ramirez? I don't think there is a clean up hitter in all of baseball that is nearly as clutch as Manny. Manny is also making $20 million a year, and not $8.75 million. I don't think there are many you can compare Manny to as a hitter, as there are few in the game even in his ballpark, let alone as a peer.+

[Gene Honda Civic]

Like I said, I like Konerko. I just think we can get about as much for much, much less. Like I said, his numbers with RISP are not good...

You sound like one of those dumb Yankee fans who thinks that ARod's no good.

 

"but he doesn't hit with RISP"

 

 

By the way, RISP stats tend to fluctuate wildly from year to year. There simply isn't enough ABs to eliminate 'noise'. It doesn't really idicate a players true ability. -- Did Konerko suddenly lose his ability to be clutch? After all he hit .303 just last year w/ RISP. NO. It's all just random chance. -- The reality is, Konerko has a career average OPS of .833. His OPS w/ RISP this season is .864. -- But keep complaining. It looks good on you. :rolly

[southsider2k5]

BTW I will throw this out there from the Trib

 

Konerko's corner

 

Paul Konerko put his 200th career homer Saturday in perspective.

 

"It's cool, but there are a lot of guys walking around with 200 home runs," he said.

 

Guillen was more enthusiastic in his view of Konerko.

 

"When I got here [in 2004], I was concerned with some of the reports I heard, that he was a bad man, that he's not good in the clubhouse," Guillen said. "All of a sudden, to me, he's the leader of the team.

 

"He's the real leader. He shows up and plays. Sometimes leaders talk. They think they're leaders. He shows people how to lead."

[Hatchetman]

it's ridiculous to argue without knowing what he's going to cost.

 

might be something like 5 years $55 mil. i dunno.

[Balta1701]

Wow, comparing Pauly to Ramirez?  I don't think there is a clean up hitter in all of baseball that is nearly as clutch as Manny.  Manny is also making $20 million a year, and not $8.75 million.  I don't think there are many you can compare Manny to as a hitter, as there are few in the game even in his ballpark, let alone as a peer.+

I was using Ramirez as the ideal. If you'd like I can go back to Carlos Lee. Or I can even compare this year's Konerko to previous years' Konerko...his hitting with RISP is down even for him, by quite a bit.