The Paul Konerko Hop

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Anyone else notice this? Not sure if he was doing it last year, but this is the first I have really noticed it. Seems like of his 5 HR this year, he has done it in 3 or 4 of them, and it's generally on balls that he pulls.

[greg775]

Interesting, maybe he needs some extra pop to clear the fence as he ages. I love Paulie.

[Ranger]

Anyone else notice this? Not sure if he was doing it last year, but this is the first I have really noticed it. Seems like of his 5 HR this year, he has done it in 3 or 4 of them, and it's generally on balls that he pulls.

 

Seriously, it's a momentum kind of thing. It's just a pretty natural motion to make after you take a swing and are trying to straighten up to run to first if you're a right handed hitter. Jermaine Dye did it. I used to do it 100 years ago when I played and I never thought anything of it.

 

I never liked Sammy Sosa and people that hated him used to hate that hop of his. But it was the one thing about him that didn't bother me because I understood it, even though he exaggerated it.

[MiddleCoastBias]

I kind of equate it to Juan Uribe's swing, if you can follow this logic. Pauli is a smooth, body swinger, and his strong follow-through will naturally be through some added body movement. Uribe had an awkward upper body swing (that looked like it hurt), and it lead to a different follow-through than most. He always looked like he finished his home run swing with both hands with palm out to the pitcher and up high on his finish. Karko's Throatskin and I call him 'Magic Hands' because he looked like the old Mickey Mouse cartoons when he was a wizard, given that Uribe wore white batting gloves like Mickey and the end of the swing made him look like he was a doing a double-handed wave like Mickey.

 

Bottom line, a batters' swing technique will lead to a different finish; Pauli has a hip-base swing. and it just might lead to more of a forward hip motion as he's getting older.

 

Don't judge me and the Magic Hands, it's late and the local bars have been friendly.

[soreal35]

because paulie is a backside hitter

[JohnCangelosi]

I've seen him do it for years from time to time- take a look at some of the old highlights from 05 etc you will see it...

[Balta1701]

I've seen him do it for years from time to time- take a look at some of the old highlights from 05 etc you will see it...

I miss the "Lean back" he led off each pitch with that we saw at the end of 2005.

[dyuen]

I miss the "Lean back" he led off each pitch with that we saw at the end of 2005.

 

nothing better than the lean back grand slam

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Seriously, it's a momentum kind of thing. It's just a pretty natural motion to make after you take a swing and are trying to straighten up to run to first if you're a right handed hitter. Jermaine Dye did it. I used to do it 100 years ago when I played and I never thought anything of it.

 

I never liked Sammy Sosa and people that hated him used to hate that hop of his. But it was the one thing about him that didn't bother me because I understood it, even though he exaggerated it.

 

I'm not questioning why he does it, I am just questioning whether this is something new he does, or just something I never noticed before. This is the first year I have noticed seeing him do this.