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Reasons for Konerko slump


Finkelstein
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As we all know, Paul is very hard on himself when things aren't going well. I wonder if the pressure of having to account for a large chunk of the power production, along with his impending contract status is forcing him to press in the batters box?

 

Assuming that KW does want to keep him around beyond this season, I think that he needs to get a deal worked out ASAP. This will show the Sox commitment to him and should definitely help him to relax and start swinging a better bat.

 

Don't wait until the season ends because the pressure on Paul will only increase.

 

Agree or Disagree???

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It seemed like for a while he was swinging for the fences every time up, maybe because like you said, he feels like he's the HR guy now. The last few games, he looks like he's made some adjustments and is trying to take what's there. He's always been kinda streaky, he'll come out of it.

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his first at bat last night embodies everything that's wrong with Konerko. Gets way ahead in the count, hits a double just foul, hits a homer way foul, barely fouls off ball 4, then pops out. He needs to just adjust his timing or his stance slightly and he'll be all over the baseball. It really is a game of inches.

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Konerko needs to revert to late last year when he was resting the bat on his shoulder and leaning back noticably. He was hitting for average, like he did in '02. I'll take that PK over the one who is home run or bust every day of the week.

 

Hawk likes his new stance where he holds his hands high above his shoulders, but I think it's doing nothing for him.

Edited by 3E8
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QUOTE(Hideaway Lights @ May 4, 2005 -> 09:31 AM)
seriously Gene are you ever gonna fix that Podsednik stat or is that some sort of inside joke I'm missing?

Don't nag him about it or it will get more outrageous.

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QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ May 4, 2005 -> 12:34 PM)
Biggest problem i see with Konerko, and i've seen it all year, is that he can't hit low offspeed pitches. How often has he K's on an offspeed pitch down in the zone? From what i can recall, many times.

that and the fact that his stance sucks and konerkos to close to the plate, plus his hands are too high, get some lessons from iguchi ;)

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QUOTE(Finkelstein @ May 4, 2005 -> 07:24 AM)
As we all know, Paul is very hard on himself when things aren't going well.  I wonder if the pressure of having to account for a large chunk of the power production, along with his impending contract status is forcing him to press in the batters box? 

 

Assuming that KW does want to keep him around beyond this season, I think that he needs to get a deal worked out ASAP.  This will show the Sox commitment to him and should definitely help him to relax and start swinging a better bat.

 

Don't wait until the season ends because the pressure on Paul will only increase.

 

Agree or Disagree???

I tend to think he's got himself into a funk due to all the HR's he hit early. You can really see how he's trying to pull everything. The problem is he's pulling way too many pitches outside and just rolling over on it or popping it up weekly. And when he is pulling the ball he seems to be just a bit too quick.

 

He's got to start forcing the issue to the opposite field. Once he does that you'll see him get back. On a sidenote, I'm stunned Everett is even hitting the ball because he has looked horrid at the plate. It seems as if he almost has been getting lucky lately on his hits (I'll take them though). All you have to throw is a changeup down and he's gonna chase it. Carl has been overly agressive if you ask me (although you can't really complain with the results thus far).

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It's the same problem it seems he always has one he's slumping, he's pulling off the ball, openig his left shoulder up to quick. Right now the down and away off speed pitch is getting him every time and when he gets a fastball he's to quick and is pulling it way foul. He needs to try and work the ball to right and right center, if he starts doing that he'll just react to the fastball and still be able to hit it hard because he can get his hips open real quick to get to a good fastball. Pauly needs to just stop cheating and try to hit the ball to the opposite field, if he does so he should get back in the swing of things soon.

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QUOTE(Rowand44 @ May 4, 2005 -> 02:59 PM)
It's the same problem it seems he always has one he's slumping, he's pulling off the ball, openig his left shoulder up to quick.  Right now the down and away off speed pitch is getting him every time and when he gets a fastball he's to quick and is pulling it way foul.  He needs to try and work the ball to right and right center, if he starts doing that he'll just react to the fastball and still be able to hit it hard because he can get his hips open real quick to get to a good fastball.  Pauly needs to just stop cheating and try to hit the ball to the opposite field, if he does so he should get back in the swing of things soon.

 

 

;)

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QUOTE(Rowand44 @ May 4, 2005 -> 03:01 PM)
Ha, I knew that was coming from you :P But it's true, most of the time he's able to clear his hip so quickly that he can just adjust to the fastball when he's not looking for it.

 

 

Next time you get to a game.. try to be down by the section 144 - 147 area.. watch him warm up. Watch him walk. It's the same exact swagger as Belle... Paul is not going down as fast as Albert did.. but he's definitely worse than he was last year.

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QUOTE(Steff @ May 4, 2005 -> 02:04 PM)
Next time you get to a game.. try to be down by the section 144 - 147 area.. watch him warm up. Watch him walk. It's the same exact swagger as Belle... Paul is not going down as fast as Albert did.. but he's definitely worse than he was last year.

Steff, I'm not arguing with you but he still can turn around a fastball. Maybe he doesn't trust that hip causing him to cheat more then he has to??

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Regardless of his hip you can watch his swing, his issue has nothing to do with quickness. He's still turning on fastballs like usual, but he's failing to go with the pitches. The main reason is he's having trouble recognizing them (especially the changeup down and away) and he's also a little greedy (which is unlike Paulie). Simply put he's trying to pull everything and your gonna have a hell of a time doing much anything when thats the case.

 

Watch him start going opposite field and you'll start seeing him get back on his groove. He has hit the ball hard though, he's just been too quick. Basically his timing is off a bit on-top of him trying to pull everything.

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Slumps happen. Friday night he killed a ball with the bags full, and it was right at the third baseman. He's labelled a couple of balls down the line, just foul. He'll be fine, let it go.

 

I think it would be a mistake, and one KW wouldn't make, to tie his slump to his contract situation.

My thaughts exactly, he has seen good pitches and hit them very well. The bottom line is that he needs to stick with what he's been doing and not get dissapoited, seeing as he has absolutely been tearing the cover off the ball to all the wrong places.

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