HOF or not, he will definitely get a statue at the park some day.

HOF or not, he will definitely get a statue at the park some day.

 

and his number & picture on the LF wall

Konerko has much better offensive numbers than Mattingly. Mattingly has 222 career home runs. If the question is if PK reaches 500 HR, will he make the HoF, the two players don't seem all that similar to me.

 

The eras were also very different offensively, plus Mattingly's best year blows away anything Konerko has ever done.

HOF or not, he will definitely get a statue at the park some day.

And rightfully so.

The eras were also very different offensively, plus Mattingly's best year blows away anything Konerko has ever done.

Blah blah blah....222 is still 222.

Blah blah blah....222 is still 222.

 

Comparing eras, no it isn't.

He should appear on the ballot, but probably not get in. Similiar to Harold Baines. Depends though on who else is on the ballot with him. Another few very good years and he could be on the cusp especially if druggies are excluded. Although he was very inconsistent earlier in his career he has been better of late. Also his fielding has continued to improve to where he very good around the bag. This should count for something.

 

I like that the HOF is difficult to achieve. Only the crem' de la crem' make it and I'm not sure he is quite there.

 

He would not have played this long with the Yankees because they would have brought in high priced talent to replace him when he went into half season long slumps.

If Paul Konerko makes the Hall of Fame, the HOF should cease to exist. I love Paul, but he was never one of the top five first baseman in baseball at any one point. He has had a great career, been a terrific role model and won a World Series, but no way he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. 500 home runs is not a guarantee for the Hall of Fame anymore. In 10 years, countless others are going to join that list. Just like 300 wins used to be the automatic HOF wins total, now that is more like 250.

 

I hope Paul gets his number retired in Chicago, statue somewhere in the park, face on the outfield and all, but no HOF.

Edited May 9, 201114 yr by maggsmaggs

It's strange. Roberto Alomar was definitely the best 2B of his generation, but the spitting incident, the frosty relationship he had with the media after that and the way his career faded big-time at the end put a damper on things a bit.

 

Konerko, at first blush, definitely is in that McGriff/Baines category UNLESS he can put up 500 homers.

 

With all the steroids cases, it's not like there are a plethora of players out there on the cusp of that number.

 

There's Thome obviously, Ichiro, Griffey Jr., Pujols and Frank Thomas. A-ROD and Bonds will be interesting cases, to see how long it takes for both to get in.

Gary Sheffield is over 500 but I could see him NOT getting in. There's Carlos Delgado, Canseco (obviously a no), Jeff Bagwell, Giambi, Palmeiro (no, no, no)....

 

Vladimir Guerrero and Chipper are both about 60 away. They'll definitely get in, even without 500 IMO. Andruw Jones is over 400 homers and has all those Gold Gloves, but he seems to be another near miss.

Edited May 9, 201114 yr by caulfield12

Konerko needs to spit on someone so they take notice of his career.

Comparing eras, no it isn't.

Come on, man...Mattingly was a better pure hitter, but he played at a position which traditionally features big power numbers. You're honestly going to say the "era" is responsible for the difference between 500 HR and 222?

 

 

He belongs no where near the Hall.

The eras were also very different offensively, plus Mattingly's best year blows away anything Konerko has ever done.

 

Brady Anderson's best year blows away anything Konerko has ever done too. The point of the Hall of Fame is that you are very successful for a very long period of time. Just because a guy has a 2-3 year run where he's a great player doesn't qualify him as better than someone who has been very successful for a very long time.

 

I get that Mattingly was a bit better than that, but he really wasn't much better. From 1984-87, he was one of the best hitters in the game. At every other point in his career, he was just OK. I also get that Mattingly's career was ended by a back injury, but the Hall of Fame can hold that against him.

 

Comparing their respective careers, I would say that Konerko has been better. He hasn't had the peak seasons Mattingly had, but he's had much better years otherwise and is still healthy enough that he'll be signed until he's 37.

 

Oh, and if Konerko does make it to 500 homers, it'd be a hell of an accomplishment. He has to average 34 homers a year from now until 2014, or 27 a year from now until 2015. He would be 39 during the 2015 season. I'm pretty sure that Matsui is the only player in the last 3 years to hit even 20 homers at age 37. Manny would have two years ago as well had he not been suspended for steroid use, which is pretty much a dead giveaway as to what was going on there.

 

Frank Thomas was the last guy to even 30 at age 38, and the last to hit 25 at the age of 39. He was one of the greatest hitters of all time.

 

(I may also be mistaken on those, so don't quote me exactly)

 

If Konerko gets to 500 home runs, he should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. He is not going to get to 500 homers barring a minor miracle.

 

Comparing eras, no it isn't.

 

Eh, it pretty much is. 222 is not that impressive of a number. It may be like 300 in today's game, but it wasn't a complete deadball era.

Edited May 9, 201114 yr by witesoxfan

He belongs no where near the Hall.

So you're saying he would potentially be the first non-steroid guy to reach the 500 HR milestone and not make the HoF?

Come on, man...Mattingly was a better pure hitter, but he played at a position which traditionally features big power numbers. You're honestly going to say the "era" is responsible for the difference between 500 HR and 222?

Mattingly has an MVP, a #2 finish, and a 4 year stretch where his OPS+ was 156, 156, 161, and 146.

 

Konerko has topped 140 in OPS+ only 1 time in his career; last season, where he put up 156. His OPS+ in that 2004-2006 stretch went 127, 136, 134.

Brady Anderson's best year blows away anything Konerko has ever done too. The point of the Hall of Fame is that you are very successful for a very long period of time. Just because a guy has a 2-3 year run where he's a great player doesn't qualify him as better than someone who has been very successful for a very long time.

 

I get that Mattingly was a bit better than that, but he really wasn't much better. From 1984-87, he was one of the best hitters in the game. At every other point in his career, he was just OK. I also get that Mattingly's career was ended by a back injury, but the Hall of Fame can hold that against him.

 

Comparing their respective careers, I would say that Konerko has been better. He hasn't had the peak seasons Mattingly had, but he's had much better years otherwise and is still healthy enough that he'll be signed until he's 37.

 

Oh, and if Konerko does make it to 500 homers, it'd be a hell of an accomplishment. He has to average 34 homers a year from now until 2014, or 27 a year from now until 2015. He would be 39 during the 2015 season. I'm pretty sure that Matsui is the only player in the last 3 years to hit even 20 homers at age 37. Manny would have two years ago as well had he not been suspended for steroid use, which is pretty much a dead giveaway as to what was going on there.

 

Frank Thomas was the last guy to even 30 at age 38, and the last to hit 25 at the age of 39. He was one of the greatest hitters of all time.

 

(I may also be mistaken on those, so don't quote me exactly)If Konerko gets to 500 home runs, he should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. He is not going to get to 500 homers barring a minor miracle.

 

 

 

Eh, it pretty much is. 222 is not that impressive of a number. It may be like 300 in today's game, but it wasn't a complete deadball era.

Thome?

Mattingly has an MVP, a #2 finish, and a 4 year stretch where his OPS+ was 156, 156, 161, and 146.

 

Konerko has topped 140 in OPS+ only 1 time in his career; last season, where he put up 156. His OPS+ in that 2004-2006 stretch went 127, 136, 134.

I don't give a crap. 500 home runs is the milestone for players not suspected of using steroids, is it not?

 

And as for the smaller ballparks, not many of PK's home runs are cheap. I tend to think he would be pretty darn close to where he is now had he played in any era.

If Paul Konerko makes the Hall of Fame, the HOF should cease to exist. I love Paul, but he was never one of the top five first baseman in baseball at any one point. He has had a great career, been a terrific role model and won a World Series, but no way he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. 500 home runs is not a guarantee for the Hall of Fame anymore. In 10 years, countless others are going to join that list. Just like 300 wins used to be the automatic HOF wins total, now that is more like 250.

 

I hope Paul gets his number retired in Chicago, statue somewhere in the park, face on the outfield and all, but no HOF.

I don't 100% agree with this. I agree that the standards need to be high, and maybe higher than Konerko's will end up being. But, what if he ends up being a career .285 hitter with over 500 HRs? Would the "low" batting average hold him back, or are other things considered, like defense? I'm not being a smartass, I'm curious.

Thome?

 

I've mentally blocked him because of how pissed I was that he wasn't resigned by the White Sox.

So you're saying he would potentially be the first non-steroid guy to reach the 500 HR milestone and not make the HoF?

 

I don't know anything about Konerko off of the field, but there is no way of knowing that, thanks to Bud Selig and company.

I don't know anything about Konerko off of the field, but there is no way of knowing that, thanks to Bud Selig and company.

If there was ever a player I would feel comfortable betting a lot of money that never used steriods, PK would be him.

So you're saying he would potentially be the first non-steroid guy to reach the 500 HR milestone and not make the HoF?

 

He hasn't even gotten to 400 homers yet. I'm not going to assume he is going to hit 500.

If there was ever a player I would feel comfortable betting a lot of money that never used steriods, PK would be him.

 

I would guess not too, but I remember someone on here swearing differently who would have more inside access than I ever had.

Eh, it pretty much is. 222 is not that impressive of a number. It may be like 300 in today's game, but it wasn't a complete deadball era.

 

I really feel like if he played today, he wouldn't have swung for the average the way that he did, and would have looked for more power. That group with Boggs, Gwynn, Mattingly and co really look pride in their batting averages way more than we do.

I would guess not too, but I remember someone on here swearing differently who would have more inside access than I ever had.

 

That would be stunning to me. Seeing him in street clothes, he doesn't even look like an athlete.