http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/chicago...-hitters-091211

 

Are Kenny and Ozzie getting along? What’s Jerry going to do about it? Fire Kenny? Trade Ozzie? Hire Michael Jordan?

 

(Hey, there’s an idea: No. 23 can run the White Sox and earn back the money David Stern just fined him. Bring in Jerry Krause to manage. Replace Adam Dunn with Bill Cartwright.)

 

In all seriousness, the not-long-ago world champs have devolved into a six-month melodrama on the South Side: Chicago Soap. The White Sox lost again Monday, 14-4, to the scalding Detroit Tigers. At 11 1/2 games back, the final scores don’t matter anymore. The fans are mostly interested in whether Jerry Reinsdorf wants general manager Kenny Williams and/or manager Ozzie Guillen to return in 2012.

 

It speaks to the way we follow modern professional sports that the most-talked-about members of the White Sox organization are either (a) management types or (b) underperforming millionaires (Dunn, Alex Rios).

 

Paul Konerko? He’s just having an excellent season, which is precisely what his bosses are paying him to do. How rare. How honorable. How refreshing.

 

How sad that his example has been underappreciated.

 

If and when the White Sox start acting like the American League heavyweight they ought to be, there is no need for them to acquire an image-changing player. One of the best professionals in baseball has been playing first base at U.S. Cellular Field for more than a decade. But I wonder how many of those around him are truly paying attention.

 

Konerko never asks, “Where’s my recognition? Where’s my contract extension? Where’s my TV show?” He shrugs. He smiles. He works. He leads.

 

He observes.

 

“Baseball’s a game of personalities,” Konerko said in an interview last week. “Regardless of how this plays out — whether it keeps going, or if this is the end of the line, or whatever — I’m pretty sure I can say I probably played in the wildest, craziest time of this organization’s existence.

 

“There’s been a lot of different groups here over the years, if you follow the history of the White Sox. I’ve got to believe the last seven or eight or nine years have been the most … crazy. But we got a championship in there. You can’t forget that.”

 

I know what you’re thinking: The White Sox gave us Bill Veeck, Disco Demolition Night and uniforms without pants. How can the on-again, off-again feud between Williams and Guillen compete with that?

 

The same idea ran through my mind. But then I realized something: Those disco records were blown up in plain sight. Heaven knows what drama Konerko, the team captain, has seen behind closed doors. And he has a reputation for being as honest as anyone in the major leagues.

 

I’ll take his word for it.

 

The White Sox are fortunate that the coming offseason hysterics have nothing to do with Konerko, who has two years and $25.5 million left on the contract he signed before this season. He collected his 2,000th career hit earlier this year. Even at 35, he’s one of the elite sluggers in the American League. Five hitters have ranked among the AL’s top 10 in OPS during each of the past two seasons: Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz, Robinson Cano … and Konerko.

 

 

If you’re surprised, then you’ve arrived at the essence of Konerko: He puts up superstar numbers without superstar fanfare. That must be to his liking, or he would have done something about it by now. He plays in America’s third-largest market and has hit a grand slam in the World Series. If he wanted to become an endorsement star, he could. But he would rather devote his time and money to the charity he started in support of foster children. For that reason, the MLB Players Association included Konerko among the six finalists for its 2011 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.

 

Konerko doesn’t chase fame. He hits. And he’s been able to avoid fixating on the expectations associated with his eight-figure salary. That is a valuable trait. Based on their performances this season, I’m not sure Dunn and Rios have it.

 

“Just focus on the game at hand — nothing before, nothing after,” Konerko said, when asked to explain the mindset that has helped him remain so productive. “Every pitch — that’s all you have control over. When that gets thrown, the next one.”

 

And how many of those pitches he might have left?

 

“I certainly don’t think beyond this contract — if I think about anything, it’s just getting through it,” he said. “It gets harder every year, the older you get, to play at the level you’re accustomed to playing. Hopefully I can just get through the next couple years with the approach we talked about earlier — just trying to be as simple as I can, day to day.

 

“That could be it, two years from now. Who knows? If it is, then great. If it isn’t, then that’s great, too. If you retire at 37 or 38, I don’t think many people would say you left much on the table.”

 

In the meantime, the White Sox need his example as much as his bat. As an organization, they need less talk and more production — which, come to think of it, describes Paul Konerko’s baseball philosophy quite nicely. Guillen, unsatisfied with his current contract, told the Chicago Sun-Times last month, “Let’s get this straight: I’m the face of the franchise.” He’s probably right. But that’s not necessarily a good thing.

 

The White Sox have the perfect spokesman for the philosophical transformation they need to undergo in 2012. And he’s the guy who plays first base.

I'd have to say the wildest craziest time in franchise's history just might be the Black Sox scandal not Disco Demolition though I was at DD . But yea controversy always gets the headlines especially ongoing sagas like trials and feuds. Props to Paulie for another fine season.

Since no one noticed...the Kaptain hit HR #30 on the year today.

Since no one noticed...the Kaptain hit HR #30 on the year today.

 

I was there to see that no-doubter. I think they were saying he has now had 5 years of 30 HR and 100 RBIs. Dang impressive.

 

Also, nice to hear a bit about his charity work in the article.

It's unfortunate the team is squandering what very well might be his last good season. PK will be 36 next season.

Since no one noticed...the Kaptain hit HR #30 on the year today.

 

 

I saw it! And to think we had some calling for him to be traded or let go to free agency

It's unfortunate the team is squandering what very well might be his last good season. PK will be 36 next season.

 

 

I think PK has a lot left in the tank

Me too.

It's unfortunate the team is squandering what very well might be his last good season. PK will be 36 next season.

 

 

The same exact thing was said last season too and look at the season he put up with NO protection around him in our pathetic lineup. PK is a professional hitter and should do just as well next season. Unless of course Walker is fired....

The same exact thing was said last season too and look at the season he put up with NO protection around him in our pathetic lineup. PK is a professional hitter and should do just as well next season. Unless of course Walker is fired....

 

We have all said what a true gentleman and class act he is and has been. Anyone think he will have enough credentials/clout to be mentioned for the HOF?

We have all said what a true gentleman and class act he is and has been. Anyone think he will have enough credentials/clout to be mentioned for the HOF?

 

Not unless he hits like this until he is 40.

We have all said what a true gentleman and class act he is and has been. Anyone think he will have enough credentials/clout to be mentioned for the HOF?

 

 

White Sox Hall of fame for sure. Cooperstown I dont know

PK has been amazing to put up these numbers with essentially no protection for an entire season. Hell for that alone he should be considered for MVP.

PK has been amazing to put up these numbers with essentially no protection for an entire season. Hell for that alone he should be considered for MVP.

 

Now we can agree.. Take Paulie out of this lineup.. The Sox are picking Top 5 in 2012 draft.

The same exact thing was said last season too and look at the season he put up with NO protection around him in our pathetic lineup. PK is a professional hitter and should do just as well next season. Unless of course Walker is fired....

He's not a cyborg. Age will catch up to him. He's been damn-good this year, but his OPS still dropped 60 points. 36 year olds tend to start sucking quickly.

Now we can agree.. Take Paulie out of this lineup.. The Sox are picking Top 5 in 2012 draft.

Hm.

 

Kinda wish we'd taken Paulie out of this lineup then!

Hm.

 

Kinda wish we'd taken Paulie out of this lineup then!

 

Depends.. Who is doing the picking in 2012?

Depends.. Who is doing the picking in 2012?

Good point. KW and Co. would have just f***ed it all up.

He's not a cyborg.

You don't know that.

He's not a cyborg. Age will catch up to him. He's been damn-good this year, but his OPS still dropped 60 points. 36 year olds tend to start sucking quickly.

Its like 50 points above his career average this year.

 

I don't know when he will start sucking, but I could see him, the type of hitter he is, lasting longer than most guys. I hope he finds his way to the hall. 400 homers he'll have in april next year. If he could get up above 450 he might have a shot. Hes very well liked, which helps.

A guy like that you have to trade while his value is the highest. Imagine if we traded him in 2006 who we could have gotten for him. Damn Kenny.

 

With all that craziness we also watched PK and MB, two of the best character players of all time.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,5022064.story

 

There’s little doubt that first baseman Paul Konerko was the Chicago White Sox’s 2011 Most Valuable Player on the basis of his team-leading 31 home runs and 105 RBIs.

 

But not even Konerko could singlehandedly keep the Sox in contention in late August and September. When Carlos Quentin suffered a sprain of the AC joint in his left shoulder while making a diving catch on Aug. 20, Konerko was batting .316 despite a sore left calf to go with 28 home runs.

 

But the lack of protection was only a small reason why Konerko’s batting average sank to .300 while hitting only three home runs after Quentin’s injury. The season-long slump of Adam Dunn gave then-manager Ozzie Guillen little choice but to start Konerko at first base instead of giving him extended breaks at designated hitter down the stretch.

 

Despite Konerko’s impressive season, Sox first basemen ranked 10th in the American League with a .243 batting average, and they were fifth with 100 RBIs.

 

When he was allowed to, Guillen got plenty of mileage out of Konerko as the designated hitter. In 37 games as the DH, Konerko batted .348 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs.

 

Konerko, however, is the Sox’s best defensive first baseman, The Sox will need a comeback year from Dunn as well as occasional help from Tyler Flowers and maybe Brent Lillibridge to keep Konerko strong when he enters the 2012 season at the age of 36.

 

Konerko batted .319 in the first half but hit only .272 in the second half. Konerko coped with a sore left calf for the final two months, and his missed the final three games because of a very sore left elbow after getting hit by a pitch.

 

All signs point to Konerko and the Sox needing more help at first base to ensure that he remains strong throughout the 2012 season.