I forgot about Elmore! Dang, ALL OF THE RIGHT HANDED UTILITY INFIELDERS!!!! LeuryG needs to make this team, and find a way to hit tough righties, so Alexei and/or Beckham are tolerable. Konerko really put a damper on this team's bench situation. Keppinger is toast. Gillaspie works fine with Davidson for the first few months if there is room for him, but I'm starting to think that the only way Davidson breaks with the big club is if Keppinger and/or Dunn are not on the team...

Pull Konerko off the roster though & we're still loaded on our bench. There are really only 2 main things hampering us IMO, 1) Dunn's deal, and 2) Keppinger's deal. Hopefully we can dump Kepp without eating more than $1.5M per or so, and hopefully we just dump Dunn for nothing if we have to. If we do that then things start looking a lot better, since Viciedo is the DH and DeAza is the LF, and at least one of Leury/Elmore gets to be on the club in Keppinger's spot, but as more of a true UT player.

 

Also, I think people should consider that if Paulie really sucks at the plate he might come down with a few "sore thumb" type of trips to the 15-day DL this season, and nobody is going to care, not the league, not the player's association, no one. OTOH if he hits a little bit we'll be happy about the whole thing, appreciating Paulie's career during his farewell tour.

Pull Konerko off the roster though & we're still loaded on our bench. There are really only 2 main things hampering us IMO, 1) Dunn's deal, ......... and hopefully we just dump Dunn for nothing if we have to.

 

Not sure how PK doesn't burn a roster spot but Adam Dunn does?

 

Assuming Hahn has to eat virtually all of Dunn's remaining salary to move him, I'd much rather have Dunn than Konerko. Especially considering that a Viciedo platoons with Dunn much better at DH than he does with PK.

 

Also, Dunn might be moveable at the deadline if the Sox are "out of it" and if you want to get someone more plate appearances at DH... where PK can't go anywhere other than the DL.

 

someone quoted Sox brass as being surprised how poorly developed his hit tool was

 

"Leury has a poorly developed tool" - Sox Brass

Not sure how PK doesn't burn a roster spot but Adam Dunn does?

 

Assuming Hahn has to eat virtually all of Dunn's remaining salary to move him, I'd much rather have Dunn than Konerko. Especially considering that a Viciedo platoons with Dunn much better at DH than he does with PK.

 

Also, Dunn might be moveable at the deadline if the Sox are "out of it" and if you want to get someone more plate appearances at DH... where PK can't go anywhere other than the DL.

Dunn takes away PA, Paulie isn't taking much away from anyone

 

The last thing the Sox need to do with Viciedo is platoon him

 

Dunn is movable when crappy, field-useless players with big contracts begin to be in demand... I can see a lot of things happening around July, probably not that though

It's frustrating to feel the dearth of emotional depth from White Sox fans writing about Paul Konerko burning a roster spot on the 2014 squad or blocking someone's progress or, Lord forbid, being second choice to Adam Dunn (whom I do not dislike).

 

Konerko is a team icon, and 2014 should be used to celebrate his terrific career, feel grateful that nearly all of it was played for our favorite team and thank him for his contributions on and off the field (consummate team captain, hard worker, played through injury...without ever a hint of scandal). Enjoy this for what it is...his farewell tour.

 

At worst it means the team has to eat some Keppinger or Dunn money to trade/release them. But the three legitimate stars-a-comin', Abreu, Davidson and Garcia, won't suffer; they will only be aided with a year of study under Paul Konerko. We can only hope any of their careers with the White Sox will begin to approach what Konerko has done for this organization.

It's frustrating to feel the dearth of emotional depth from White Sox fans writing about Paul Konerko burning a roster spot on the 2014 squad or blocking someone's progress or, Lord forbid, being second choice to Adam Dunn (whom I do not dislike).

 

Konerko is a team icon, and 2014 should be used to celebrate his terrific career, feel grateful that nearly all of it was played for our favorite team and thank him for his contributions on and off the field (consummate team captain, hard worker, played through injury...without ever a hint of scandal). Enjoy this for what it is...his farewell tour.

 

At worst it means the team has to eat some Keppinger or Dunn money to trade/release them. But the three legitimate stars-a-comin', Abreu, Davidson and Garcia, won't suffer; they will only be aided with a year of study under Paul Konerko. We can only hope any of their careers with the White Sox will begin to approach what Konerko has done for this organization.

Paul Konerko was so bad in 2013 that watching him struggle and be hurt for 2014 is not going to make me celebrate a darn thing.

Paul Konerko was so bad in 2013 that watching him struggle and be hurt for 2014 is not going to make me celebrate a darn thing.

 

Of course, you do not know whether or not he will struggle and/or be hurt for 2014 either.

It's frustrating to feel the dearth of emotional depth from White Sox fans writing about Paul Konerko burning a roster spot on the 2014 squad or blocking someone's progress or, Lord forbid, being second choice to Adam Dunn (whom I do not dislike).

Konerko is a team icon, and 2014 should be used to celebrate his terrific career, feel grateful that nearly all of it was played for our favorite team and thank him for his contributions on and off the field (consummate team captain, hard worker, played through injury...without ever a hint of scandal). Enjoy this for what it is...his farewell tour.

 

At worst it means the team has to eat some Keppinger or Dunn money to trade/release them. But the three legitimate stars-a-comin', Abreu, Davidson and Garcia, won't suffer; they will only be aided with a year of study under Paul Konerko. We can only hope any of their careers with the White Sox will begin to approach what Konerko has done for this organization.

 

This is the side of baseball I love the most.

This is the side of baseball I love the most.

Seriously, you'd rather watch applause for a veteran and a 65 win team than a playoff race?

Seriously, you'd rather watch applause for a veteran and a 65 win team than a playoff race?

 

I don't think he's saying that. However, having the opportunity to knowingly say good bye to an icon and one of the best players in franchise history is still pretty cool.

 

If you are implying that the Sox are a playoff team without Konerko, then you're crazy.

I don't think he's saying that. However, having the opportunity to knowingly say good bye to an icon and one of the best players in franchise history is still pretty cool.

 

If you are implying that the Sox are a playoff team without Konerko, then you're crazy.

No, I'm not implying that, but he said it's the side he loves most. Applauding an aging veteran might not even be in my top 100.

I don't think he's saying that. However, having the opportunity to knowingly say good bye to an icon and one of the best players in franchise history is still pretty cool.

 

If you are implying that the Sox are a playoff team without Konerko, then you're crazy.

 

Both of these. The difference between PK on the bench is what? A game, maybe two? Regardless it won't make any difference to the 2014 White Sox. They aren't winning this division anyway, so we might as well let a guy like Paul Konerko go out on his own terms, and get a little bit of well deserved love from the fans. Hell I wish guys like Mark and Frank got to do this too.

I don't think he's saying that. However, having the opportunity to knowingly say good bye to an icon and one of the best players in franchise history is still pretty cool.

 

If you are implying that the Sox are a playoff team without Konerko, then you're crazy.

 

We already said good bye to him at the end of last season. Why do it for another 162 games?

Both of these. The difference between PK on the bench is what? A game, maybe two? Regardless it won't make any difference to the 2014 White Sox. They aren't winning this division anyway, so we might as well let a guy like Paul Konerko go out on his own terms, and get a little bit of well deserved love from the fans. Hell I wish guys like Mark and Frank got to do this too.

I can't tell you how much I hated sitting there watching a diminished Paul Konerko weakly popping out last year and almost never hitting the big flies to LF that I was used to from him.

I can't tell you how much I hated sitting there watching a diminished Paul Konerko weakly popping out last year and almost never hitting the big flies to LF that I was used to from him.

 

Put winning out of your mind and it changes your perspective. This team isn't going to win, so why stress about it?

Put winning out of your mind and it changes your perspective. This team isn't going to win, so why stress about it?

I can't find the joy in watching a guy who can't contribute.

Put winning out of your mind and it changes your perspective. This team isn't going to win, so why stress about it?

 

Because it's sad to see one of your favorite players play like hot garbage.

I can't find the joy in watching a guy who can't contribute.

He is going to DH vs. LHP. What did he do against LHP last season which would indicate he cannot contribute?

He is going to DH vs. LHP. What did he do against LHP last season which would indicate he cannot contribute?

This makes sense when they ban bullpens.

This makes sense when they ban bullpens.

 

It's not going to affect the bullpen. The only thing it will affect will be the bench, and by all accounts, they are going to have the necessary pieces to be able to play someone at every position on any given day.

It's not going to affect the bullpen. The only thing it will affect will be the bench, and by all accounts, they are going to have the necessary pieces to be able to play someone at every position on any given day.

I mean every game where he gets the honor of starting against a lefty, he gets to pop out weakly when they put a righty reliever in against him in the 7th inning.

I personally do not mind once-great guys looking like a shell of their former selves at all. The game isn't entirely about what entertains me or doesn't. Konerko gave us so many great moments, I'm happy to see him get to go out in the exact manner he sees fit. If it means him having a sub.300 OBP all year then I will care about how it affects winning.........but then once we're past that point when (probably inevitably) 2014 wins arent a concern anymore... then I'll be fine with either him playing the whole year or doing a Kerry Wood midyear exit thing.

 

Besides, our offense has been bad enough where Konerko as-is against lefties.........and a mild bounceback against righties.......would be already one of our better bats (sadly). And a mild bounceback against righties is not out of the question, especially with a new role that will limit wear and tear (if that's a concern/contributor...obviously in addition to the immovable: age)

Because it's sad to see one of your favorite players play like hot garbage.

 

No more sad than any other bench player.

I mean every game where he gets the honor of starting against a lefty, he gets to pop out weakly when they put a righty reliever in against him in the 7th inning.

 

When the Sox are down 7-2 anyways with the only two runs coming on solo homers by Konerko, so he's done everything he could in the game already.

I mean every game where he gets the honor of starting against a lefty, he gets to pop out weakly when they put a righty reliever in against him in the 7th inning.

Or they go to Adam Dunn and he gets to hit against the righty. But keep moaning about a bench player.