Will Konerko return to the Sox in 2014?

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by Noneck

Maybe you guys are right but Paul is a special guy here. He has more plate appearances as a Sox than anyone but Fox in my lifetime. (and many of Nellies pa's were before I was born or when I was too young). He is the last player on the Sox from the 2005 team which was the most important moment in Sox history for any Sox fan alive. Ive known people that have gone to Sox games just to see a statue of a player. Next year he would be a living statue to come see. (I know he would probably play as one also) Maybe Im just thinking that people will go to the park to remember the best times and he will be the only one to remind them of that. People use the past to get them through bad times.

Again, we've had the last year and a half to see Paulie for nostalgia purposes.

[Noneck]

Originally Posted by SephClone89

Again, we've had the last year and a half to see Paulie for nostalgia purposes.

Last year people had a team to watch, this year people were shell shocked. Next year reality sets in.

[amsteel]

Originally Posted by doublem23

The Sox's loyalty in the front office personnel has not manifested itself toward players;

This is true, but the Sox are facing an offseason in which STHs are going to leave in droves, the Ventura experiment has failed, and the couple decent players they do have aren't particularly media darlings (not that they're bad people or anything but Sale isn't exactly a marketing dept's dream).

The Sox are obsessed with their image with their fans so I'd expect Konerko or Pierzynski on the team next year because w/o either of them there is not a fan favorite in the field.

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jinx

Yeah, we aren't talking about a Griffey or a Ripken here. Everyone loves Paulie. I'm sure in 40 years there will be a few posters here that will remember that everything in the past was better than it really was and declare him a saint, but dude isn't even a fringe HOF guy.

Define fringe, I think he sticks around on the ballot for awhile but I don't think he gets in.

As for him coming back next year, I think he is probably going to retire. I don't know why I think that, I just think he will. If he wants to come back though (for a huge discount) I don't know if I would be terribly opposed to that. I still think Konerko is a better first baseman than Dunn and the only other guy that could play there is Viciedo. I don't think we have any young first baseman prospects, do we?

[TaylorStSox]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

Define fringe, I think he sticks around on the ballot for awhile but I don't think he gets in.

As for him coming back next year, I think he is probably going to retire. I don't know why I think that, I just think he will. If he wants to come back though (for a huge discount) I don't know if I would be terribly opposed to that. I still think Konerko is a better first baseman than Dunn and the only other guy that could play there is Viciedo. I don't think we have any young first baseman prospects, do we?

He's not even fringe. For perspective, he finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice, never higher than 5th. Dale Murphy won 2 MVP's and was never really fringe.

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by TaylorStSox

He's not even fringe. For perspective, he finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice, never higher than 5th. Dale Murphy won 2 MVP's and was never really fringe.

Well Murphy has been on the ballot for fifteen years and got 23% of the vote once, I think Konerko will get similar numbers. I think Konerko will also benefit from voters punishing guys from the steroid era, in 2005 he finished behind A-Rod, Ortiz, Hafner, Guerrero and Manny, three of those four tested positive for PEDs and Hafner had links as well. Konerko also has that World Series ring, ALCS MVP and 7 post season home runs which should help him a little bit.

Of course had either Konerko or Murphy played for either the Yankees or Red Sox they'd be Hall of Famers.

[BainesHOF]

Originally Posted by Huisj

Konerko's hitting .278 this month. He's been arguably better this month than in other months this year. He hit .209 in July and .228 in August. He had 2 HR and 9 RBI in August, and he has 2 HR and 9 RBI in September. I'm not sure what the "decent" and "really bad" periods you mention are. Is the really bad just the last 9 games when he's hitting .229 with no extra base hits? That's a pretty small sample size.

There was a post-break period where Konerko at least gave an occasional impression that he was a Major League hitter. He was hitting some balls hard, mostly singles to center and right. Lately, it's been a victory if he hits a soft single just over the infield. Yes, he's had a handful of those hits this month, but his "dangerous" factor at that the plate is currently at an all-time low. Even his fly outs are seldom deep. Hey, it happens to the best of them. I just hope he can be honest with himself.

What's interesting is nobody really knows what's going to happen. That's probably because Konerko and Hahn don't even know at the moment.

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by BainesHOF

There was a post-break period where Konerko at least gave an occasional impression that he was a Major League hitter. He was hitting some balls hard, mostly singles to center and right. Lately, it's been a victory if he hits a soft single just over the infield. Yes, he's had a handful of those hits this month, but his "dangerous" factor at that the plate is currently at an all-time low. Even his fly outs are seldom deep. Hey, it happens to the best of them. I just hope he can be honest with himself.

What's interesting is nobody really knows what's going to happen. That's probably because Konerko and Hahn don't even know at the moment.

I really think he never got over that wrist injury last year, he was hitting over .380 with a 1.000 OPS on June 1st and then he had that "wrist procedure" around that time and wasn't the same. He still managed to hit .300 in July but he had only 5 extra base hits. When I have watched him, I have noticed he has a good approach but his power is just non-existent.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by BainesHOF

That's probably because Konerko and Hahn don't even know at the moment.

Hahn's not an idiot, I have a pretty good idea he knows what's going to happen he's just not publicly running his mouth because why? What leverage does he need over Konerko at this point? Let the guy play out his games and let him exit with grace. No need to antagonize the guy in public.

[Mr. Jinx]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

Define fringe, I think he sticks around on the ballot for awhile but I don't think he gets in.

I would define fringe as Keith Hernandez. Was on the ballot for 9 years, never got more than 10% of the vote. Won 1 MVP, 11 gold gloves, has a higher career WAR, has 1 more WS ring (not that it should matter) than Konerko. To me, that is fringe, and Paulie is below that.

[Golden Sox]

If you look at most of Konerkos offensive numbers, they're better than Ron/Pizza Man/Scab/ Santo's numbers. Maybe if the the White Sox TV/Radio announcers keep telling everybody every game for years that Konerko belongs in the HOF, maybe he'll get in. That same thing finally got Santo into the HOF. Whenever you watched a Cubs game for years they're announcers kept telling everybody that Santo should be in the HOF. I have to give them credit, they finally got him inducted. After Santo retired after the 1974 season, I don't think anybody seriously thought he would get into the HOF, but he eventually did. Maybe if the the White Sox organization promotes Konerko as relentlessly as the Cubs organization did Santo, PK might get into the HOF.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jinx

I would define fringe as Keith Hernandez. Was on the ballot for 9 years, never got more than 10% of the vote. Won 1 MVP, 11 gold gloves, has a higher career WAR, has 1 more WS ring (not that it should matter) than Konerko. To me, that is fringe, and Paulie is below that.

Not to mention that Hernandez appeared on several episodes of Seinfeld ("That was one magic loogy"!!

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by Golden Sox

If you look at most of Konerkos offensive numbers, they're better than Ron/Pizza Man/Scab/ Santo's numbers. Maybe if the the White Sox TV/Radio announcers keep telling everybody every game for years that Konerko belongs in the HOF, maybe he'll get in. That same thing finally got Santo into the HOF. Whenever you watched a Cubs game for years they're announcers kept telling everybody that Santo should be in the HOF. I have to give them credit, they finally got him inducted. After Santo retired after the 1974 season, I don't think anybody seriously thought he would get into the HOF, but he eventually did. Maybe if the the White Sox organization promotes Konerko as relentlessly as the Cubs organization did Santo, PK might get into the HOF.

Except there's a difference between third basemen and first basemen; there are fewer 3B in the HOF than any other position because it is so notoriously difficult a position; Santo's numbers against his position's are far superior to Konerko's. And, of course, comparing their numbers side by side is kind of silly because Konerko played in arguably the 2nd most pro-offense era in baseball history; his career oWAR is 33.6, compared to Santo's which is 66.4.

I'll agree that Santo is a low level, borderline Hall of Famer, but Konerko absolutely in no way is one.

[Golden Sox]

Pk played in a more hitter friendly era, but Santo played most of his career in a little bandbox known as Wrigley Field. Cubs fans seem to forget about Santos last year with the White Sox. Santo hit.221 with 5 home runs and 41 rbis in 1974. Those wind blown Wrigley Field Home runs were just long outs at Comiskey Park. Being the cry baby that Santo was I wasn't surprised when Santo blamed White Sox manager Chuck tanner for his dismal 1974 season.

[Steelrod]

If the Sox offer PK a token offer, he'd be smart to accept it. Jermaine Dye wanted to find out his market value,, and did!
I personally have no problem having Paul on the team next year and going out in style. No one ever wants to end their careers, and he deserves a chance to finish on a high note.