Paul Konerko
From BR Bullpen
Paul Henry Konerko
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.
- High School Chaparral High School
- Debut September 8, 1997
- Born March 5, 1976 in Providence, RI USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Paul Konerko is a 5-time All-Star who has hit 396 home runs in the majors through 2011.
In the 1993 World Junior Championship, Konerko manned third base for the US and hit .387 with a .613 slugging percentage, 9 runs and 11 RBI. He led the Silver Medal winners in RBI and home runs.
He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 13th pick in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft. In 1997, he was named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America and Baseball Weekly and was named Pacific Coast League MVP. However, he struggled at the plate when called up by the Dodgers, and during the 1998 season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, who in turn traded him to the Chicago White Sox following the season. The Sox installed him as their everyday first baseman, and he responded by becoming one of the better hitters in the majors. He has hit at least 40 homers twice and driven in at least 100 runs three times. He also made the All-Star team twice and played an integral role in the 2005 White Sox run to the World Series. Following the 2005 season, he became a free agent, but despite lucrative offers from the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels, he signed a $60 million, 5 year deal to return to the Sox.
The 2004 and 2005 seasons represent a return to grace, as he had taken much criticism for his 2003 year in which he hit only .234 with 18 home runs. 2004 and 2005 also allowed Konerko to shine for the first time on a team where he had previously played fourth fiddle to Frank Thomas, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Lee. However, while he has become the biggest star on the White Sox, he has yet to achieve major prominence in the league, having never finished higher than sixth in the MVP voting.
In 2006, Konerko did all he could to justify his lucrative new contract. He made the All-Star team for a third time while posting a career-best .313 batting average. However, he again dropped to third fiddle on the team, as Jermaine Dye finished 5th in the MVP voting, and Jim Thome finished 12th, while Konerko was not in the top 20.
On April 13, 2009, Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit their 300th homers in the majors, the first teammates to do so in the same game. They managed the feat in back-to-back at-bats.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1997 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year, Albuquerque Dukes, Pacific Coast League
- 1997 MVP Pacific Coast League Albuquerque Dukes
- 5-time AL All-Star (2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 & 2011)
- 2005 ALCS MVP
- 2004 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 12 (1999-2002 & 2004-2011)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 7 (2001, 2004-2007, 2010 & 2011)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2004 & 2005)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (2002, 2004-2006, 2010 & 2011)
- Won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 2005
