Results tagged ‘ Paul Konerko ’
More from Ken Williams
Even with three stories soon to be up on whitesox.com, focused on Kenny Williams’ Winter Meetings thoughts, there are still a few more nuggets of information from the White Sox general manager to be shared. So, here they are.
CLOSING TIME
Bobby Jenks is not being actively shopped, according to Williams, who has not had one present offseason trade talk concerning the burly right-hander to date. This assessment doesn’t mean Williams won’t listen to offers for Jenks at the Winter Meetings. In fact, Williams expects Jenks to be a topic of conversation at Indianapolis.
“He’s one of the game’s better closers and people need closers,” Williams said. “But so do we.”
A more in-depth look at the Jenks’ dynamic and the White Sox bullpen will be on the site today.
RUMOR MILL CHURNING
Williams claimed to not have even heard the recent rumor concerning a three-way trade involving the White Sox, Padres and Angels, a rumor termed as preliminary discussions for sending Adrian Gonzalez to the White Sox, Paul Konerko to the Angels and a plethora of prospects to the Padres. The Angels were never involved in such a deal, but check out the following by-play with Williams as representative of possible Gonzalez interest. Well, it just might show interest, as of course, nothing was said directly.
I asked Williams if he had talked to Jake Peavy during this offseason, trying to get a gauge on Peavy’s fire and preparedness for his first full season in Chicago. Williams told me that the two had spoken, with Williams needing to ask Peavy about a player from another team to whom he had interest.
“He’s already pumped up,” said Williams of Peavy.
When I asked Williams if that player he asked Peavy about was Gonzalez, he responded with a quick “No comment.”
Now, Williams could have just been throwing out a standard response when a media member asks him about a specific player. He might have been asking Peavy about catcher Henry Blanco, who played in San Diego last year and has drawn the White Sox interest. Williams has been known to seek out his veterans to get a feel for how a particular trade target would fit on the roster and the clubhouse, much more so than his talent.
Most White Sox fans surveyed would list Gonzalez as a perfect fit, and remember Williams never shies away from inquiring about top talent. He even asked about Johan Santana before the Twins traded him to the Mets.
“If you’re good, I’ve asked about you,” said Williams with a laugh.
WAIT AND SEE
Don’t expect talks to begin any time soon in extending catcher A.J. Pierzynski or first baseman Paul Konerko, whose multi-year deals expire after 2010.
“Way too early,” Williams said. “I’ve got to look at so much focus on 2010. That’s something I can’t focus on.”
ALL ABOUT ANDRUW
The expediency with which Andruw Jones signed with the White Sox, not to mention the $500,000 as the agreed upon salary, with incentives that could add on another $1 million, proves Jones truly wants to play for the White Sox.
“He’s been a great player for a long time and has gotten derailed doing some things that really isn’t his game,” said Williams of Jones. “But he and Ozzie have a great rapport.
“Andruw knows he’s coming here in a backup role. It’s always a key, when talking about a player who has amassed the numbers and accomplishments he has amassed, to be accepting of his role.
“But he really, really wanted to be here,” Williams said. “He wanted to be a part of what we are trying to do. That combination, the player and the dollars, it makes sense for us.”
Williams also knows that he has a player who could be something special if he returns to past form. As for not pursuing Jones prior to the 2008 season, after fellow center field aces Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand and even Kosuke Fukudome wound up with different teams, Williams explained how the two-year, $36 million deal Jones eventually signed with the Dodgers didn’t even factor into the White Sox lack of interest.
“I didn’t make one phone call to Scott Boras,” said Williams of talking with Jones’ representative in the 2007 offseason. “And that’s not because we didn’t like the player. It simply was because we had our sights set on a different target.”
Guillen already has talked to his friend about coming to Glendale in the best possible physical condition.
“Ozzie has advised Andruw that it’s in his best interest to show up in shape,” Williams said. “But the good thing about Andruw is he knows who Ozzie is and what he is about and didn’t shy away from the challenge.”
NAME GAME
Remember the names Daniel Hudson, Lucas Harrell, Jhonny Nunez, Jon Link, Sergio Santos and Randy Williams. If the White Sox don’t add a veteran reliever, these young hurlers will fill out the final two spots in the White Sox bullpen.
Perfect game superstitions and the big comeback
I’ll take full responsibility for Gavin Floyd losing his perfect game during Saturday’s 5-1 victory over the Red Sox. Or at least that’s what I was comically informed by my friend Jennifer on my Facebook page, after I apparently Tweeted too many times about Floyd’s consecutive batters retired.
There probably was a way I could have worked around saying perfect game, such as Floyd has retired 12 in a row or 18 in a row or no Boston baserunners have reached base, but I’m going to side with Mark Buehrle in this matter and state that I don’t buy into the perfect game/no-hitter superstition. If a pitcher is going to throw one, he’s going to throw one regardless of what I write.
I wasn’t even here for Buehrle’s perfect game, but I talked about it with a bunch of friends as it was happening and he still finished it off. Now, I certainly respect the people who follow the no-hitter superstitions. I myself have plenty of my own, in life, in general.
Rarely, if ever, will I do anything important when the clock reads 13 minutes in the time. And when I’m singing along with a song in the car, which is not exactly easy on anybody’s eardrums, I won’t sing the words death or die. It makes for interesting lyrical changes in a song such as American Pie.
So, who am I to criticize superstitious behavior? If I must be the fall guy for Nick Green’s hit after Floyd retired 17 straight, then so be it.
–As usual, Paul Konerko seems to have the proper perspective in regard to whether the White Sox have enough time to catch Detroit. They need to make up 6 ½ games over the final 25, with six games in their final nine coming against the Tigers.
“I think there is,” Konerko said. “I mean, it’s not going to be easy and like I said, we might need some help at some point because with those six head-to-head games with Detroit, you can’t expect to be five or six back and you have to sweep them.
“They’re a good team, so you need to kind of knock that down. But I think the best thing you can do is not think about the grand scheme of the whole season. Just think about each day and each inning and try to play as hard as we can and win that day.
“If we start creeping up on them, that would be great,” Konerko said. “But we’ve put ourselves in a hole and Detroit is a good team. It’s going to be tough, but we’ve got to keep working. We signed up for 162 here so we have to play hard every game and if it doesn’t work out, then we go home. But we have to play hard every day.”
–Jermaine Dye told me after Saturday’s game that he was ready to play on Saturday. So, the right fielder and his temporarily balky back will return to the lineup on Sunday.
–Here’s an interesting tidbit. Gordon Beckham is dining with a famous Chicago baseball legend on Saturday night. Who is it? The name will be revealed on Sunday.
–Same prediction as last year. The rejuvenated University of Michigan football team will top Notre Dame next Saturday in Ann Arbor. If the Wolverines win, I make a $200 contribution to White Sox Charities. If they lose, then the contribution is $100. White Sox Charities should benefit from Michigan’s excellence.
The World According to Beckham
As Gordon Beckham stood in front of his locker and waited for the postgame media barrage to move toward him following Sunday’s 8-4 loss to the Indians, one highly educated White Sox observer put forth the following observation.
“The new Paul Konerko,” the observer said with a smile.
That point wasn’t made to compare Beckham, who has been up in the Majors for about the amount of time it takes to prepare three or four deep dish pizzas, to the highly accomplished career of Konerko. All that was being pointed out is that Beckham, much like the White Sox team captain, has become a go-to interview before and after the game.
To use a phrase invoked many times previously in this blog and on MLB.com, Beckham gets it–he gets all aspects of being a big leaguer.
There was one especially funny moment on Beckham’s part Sunday, though, dealing with a question from ESPN 1000 ace-reporter Bryan Dolgin. The inquiry was about the White Sox last road trip, a 1-6 showing in Detroit and Minneapolis, and how the South Siders clearly need to be better in Seattle and Oakland.
Certainly, a fair enough and appropriate question. Here’s Beckham’s comedic response.
“You know, the funny thing is I don’t even remember the last road trip. Until you brought that up, I didn’t even remember it,” Beckham said. “So, if we lose, it’s your fault.”
Of course, everyone circled around Beckham let out a good laugh. The kid has the talent to be a superstar, with the leadership qualities and easy-going approach to the game built in.
So, remember, if the White Sox struggle on the West Coast, despite their combined 17-49 record in Seattle and Oakland since 2001, it’s on Dolgin’s shoulders now by Beckham’s decree.
“It’s sometimes good to change scenery and get on the road and get away from distractions,” added Beckham, taking a more serious tone about the upcoming trip.
Dugout disagreement
All was not well in the White Sox dugout after a rough showing in the field during the second inning of Monday’s contest at the Metrodome.
Shortstop Alexei Ramirez had to be held back by Jermaine Dye from going after A.J. Pierzynski, after Pierzynski showed his verbal displeasure for Ramirez that was caught on tape by the Minnesota broadcast of the game. Pierzynski was shown saying something to Ramirez, even as Pierzynski was walking away, before Ramirez started moving toward Pierzynski. The White Sox had committed two errors leading to two unearned runs in the bottom of the second, but neither mistake had anything to do with Pierzynski or Ramirez.
Ozzie Guillen clearly was not happy with the entire situation, also caught on camera firing a towel down to the ground before kicking a bucket of gum on to the field just outside the dugout. The White Sox came back and took the lead after the dugout disagreement, with Paul Konerko’s two-run home run off of Glen Perkins giving the visitors a one-run advantage.
Message from The King
Ask Paul Konerko to define a home run hitter, and he’ll point down the row of lockers at the White Sox home clubhouse to Jim Thome. Or maybe he’ll talk about one-time teammate Frank Thomas.
Even with 314 career long balls, Konerko doesn’t come to the plate looking to go deep. Not even after last night’s three home run explosion. So, Konerko had no problems with knocking out two singles and raising his average to .304 during Wednesday’s 5-1 victory over the Indians.
“You’ve got to watch out because if you try to get too greedy up there, this game has a way of coming back at you and flipping you over and turning around on you,” Konerko said. “I think I had a good approach last night, which was not to try to hit homers and just keep doing that.
“Homers come and go. They come in bunches. They’re like bananas. That’s how you’ve got to treat them. It’s frustrating when you’re not getting them, but just to be productive and get on base, drive in a run here in there, score a run here and there, that’s the goal.”
Konerko talked prior to Wednesday’s win about the trio of ripe bananas picked, as it were, during Tuesday’s 10-6 victory over the Indians. Konerko received two curtain calls, following the grand slam and home run No. 3, and said he heard about the second trip out of the dugout to acknowledge the fans from his teammates.
“You catch a lot of grief,” Konerko said. “With the second curtain call there, guys where saying, ‘You’ve already got one. You don’t need to go back out.’
“I didn’t really know what to do, to be honest. I’ve done it before. You always keep in mind, or I try to, we were winning the game pretty big at that point, you don’t want to show anybody up and make a mockery of it. So I hope I didn’t do that.
“As a player, you always try to kind of think about that when you hit, rounding the bases and celebrating, you don’t want to show anybody up,” Konerko said. “When you’re on the other side of that, it doesn’t feel good. You just make sure that you’re being respectable.”
The White Sox team captain mentioned how the right thumb injury that has bothered him for the past two years was not magically cured with the most recent cortisone shot. He said that the blood flows better in the area when it’s hot and humid, although Wednesday’s game-time temperature was an inexplicable 63 degrees for July 8.
“But it’s always a couple bad jam shots away from getting back,” Konerko said. “So I try to stay on top of it and take care of it when it’s not hurting. I think that’s the key is don’t wait until it gets all inflamed and really starts to hurt.”
In regard to hitting the baseball, Konerko’s key seems to be not doing too much. It’s an especially important philosophy when/if the weather gets hot and humid at hitter friendly U.S. Cellular Field.
“When the ball is jumping out and you sense it in BP, if you’re not careful, you can get out of your approach and try to do too much,” Konerko said. “That can lead you to a bad place. I think it takes some discipline.
“A lot of times when you go to a bigger park, like Detroit or Seattle, you wind up hitting some home runs and driving the ball because you kind of take it out of the equation that you’re going to hit the ball hard. That’s what you should do.
“Walk (hitting coach Greg Walker) and Gelly (assistant hitting coach Mike Gellinger) really stay on top of us to hit the ball hard and to use right center and right field, because when this field is playing well and jumping, you can hit balls out to right field as easy as to left,” Konerko said. “If you keep that approach, usually you wind up hitting some to left, so I think that’s the way to go.”
Crosstown Showdown, U.S. Cellular version: Day 2
Here are a few additional tidbits from another in the long line of battles between the Cubs and White Sox, covering 13 years. When Interleague Play was invented, I have to believe this is the sort of crowd-pleasing rivalry Major League Baseball had in mind.
–In a day filled with White Sox miscues, one of the strangest ones came on a Mark Buehrle balk in the fifth inning. Alfonso Soriano opened with a bloop single to right and Ryan Theriot drew a walk. Both runners moved up a base when Buehrle went to throw over to first base but Paul Konerko was not near the base. So, Buehrle didn’t go through with the throw, which isn’t allowed while he’s still on the rubber.
The veteran southpaw took full responsibility for this particular mistake.
“I screwed up. It was totally my fault. Not Konerko, (bench coach) Joey (Cora) or (catcher) A.J. (Pierzynski),” Buehrle said. “I was thinking it was a timing play when A.J. gave me the sign. Then, instead of stepping off, I threw it.”
Buehrle believes the balk actually helped the White Sox stay out of a big inning. Milton Bradley’s ensuing line out might not have ended up with shortstop Alexei Ramirez if the middle infield was playing double-play depth with runners on first and second.
As for Buehrle’s effort on the mound, allowing three earned runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, he said that he felt great.
“Obviously, I lost something in that last inning,” said Buehrle, who has a 5.40 ERA in his last three starts at home. “But overall, I felt pretty good.”
–Both manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams have talked about the Cubs-White Sox series being the biggest one either team is going to play if they don’t make the playoffs. The two teams aren’t exactly juggernauts at this point, but the Cubs sit just 3 ½ games out in the National League Central and the White Sox now are just 5 back in the AL Central.
So, Buehrle certainly isn’t ready to pronounce these five games, with one postponement to be made up in September, as the highlight of the season.
“Well, I don’t want to sit there and think that now,” Buehrle said. “There are still two or three months left in the season. I’m not thinking that right now. I just want to go out there and try to win games to get to the playoffs.”
–The scariest moment for Gordon Beckham on Saturday was not hitting in the ninth inning against Cubs reliever Jose Ascanio, with the game on the line. It was seeing Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski coming at him at full speed, as the celebration began after his game-winning hit.
“When you see Thome is at full sprint, you know something is up,” said Beckham with a laugh. “It was a lot of fun.”
“Good, good. Just so he remembers that,” Thome said. “No, we were having a little fun with him. It was good.”
–Best guesses for the White Sox All-Star candidates would be Buehrle, reliever Matt Thornton or right fielder Jermaine Dye. But it’s hard to overlook Scott Podsednik, who has been as important to this team staying afloat as anyone on the roster.
–The White Sox are 10-6 in Interleague Play, with two games remaining. Bobby Jenks earned his first career Interleague win on Saturday.
Crosstown Showdown: U.S. Cellular Field version
Here are a few additional tidbits from the Cubs 5-4 victory over the White Sox on Friday, a competitive and entertaining affair, which sadly is sure to be overshadowed by the dugout outburst from one Cubs outfielder.
–Paul Konerko had his 118-game errorless streak come to an end in the seventh inning, when he bobbled Mike Fontenot’s chopper as Konerko was moving toward second and then couldn’t get the ball to Jose Contreras covering at first base. Geovany Soto followed with a three-run blast to left-center that proved to be the game-winner.
Konerko is an extremely underrated defensive player at first base, and was given the out by one reporter on the miscue coming off of a bad hop. Instead, Konerko explained the thought process on the play.
“That play, it’s one where, as a first baseman, you’ve got kind of a choice when that ball is hit,” Konerko said. “If you just pull up, you can go back to the bag and just get an easy out at first, and then you have a guy at second.
“Then, if there’s a broken-bat hit, you feel sick.You aggressively go after it, and you know it’s kind of a do or die, and I died there. But it’s aggressive. You’re going to make errors. I’d rather make them hard and aggressive like that than laying back. No worries there.
“I wish I would have made it,” Konerko said. “I feel bad when I make an error like that behind Jose because he was pitching so well. I thought he was having a really good day. He threw the ball really well today and battled. You’re sick in that respect, but you’re going to make errors. If I can make them all like that, I’ll be happy.”
Meanwhile, the White Sox might have put a bigger scare into Kevin Gregg in the ninth if not for a great play by Derrek Lee. Pinch-hitter Dewayne Wise hit a shot to Lee, who made a diving stop and flipped to Gregg covering first base, with Gregg beating Wise by half a step for the inning’s second out.
– Ozzie Guillen pinch-hit Josh Fields for Gordon Beckham with two outs in the ninth inning because he wanted to go for the tie with the White Sox trailing by one and down to their last bullet.
“Besides that, the on-base percentage is a lot different,” Guillen said. “Fields had a good at-bat and gave us a chance to get somebody on base, and Beckham has struggled lately.”
Fields drew a walk, after being down in the count at 1-2, before Scott Podsednik took a called third strike that appeared to be a bit outside on a 2-2 pitch for the game’s final out.
– Nobody on the Cubs asked me, but here’s a lineup idea presented by my brother, Jeff, once Aramis Ramirez returns. Move Alfonso Soriano to second base and put Jake Fox in left field. It’s hard to imagine Fox’s big bat going to the Minors or the bench.
And remember, he’s another proud producer from the University of Michigan pipeline.
–Jose Contreras has allowed eight home runs in his last three starts against the Cubs. He also suffered from back spasms during Friday’s game but stayed in the game after the discomfort dissipated.
“I felt a little pinch,” said Contreras through interpreter and White Sox director of public relations Lou Hernandez. “I had to lower myself a little bit to throw the forkball, but luckily it was nothing. It was just a little pinch at that moment.”
–Sight not seen by the masses: As Guillen was exiting his postgame press conference in the U.S. Cellular Field Conference and Learning Center, he paused briefly to exchange hugs and a few words with Lou Piniella outside the Cubs clubhouse, before Piniella went into his meeting with the media.
–And finally, one comment from Konerko on getting a look at any of Milton Bradley’s dugout outburst.
“Not at all. Well, I shouldn’t say not at all,” Konerko said. “I saw some guys move down in the tunnel. I didn’t know why. I didn’t even know who it had to do with. And that was it. And then you kind of caught wind of it later in the game.
“That’s all I know. You tell me. I’m sure I’ll find out. I’m sure some one will let us know. But yeah, it’s not our business.”
–Actually, one final note. Remember, the White Sox lost the first game of the series in Milwaukee and Cincinnati and at home against the Dodgers, but they came back to win all three series. They are 9-7 overall in Interleague Play.
Postgame commentary
The White Sox will honor the 50th anniversary of the 1959 World Series team, a group that lost to the Dodgers, prior to Thursday’s series finale. Luis Aparicio, Jim Rivera, Billy Pierce and Jim Landis are some of the players from that team scheduled to be in attendance.
But leave it to Ozzie Guillen to lend his interesting, yet somewhat bizarre, and always humorous take on the planned ceremony.
“They’re still alive?” said Guillen with a laugh, drawing a laugh from the media during his press conference following Wednesday’s 10-7 win. “I see Billy everyday. Every time I see Billy, he’s Mr. White Sox.
“I think what they did was nice. I hope they invite me when they celebrate the 2005 team. If I keep managing this ballclub, pretty soon I’m not going to be alive, but it’s always nice to see those people back in uniform, back in town.
“But we see those guys every time,” Guillen said. “Just name it. We see them everywhere. We sign autographs at the zoo, they’re behind us. That doesn’t surprise me.”
–Asked to describe how Josh Fields has handled his move from starting third baseman to utility player, team captain Paul Konerko offered the following analysis.
“Classy. Awesome. Hard-worker. Does all that is asked of him,” Konerko said. “It was nice to see him rewarded tonight.”
Fields earned a start at third base on Thursday with his three-hit, two home run effort on Wednesday.
“Dads say it as far back as in Little League: Hit and you play,” Field said. “I felt good about my at-bats and my swing.”
–I was asked this question tonight during the game, and I’m looking for a little help from the White Sox fan base in finding an answer.
Jared Mitchell, who was the Outstanding Player at the College World Series and the White Sox top pick in the 2009 First-Year Player, has won a football and baseball title at LSU. How many other collegiate players can make that same claim? I’ll hang up and listen for your responses.
While the White Sox had to be thrilled by Mitchell’s performance, No. 1 Texas fan John Danks didn’t seem all too excited about the Longhorns’ loss.
Going Deep
The six home runs hit by the White Sox against the Dodgers on Wednesday night were the most hit by the team since they knocked out six on June 8, 2004 against Philadelphia. As a full service blog, here’s how the home runs broke down during that particular 14-11 victory, in which the legendary Amaury Telemaco suffered the loss.
–Paul Konerko and Juan Uribe each hit two.
–Frank Thomas hit one off of Telemaco
–Carlos Lee went deep off of Ryan Madson
Also of note that night, Mark Buehrle earned the victory and Mike Jackson gave up five runs in one inning of relief.
On Wednesday, the home runs belong to Josh Fields, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jayson Nix, Alexei Ramirez and Josh Fields again.
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