2008 Woodie Awards
Sox should be fine without Konerko
Sox can affrd to lose top slugger if they find an adequate replacement
Mark Johnson
Issue date: 11/25/05 Section: Sports
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Read a Chicago newspaper or listen to talk radio in the city and it seems that the world champion White Sox will have little chance of defending their title if they lose free agent first baseman Paul Konerko.
And while I won't discount what Konerko brought to the Sox this season, I'm here to say that the team should be in good shape should Konerko leave for greener financial pastures.
The Sox lost exclusive bidding rights to Konerko last Friday, meaning he is free to sign with any team should they do enough to entice him. He has expressed interest in returning to the South Side, but the price tag is expected to near or reach $70 million over five years.
Konerko proved himself extremely valuable to Chicago's remarkable season. He batted .283 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs for a lineup that lacked another bona fide power source. He also had several memorable moments in the postseason, as he provided five homers and 15 RBIs to Chicago's defeats of Boston, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Houston.
But the Sox of 2005 epitomized the concept of playing as a team, and general manager Ken Williams has made it clear he values the sum rather than any of the parts. Just last offseason, right fielder Magglio Ordonez was considered indispensable by many fans, yet he was allowed to leave for Detroit, where he had a rough, injury-plagued season. Carlos Lee was also a prominent slugger for the Sox in past years, yet Williams' trade of him to Milwaukee for leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik was considered key for the Sox as they improved from an 83-79 showing in 2004.
Now, Sox fans and observers seem convinced that losing Konerko would be devastating. But as recently as 2003, when Konerko hit only .234 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs, it's unlikely they would have felt the same way. And now that he's expected to join the pay club of Major League Baseball's elite, it's clear that it's time to go in another direction, especially with Jerry Reinsdorf still setting the payroll.
And while I won't discount what Konerko brought to the Sox this season, I'm here to say that the team should be in good shape should Konerko leave for greener financial pastures.
The Sox lost exclusive bidding rights to Konerko last Friday, meaning he is free to sign with any team should they do enough to entice him. He has expressed interest in returning to the South Side, but the price tag is expected to near or reach $70 million over five years.
Konerko proved himself extremely valuable to Chicago's remarkable season. He batted .283 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs for a lineup that lacked another bona fide power source. He also had several memorable moments in the postseason, as he provided five homers and 15 RBIs to Chicago's defeats of Boston, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Houston.
But the Sox of 2005 epitomized the concept of playing as a team, and general manager Ken Williams has made it clear he values the sum rather than any of the parts. Just last offseason, right fielder Magglio Ordonez was considered indispensable by many fans, yet he was allowed to leave for Detroit, where he had a rough, injury-plagued season. Carlos Lee was also a prominent slugger for the Sox in past years, yet Williams' trade of him to Milwaukee for leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik was considered key for the Sox as they improved from an 83-79 showing in 2004.
Now, Sox fans and observers seem convinced that losing Konerko would be devastating. But as recently as 2003, when Konerko hit only .234 with 18 homers and 65 RBIs, it's unlikely they would have felt the same way. And now that he's expected to join the pay club of Major League Baseball's elite, it's clear that it's time to go in another direction, especially with Jerry Reinsdorf still setting the payroll.
