Paul Konerko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paul Konerko |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Konerko with the Chicago White Sox in 2011
|
|||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 5, 1976 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 8, 1997, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2014, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .279 | ||
| Hits | 2,340 | ||
| Home runs | 439 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,412 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Paul Henry Konerko (/kəˈnɛərkoʊ/ kə-NAIR-koh; born March 5, 1976) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 to 2014. Paul is best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. He was a six-time American League All-Star and a team captain. He helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series. Konerko started his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds. In 2014, he received the special Roberto Clemente Award.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Paul Konerko was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His parents were Henry and Elena Konerko. He has Polish and Italian family roots. Paul went to Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. During his senior year, he was named the Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette Player of the Year. He led his team to win a state championship.
In 1994, Konerko hit an amazing .558, which was a school record for batting average at the time. He also held school records for doubles and home runs. Experts even ranked him as the best catcher in the nation during his senior year. After high school, he planned to play college baseball at Arizona State.
Starting His Professional Career
Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds
The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Paul Konerko in the first round of the 1994 MLB draft. He was the 13th player chosen overall. Dodgers scout Eddie Bane had been watching Paul since he was 13 years old.
In 1995, while playing for a minor league team called the San Bernardino Spirit, Paul made history. He drove in the only run in a 21-inning game. This was the longest shutout game in the history of the California League.
Paul played for the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes for most of the 1997 season. He had a great year, batting .323 with 37 home runs and 127 RBI in 130 games. He was one of only four Dodgers players to win the "Minor League Player of the Year" award twice.
On September 8, 1997, Konerko played his first major league game with the Dodgers. He got his first hit as a pinch hitter against the Florida Marlins. In 1998, he played in 49 games for the Dodgers.
On July 4, 1998, Konerko was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played 26 games for the Reds before being traded again.
Becoming a Chicago White Sox Star
Early Years and World Series Win (1999–2005)
On November 11, 1998, the Reds traded Paul Konerko to the Chicago White Sox. This was a big move for his career. When he joined the White Sox, Paul quickly became a strong hitter. In his first season with Chicago in 1999, he hit .294 with 24 home runs and 81 RBI.
In 2000, Konerko continued to play well. The White Sox made the playoffs for the first time since 1993. They lost to the Seattle Mariners in the 2000 American League Division Series.
Paul kept hitting consistently in 2001, hitting 32 home runs and 99 RBI. The next year, he reached 100 RBI for the first time. He also made his first All-Star team. In the 2002 All-Star Game, Konerko hit a two-run double that gave the American League the lead.
In 2004, Konerko had a fantastic year. He hit over 40 home runs for the first time, with 41 home runs and 117 RBI. He was one of the top players in the league.
The 2005 season was very special for Konerko and the White Sox. They started strong and stayed in first place all season long. This is very rare in baseball. Konerko hit 40 home runs and 100 RBI again. The White Sox won their division.
In the playoffs, Konerko was a key player. He hit home runs in the first round against the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox swept the Red Sox and moved on. They then beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2005 American League Championship Series (ALCS). Konerko hit two home runs in that series and was named the ALCS MVP. He was the first White Sox player ever to win this award.
In Game 2 of the 2005 World Series, Konerko hit a grand slam. This means he hit a home run with the bases loaded, bringing in four runs. It was the first grand slam in White Sox World Series history. This big hit helped the White Sox win the game and eventually sweep the Houston Astros to become World Series champions! Paul caught the final out in every series-clinching game during the playoffs. He set White Sox postseason records with five home runs and 15 RBI during their championship run.
Team Captain and Later Years (2006–2014)
After the 2005 World Series win, Konerko signed a new contract with the White Sox. He became the main face of the team. In 2006, he had another great season, batting .313 with 35 home runs and 113 RBI.
In 2008, Konerko hit two home runs in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays. On April 13, 2009, Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit back-to-back home runs. These were the 300th career home runs for both players. This was the first time in MLB history that two players hit their 300th home runs in the same game, back-to-back.
On July 7, 2009, Konerko hit three home runs in one game against the Cleveland Indians. This was a first for him and the only time a White Sox player has done this at their home stadium.
In 2010, Konerko was chosen for his fourth All-Star team. He finished the season with 39 home runs, a .312 batting average, and 111 RBI. He was also in fifth place for the MVP award that year.
On June 1, 2011, Konerko hit his 377th career home run. This passed former White Sox legend Carlton Fisk on the all-time home run list. He continued to hit well, setting a franchise record for extra-base hits in nine straight games. On June 20, 2011, he passed Harold Baines on the all-time home run list. The next day, he hit a home run for his fifth straight game, a rare feat for a White Sox player. He made his fifth All-Star team that year.
On August 23, 2011, Konerko got his 2,000th career hit. He finished the 2011 season with 31 home runs and 105 RBI.
In April 2012, Konerko hit his 400th career home run. He became the 48th player in Major League history to reach this milestone. He was named the American League Player of the Week twice in April and May 2012. On July 1, 2012, he was selected for his sixth All-Star team.
Konerko's playing time and stats went down in 2013. He re-signed with the White Sox for one more year in 2014. During his final season, many teams honored him with farewell gifts when he played in their stadiums.
On April 23, 2014, Konerko broke Frank Thomas's White Sox franchise record for total bases. On May 7, 2014, he played his final game against the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs. He had a great game, helping the White Sox win. He hit his 439th and final home run on July 4, 2014, against the Seattle Mariners.
Paul Konerko was honored in a special ceremony on September 27, 2014, before his last home game. A statue of him was revealed outside the stadium, next to the statue of Frank Thomas. The fan who caught his 2005 World Series grand slam even returned the ball to him. Konerko played his final game on September 28, 2014. He left the field to a huge standing ovation from the fans.
When he retired, Konerko was among the top three White Sox players in many important hitting categories. He was second in home runs (432) and RBI (1,383), and first in total bases (4,010). He also holds White Sox postseason records for home runs (7) and RBI (17).
His teammate, Aaron Rowand, said that Paul was a great leader. He mentioned that Paul was usually calm but would get upset after a tough game. Everyone looked up to Paul as a leader and captain.
Retirement and Honors
 |
|
| Paul Konerko's number 14 was retired by the Chicago White Sox in 2015. |
Paul Konerko retired on September 28, 2014, after playing 18 years in Major League Baseball. He spent 16 of those years with the White Sox. He was the last player from the 2005 championship team still playing for the White Sox when he retired.
On "Paul Konerko Day," it was announced that his jersey number, #14, would be retired by the White Sox. This means no other White Sox player will wear that number again. He became the ninth player to have a statue by the White Sox.
On October 24, 2014, Konerko was named a co-winner of the Roberto Clemente Award. This award honors players who are great on the field and also do a lot of good in their communities. He was the first White Sox player to win this award.
On May 23, 2015, before a game against the Minnesota Twins, Paul Konerko's #14 jersey was officially retired. It was the eleventh number retired by the team, including Jackie Robinson's #42, which was retired by all of MLB.
In May 2016, the White Sox celebrated their stadium's 25th anniversary. Fans voted on the most memorable moments in the park's history. Paul Konerko's grand slam from Game 2 of the 2005 World Series was voted the best moment. It was seen as a huge moment that helped end the team's 88-year wait for a championship.
Career Statistics
In his 18 seasons and 2,349 games, Paul Konerko had a career batting average of .279. He had 2,340 hits, 410 doubles, 439 home runs, and 1,412 RBI. He also had a very good fielding percentage of .995 as a first baseman.
Personal Life
Paul Konerko married Jennifer Wells in 2004. They have two sons, Nicholas and Owen, and a daughter named Amelia.
Paul is a fan of the band Metallica. His walk-up music (the song played when he came up to bat) for most of his time with the White Sox was "Harvester of Sorrow" by Metallica. This song became very well-known in Chicago and was connected to his powerful presence at the plate.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
