Friday, August 20, 1999Konerko gets chance with ChiSox
Ex-Red finally has time to play
BY JIMMY GREENFIELD
Chicago TribuneCHICAGO — The praise for Paul Konerko was endless as he bulldozed his way through the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
But barely more than a month after making the Dodgers last season, Konerko was hitting around .200. Suddenly, he wasn't the next Steve Garvey or even the next Eric Karros. He was sent back to the minors.
Then, the Dodgers traded him to the Reds for closer Jeff Shaw. Then, after hitting .219 in 26 games for the Reds, Konerko came to the White Sox when he was traded for outfielder Mike Cameron in November.
Konerko was just 22 years old.
“It's funny,” Konerko said. “People before the season last year would be like, "This guy's great; he's a top prospect; he's going to be a great big-leaguer,' and then after two or three months they're like, "He can't play.'”
Now hitting near .300 with 19 homers, the right-handed-hitting Konerko is playing regularly at first base and designated hitter and is using his quick swing and strong wrists to hit to all fields.
He had a career-high four RBI, including the game-winner, Saturday against Texas, and homered in three consecutive games.
Though humbled from his experiences in Los Angeles and Cincinnati, Konerko now comes to the park every day knowing he'll be in the lineup.
Konerko never has understood why the Dodgers didn't just let him play.
“When I was in L.A. I was just treated terrible,” Konerko said. “As far as I'm concerned, it was terrible. I was hands down the best thing they had coming up through the organization.”
After arriving in Cincinnati, it was more of the same. Konerko was used at first, third and left and ended up in the minors for a stretch. The Reds went with Sean Casey at first over Konerko.
“Probably the biggest thing is we felt like he didn't get much of an opportunity,” White Sox GM Ron Schueler said. “Not only did he sit, he got sent back to Indianapolis. Sometimes when you're a young player, promises aren't kept, and I think that's what happened to Paul.”
Reds Stories
REDS 1, PIRATES 0
Box, runs
REDS NOTEBOOK
Scouting report: Expos at Reds
Cameron deal pays off
Konerko gets chance with ChiSox
Brewers 6, Astros 5
Keep your bad attitude at home
Stations turning down Reds playoff games