For so many years, Paul Konerko’s baseball ability allowed him to lead a charmed life.
The pro scouts first showed up to watch him play as a freshman in high school. By his senior year, it was not uncommon to find every major-league team represented at his games.
The Dodgers made him their first-round draft pick in 1994, and three years later, he hit .327 with 37 homers and 127 runs batted in at Class AAA Albuquerque, earning him Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year award.
But the storybook career took an unexpected turn last year, and Konerko still bears a few scars. “Last year my mental state was all screwed up,” he says.
Is it any wonder why? Konerko went from being Los Angeles’ top prospect to becoming trade bait for a 31-year-old relief pitcher. Then he went to a team that had no place for him to play. His dreadful year was capped by a demotion to the minors.
“It was tough for Paul,” said Craig Landis, his agent. “But if he had to go through all of that to finally get a good spot, it was worth it.”
Konerko, 23, doesn’t just have any spot with the White Sox. He is the team’s cleanup hitter, the man who will protect Frank Thomas in the lineup and share time with him at first base.
“I already feel like this is my team,” says Konerko, who is batting .452 this spring with three homers and 13 RBIs. “In L.A., it was always like a tryout. Here if I go 0 for 4, they say, `Our guy had a bad day.’ Our guy.”
Konerko was the Dodgers’ guy for a long time. Former manager and General Manager Tommy Lasorda considered him an untouchable.
That all changed last season after Konerko was given a three-week tryout in April because of an injury to first baseman Eric Karros. Konerko hit only .197 with two RBIs in 18 games.
“I had been killing the ball all spring, swinging the bat the best I ever had,” Konerko says. “But after Eric went down, I just didn’t hit well. I’m a big believer that hitting goes in cycles.”
When Karros returned, Konerko knew he had to play musical chairs in the field to earn playing time. So he started working out at third base and in left field. “I just wanted to be a Dodger, period,” he says. “But because I wasn’t playing any one position, the total emphasis became hitting. They were like, `We know that defensively you have no redeeming value to the team.’ That just put more (pressure on me).”
As Konerko continued to struggle and the trading deadline approached, rumors started to swirl that he would be shipped to another team. Despite a promise that he would not be traded, Lasorda sent him and pitching prospect Dennys Reyes to Cincinnati for closer Jeff Shaw. It was a deal that caught many by surprise, especially considering that the Dodgers were 12 games out of first place in the division and seven back in the wild-card race.
“In a year where you see Mike Piazza traded, anyone can go,” Konerko said. “But the timing was weird. There was no way we were going to win, even if we got Kevin Brown.”
Konerko hoped that his career would be rejuvenated in Cincinnati. But it quickly became clear that Konerko’s path would be blocked by Sean Casey, another young, power-hitting first baseman.
“It’s one thing to have a guy in front of you who’s an All-Star,” Konerko says. “It’s another thing to have a guy in front of you who’s just like you.
“In L.A., they’re kind of standoffish. No matter what you do, they always have someone who’s better. But in Cincinnati, they said, `He’s our No. 4 hitter for the next 10 years.’ Then I went out and had a bad two weeks and was sent down (to Class AAA Indianapolis). I believed what people were telling me, and that was a mistake.”
When it became clear that Konerko would not be able to play third base or left field, Landis encouraged Reds General Manager Jim Bowden to trade Konerko. Bowden did just that Nov. 10, sending him to the Sox for center-fielder Mike Cameron.
“It was an extremely difficult deal to make because I think Paul will hit .280 to .300, have 25 to 30 homers and drive in 80 to 100 runs for the next 10 years,” Bowden says. “Plus I really like the kid and his parents. He’s very bright.
“We tried to play both (him) and Casey, but it just didn’t work. Had we been an AL club, we would not have traded him.”
Konerko is glad they did. For the first time in his big-league career, his role is clear: He and Thomas will alternate at first base, with the other functioning as the designated hitter.
“Different players react to different things,” he says. “Some guys react better to (competition), knowing they have to go 2 for 4 to play tomorrow. I’m a guy who if they say, `You’re on the team, you’ll get your at-bats,’ I’m going to do well.”
Konerko couldn’t be doing much better since joining the Sox. After his pinch home run in Sunday’s 11-8 victory over Milwaukee, his slugging percentage jumped to .839, which is tops among AL players this spring. And he has played error-free ball at first base.
Konerko’s range and speed are limited by a hip condition that hastened his move to first base after the 1995 season. The Dodgers had drafted Konerko as a catcher, but his lack of flexibility hurt him behind the plate. Konerko has no concerns about his hip–or how he’ll fit in with the Sox. These days, his hellish 1998 season seems years in the past.
“(The Sox) don’t sit here and tell you you’re great or anything,” Konerko says. “You just know they’ll give you the opportunity. What more could you ask for?”
