In terms of their contributions, the White Sox’s Paul Konerko and Cliff Politte couldn’t be more different.
Konerko is on the field every day, a staple in the lineup. Politte is an every-now-and-then guy, coming out of the bullpen for outings in which he gets on and off the mound with the speed of a cat burglar.
Blink and you could miss Politte. Konerko will be missed only when he’s gone, and then missed very badly by Sox fans.
If you are going to campaign for All-Star candidates, now is the time. The All-Star Game at Detroit’s Comerica Park is two weeks away, and this is the week that players and coaches will be filling out their ballots. After that it’s up to managers Terry Francona and Tony La Russa to pick the final spots on their teams.
Here’s hoping that Konerko and Politte will get strong consideration as they are both deserving of recognition. Ditto Sox pitchers Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle and Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee.
Those three guys are locks for All-Star spots. But what about Sox leadoff man Scott Podsednik and closer Dustin Hermanson? What about Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez? And what about Konerko and Politte?
Here’s a look at the All-Star cases of Chicago players on the bubble:
Konerko (.251-18 HRs-52 RBIs)
With Frank Thomas in and out of the lineup with injuries, Konerko has been the heart of the Sox’s lineup since 2000. His seven homers in the first 14 games helped the Sox get off to a 10-4 start and he has been a major presence since then.
Konerko is a giving guy in the clubhouse, which reflects his levelheaded approach, and he’s become a good fielder. It’s hard to believe he can scramble to his feet and win to a footrace to the bag with Corey Patterson, but he did on Saturday.
Konerko’s batting average could hurt him, but the .359 on-base percentage shouldn’t be overlooked. Texas’ Mark Teixeira has better numbers (.292-20-58), but the White Sox’s success should be factored into the equation. Let’s hope this isn’t his last chance to represent the Sox. He’s eligible for free agency after the season.
Podsednik (.290-0-15, 38 SBs)
While Konerko has done the heavy lifting, Podsednik has been the igniter for the Sox. He has taken over games with his speed and would be a very useful man for Francona to have on the AL bench if he’s focused on winning. He uses his range to be an above-average left fielder, helping give the Sox excellent outfield defense.
But there are a lot of AL outfielders having excellent years. The list includes left fielders Manny Ramirez (.275-19-66), Hideki Matsui (.296-9-57), Garret Anderson (.312-8-53) and Carl Crawford (.275-7-44, 23 SBs).
Politte (5-0, 1.23 ERA)
Along with Garland and Buehrle, the bullpen has been a key in the Sox moving 9 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central. Politte was the No. 4 right-hander for manager Ozzie Guillen when the season began, but has emerged as one of the AL’s top setup men.
Politte is holding opponents to a .135 batting average while striking out more than one per inning. His five wins all have come since May 30. He’s deserving of a spot based on his performance, but setup men are often overlooked.
Hermanson (17 saves, 1.53 ERA)
A setup man when the season began, he took over for Shingo Takatsu as the primary closer on April 30 and has been as reliable as anyone in the league. He had 15 straight saves before blowing one on June 11 at San Diego, and has gone 2-for-2 since then.
San Francisco manager Felipe Alou put him in the closer’s role last August, and he has converted 34 of 38 save chances since then–almost 90 percent. His velocity has been down this season but he has used the movement of his pitches to hold opponents to a .236 average.
Ramirez (.302-17-49)
It has seemed like an inconsistent year for one of the Cubs’ two infield cornerstones, but Ramirez is still on pace for 37 homers and 109 RBIs. But fans are going to elect St. Louis’ Scott Rolen as the starter based on his career, not his season, which will hurt Ramirez’s chances.
. . . And the envelope please
The likely verdicts:
– Konerko–Inconclusive. If Tino Martinez is somehow elected as the starter instead of Teixeira–and what a crime that would be–Konerko probably won’t go. But he could carry the players’ ballot if Teixeira is elected by the fans. Close call.
– Podsednik–Not going. Ichiro Suzuki, who doesn’t deserve to go this year, will be the elected starter. Crawford could be Tampa Bay’s lone rep and he’d be the speed off the bench.
– Politte–Not going. He’s more deserving than Boston’s Mike Timlin and Cleveland’s Arthur Rhodes, but unless you’ve watched the Sox closely you wouldn’t know it. Hard to see Francona bypassing Timlin.
– Hermanson–Going. Players have done a good job voting for All-Stars the last two seasons and they know the Sox bullpen is excellent. Hermanson faces competition from the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera, Seattle’s Eddie Guardado and Baltimore’s B.J. Ryan, but the bet here is he gets support from rank-and-file players who want to reward perseverance.
– Ramirez–Going. Because this is a deep position, La Russa will want two backups behind Rolen, who probably will leave the game early. Arizona’s Troy Glaus, Houston’s Morgan Ensberg and the Mets’ David Wright will get consideration, but La Russa isn’t going to want to snub a deserving Cub, not when he still has to play them 13 times.
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progers@tribune.com
