Paul Konerko, baseball player, 439 home runs, 1997-2014

Paul Konerko

Born: 3/5/1976 in Providence, RI, USA

MLB Debut: 1997-09-08 | Final Game: 2014-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Paul Henry Konerko

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Biography

Paul Konerko was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, known for his powerful hitting and leadership on the field. Born in 1976, he played his entire career from 1997 to 2014, making a significant impact primarily as a first baseman. Over the course of 2,349 games, Konerko amassed 2,340 hits, 439 home runs, and 1,412 RBIs, culminating in a career batting average of .279. His offensive prowess was complemented by his durability and consistency, as he became a central figure for the Chicago White Sox during his tenure. Konerko's contributions to the game were recognized with six All-Star selections, and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series, highlighting his ability to perform in critical moments. He played during an era that saw the evolution of offensive strategies in baseball, and his power-hitting style made him a fan favorite and a key player in the White Sox's 2005 World Series championship team. Known for his leadership both on and off the field, Konerko remains a respected figure in baseball history, celebrated not only for his statistics but also for his commitment to the game and his team.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2349 8393 1162 2340 410 8 439 1412 9 921 1391 0.279 0.354 0.486 0.841 22334.3

Career AVG .279 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.

Career OBP .354 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — +7.0% above league average.

Career SLG .486 vs. league average .417 across their career seasons — +16.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.841 vs. league average 0.748 across their career seasons — +12.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1997 LAD NL 6 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1998 LAD NL 49 144 14 31 1 0 4 16 0 10 30 0.215 .266 (-19%) .335 (-19%) .420 (-27%) .755 (-24%) -615.6
1998 CIN NL 26 73 7 16 3 0 3 13 0 6 10 0.219 .266 (-18%) .335 (-15%) .420 (-9%) .755 (-12%) -615.6
1999 CHW AL 142 513 71 151 31 4 24 81 1 45 68 0.294 .271 (+9%) .344 (+2%) .433 (+18%) .778 (+11%) 1080.7
2000 CHW AL 143 524 84 156 31 1 21 97 1 47 72 0.298 .270 (+10%) .344 (+5%) .437 (+10%) .782 (+8%) 913.1
2001 CHW AL 156 582 92 164 35 0 32 99 1 54 89 0.282 .263 (+7%) .332 (+5%) .426 (+19%) .758 (+13%) 1567.6
2002 CHW AL 151 570 81 173 30 0 27 104 0 44 72 0.304 .261 (+16%) .331 (+8%) .416 (+20%) .747 (+15%) 1705.0
2003 CHW AL 137 444 49 104 19 0 18 65 0 43 50 0.234 .264 (-11%) .332 (-8%) .422 (-6%) .754 (-7%) -647.5
2004 CHW AL 155 563 84 156 22 0 41 117 1 69 107 0.277 .266 (+4%) .335 (+7%) .427 (+25%) .762 (+17%) 2102.3
2005 CHW AL 158 575 98 163 24 0 40 100 0 81 109 0.283 .264 (+7%) .330 (+14%) .418 (+27%) .749 (+21%) 2758.9
2006 CHW AL 152 566 97 177 30 0 35 113 1 60 104 0.313 .269 (+16%) .336 (+13%) .431 (+28%) .768 (+21%) 2613.7
2007 CHW AL 151 549 71 142 34 0 31 90 0 78 102 0.259 .268 (-4%) .335 (+4%) .422 (+16%) .758 (+11%) 1288.6
2008 CHW AL 122 438 59 105 19 1 22 62 2 65 80 0.240 .263 (-9%) .333 (+3%) .416 (+5%) .749 (+4%) 494.7
2009 CHW AL 152 546 75 151 30 1 28 88 1 58 89 0.277 .262 (+5%) .332 (+6%) .417 (+17%) .750 (+12%) 1391.0
2010 CHW AL 149 548 89 171 30 1 39 111 0 72 110 0.312 .257 (+21%) .325 (+21%) .402 (+45%) .728 (+34%) 3889.0
2011 CHW AL 149 543 69 163 25 0 31 105 1 77 89 0.300 .255 (+18%) .320 (+21%) .399 (+30%) .719 (+26%) 3024.2
2012 CHW AL 144 533 66 159 22 0 26 75 0 56 83 0.298 .254 (+17%) .318 (+16%) .405 (+20%) .724 (+18%) 2129.4
2013 CHW AL 126 467 41 114 16 0 12 54 0 45 74 0.244 .253 (-4%) .317 (-1%) .396 (-10%) .714 (-6%) -497.9
2014 CHW AL 81 208 15 43 8 0 5 22 0 10 51 0.207 .251 (-18%) .313 (-19%) .386 (-18%) .700 (-18%) -701.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
19 74 10 18 2 0 7 17 5 10 0.243

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2008 ALDS2 CHA 4 16 3 5 0 0 2 2 1 1 0.312
2005 ALCS CHA 5 21 2 6 1 0 2 7 1 4 0.286
2005 ALDS1 CHA 3 12 3 3 0 0 2 4 0 1 0.250
2005 WS CHA 4 16 1 4 1 0 1 4 2 3 0.250
2000 ALDS2 CHA 3 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1904 1869 15936 1111 83 1660
3B 29 24 9 40 2 2
OF 18 13 20 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1997 LAN 1B 1 0 3 0 0 1
1997 LAN 3B 1 1 0 0 0 0
1998 LAN 1B 23 18 170 15 1 8
1998 LAN 3B 11 8 5 15 1 1
1998 LAN OF 11 9 12 0 0 0
1998 CIN 1B 7 5 38 6 0 1
1998 CIN 3B 9 9 2 18 0 0
1998 CIN OF 7 4 8 0 0 0
1999 CHA 1B 92 89 740 58 4 72
1999 CHA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
2000 CHA 1B 122 121 1051 67 10 118
2000 CHA 3B 7 6 2 7 1 1
2001 CHA 1B 144 144 1276 90 8 120
2002 CHA 1B 140 140 1146 75 8 113
2003 CHA 1B 119 105 889 80 2 102
2004 CHA 1B 139 137 1150 78 6 136
2005 CHA 1B 146 145 1321 82 5 135
2006 CHA 1B 140 139 1173 67 6 113
2007 CHA 1B 141 140 1180 71 5 131
2008 CHA 1B 116 116 1010 75 7 94
2009 CHA 1B 134 133 1159 79 4 112
2010 CHA 1B 125 125 1069 83 7 124
2011 CHA 1B 111 110 975 68 5 89
2012 CHA 1B 105 105 818 60 1 96
2013 CHA 1B 76 76 600 48 4 70
2014 CHA 1B 23 21 168 9 0 25

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1904
Third Base 29
Left Field 18
Designated Hitter 345

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2014 Roberto Clemente Award
2012 Player of the Week Week of 2012-04-29
2012 Player of the Week Week of 2012-05-28
2011 Player of the Week Week of 2011-04-10
2010 Player of the Week Week of 2010-05-02
2006 Player of the Week Week of 2006-06-17
2005 ALCS MVP
2004 TSN All-Star 1B
2004 TSN Comeback Player of the Year
2003 Player of the Week Week of 2003-08-29
2002 Player of the Month June

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2014 CHA AL $2,500,000
2013 CHA AL $12,501,506
2012 CHA AL $12,000,000
2011 CHA AL $12,000,000
2010 CHA AL $12,000,000
2009 CHA AL $12,000,000
2008 CHA AL $12,000,000
2007 CHA AL $12,000,000
2006 CHA AL $12,000,000
2005 CHA AL $8,750,000
2004 CHA AL $8,000,000
2003 CHA AL $6,250,000
2002 CHA AL $3,800,000
2001 CHA AL $2,300,000
2000 CHA AL $305,000
1999 CHA AL $215,000
1998 LAN NL $170,000
Total Career Earnings $128,791,506

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2011 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 11.0 392 0
2010 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 130.0 392 0
2006 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 3.0 392 0
2005 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 128.0 392 0
2004 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 7.0 392 0