Will Konerko Come Through in Pinch for White Sox?

March 31, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Monday meanderings: Paul Konerko, who is entering the final season of his career, is not expected to be in the starting lineup for the Chicago White Sox in their season opener Monday against the Minnesota Twins at U.S. Cellular Field. If Sox manager Robin Ventura wants to make the day memorable for Sox fans (and quite likely Konerko), he will find a way to have Konerko make an appearance before the game is over. If Ventura wants to score points for creativity, he will insert foot speed-challenged Konerko as a pinch runner. If that doesn’t unnerve the Twins pitcher, nothing will.

There is video of Bettina Nagy below. In case you care. And even if you don’t.

* The Chicago Cubs take their first steps to a postseason berth (granted that postseason presence might not be for another five years or so) with their season opener in Pittsburgh against the Pirates (who actually were in the postseason in 2013 for the first time since 1992). The Cubs are hoping starter Jeff Samardzija can have a good start to the season. Not so much for what it can mean for the team in the standings but for what sort of return it can help bring if they can find someone to take him in a trade. Yes, it’s too early to start waiting till next season. Well, as this is being ~~crafted~~ typed, it is. It might not be by the time you are reading this.

* Cubs and Sox fans who watched “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN had to take some comfort in seeing another team’s reliever blowing a late lead with that team then losing. It happened to the Los Angeles Dodgers with Brian Wilson turning a 1-0 lead over the San Diego Padres into a 3-1 loss. Fear the beard? Well, presumably Dodgers fans are after that performance.

* Speaking of televised sports, some of us spent a good part of Sunday watching college basketball with Michigan State losing to Connecticut and Michigan losing to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. If the Final Four games are half as good as the Elite Eight contests were over the weekend, they will be … uh, give me a minute; math never was a strong subject. I think the formula is taking the eight and dividing by two times the square root of … oh, forget it.

* Once again, it seems unseemly (if not downright unconscionable) that college coaches and athletic directors receive bonuses for their schools advancing in the NCAA tournament and all the players get is more time missed from the classroom. As has been noted, the term “student-athlete” is for NCAA promotional purposes — and wishful thinking perhaps — and has very little to do with reality.

* Whoever makes up the NBA schedule ought to be able to do better than have the Chicago Bulls play at the Boston Celtics on Sunday and then have the two teams meet the following night in Chicago.

* Speaking of the Bulls, reserve guard D.J. Augustin had a career-high 33 points in their 107-102 victory. At what point does scoring all those points point to his seeking a starting job elsewhere for next season?

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