From the Collection: Paul Konerko, if, Chicago White Sox
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Back in 1997 it would have been hard to find a better hitting prospect that the Dodger’s Paul Konerko.
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Konerko spent the majority of the 1997 season with the Albuquerque Dukes and hit 37 HR with a 1.028 OPS. He was named the Pacific Coast League MVP and the 1997 Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and Baseball Weekly. He was also named the Dodgers’ Minor League Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.
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In 1998 the Dodgers traded away Konerko to acquire closer Jeff Shaw from the Reds. In the short run, it was not a bad move. The Dodgers needed a closer and got one in Shaw. And from 1998-2001 he was a very solid reliver, and even an All-Star in 2001.
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Konerko would eventually be traded to the White Sox, and the rest is history. He would go on to become a six-time All-Star, hit 439 career home runs, and his strong 2005 campaign would help propel the White Sox to a World Championship. While not quite a hall-of-game career, he is still one of the most fearsome sluggers of the 2000’s.