BALTIMORE - First baseman Paul Konerko fessed up to making a poor decision Monday night that enabled Baltimore to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning of the White Sox's 3-2 loss at Baltimore in 10 innings.
But his decision to step on first base instead of immediately throwing to home plate to prevent the go-ahead run from scoring, or throwing to second to start an inning-ending double play, actually led to a bizarre sequence that he disclosed after the game.
Photo: Paul Konerko ties the game at 2-2 with a home run in the top of the ninth inning. (Greg Fiume/Getty)
"I screwed that up by going toward first base," Konerko admitted. "But what actually happened on that play, if you watch the replay, I never touched first base. The first base umpire (Brian O'Nora), if you watch the replay, called that guy (Matt Wieters) safe, and then out for running out of the base line.
"I fired home because I knew I made a wrong decision going to the bag, corrected it, didn't touch first, fired home to try to get a force to get one (out), and I don't know what happened at home. I think he was out or could have been. I don't know."
Television replays showed that O'Nora did rule Wieters safe initially and that Luke Scott beat Konerko's throw to home plate, but Konerko could have gotten the force play had he immediately thrown home after fielding Wieters' grounder."I have to take responsibility for setting in motion a really weird play, but the fact of the matter is, I never touched first base intentionally, and if you watch the first base umpire (O'Nora) on that replay, he called the guy safe. He saw it.
"But after that I didn't even know Wieters wasn't at first until Edwin (Jackson) was in
his motion for the next pitch.
"If I had known that, I would have stopped (the game). I thought he (O'Nora) called him out. I thought it was a weird play. It all started by me doing the wrong thing. You got two choices on that play. Throw the ball home or throw the ball to second, but you don't tag first, and I went to tag first and set in motion a really funky play."
Konerko got some redemption by hitting a game-tying home run in the ninth. "(But) I feel bad for Edwin (Jackson) because he still should have been in line for
a win, and I screwed it up."
Well, this 'disclosure' by Capt Konerko, will give the great one, the Hawkeroo, about 15 more minutes to whine and complain about umpires again, tonite.
Wasn't it funny to hear Hawk actually compliment umpires for TWO straight series, when the Sox were sweeping those series. But as soon as they loose, its those dangnabbit umpires again.
Hawk, shut up you old bag of wind. Your act is tired.
martyks on August 10, 2010 10:12 AM
Could someone please explain how reality works to baseball fans?
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Not to Sox fans. There are no better players of the "if" game. If this didn't happen and that did and then we'd be undefeated! I personally think this stems from the King of If, Hawk.
However, you make a great point.
I'm sorry, guys. You just can't... you CAN NOT assume Konerko hits a home run that would have won it. Everything changes if he makes the other play. YOu don't know if the next hitter gets a hit. YOu don't know if the inning continues in other ways. Reality branches off another way. The pitcher in a tie game pitches Konerko differently. Konerko is in a different mindset, given the fact that he didn't mess up that play. He approaches his at bat differently in a tie game. EVERYTHING CHANGES. Duh! Why is it baseball fans assume all options play out exactly the same? When a runner is out stealing and the hitter then hits a home run, everyone loses their minds and assumes that he would have hit the home run. NOT TRUE. The pitcher pitches from a windup, is not holding a guy on base, the hitter is no longer trying to hit behind the hitter... etc. etc. etc. Could someone please explain how reality works to baseball fans?
I was at the game Friday and noticed that the Sox hitters all seemed to be forcing it. Nearly all of them swung at the first pitch and didn't make the pitchers work at all. I think that is a big problem with Guillen teams: overreacting and lack of focus. Each season it's something else; last year it was the pitching going south. Now, it's the hitting going there just in time to seed the division to the Twins.
1. Why didn't Konerko say something to the umps and fight for the right call?
2. A. Jones is moving his head off the ball...ala Juan Uribe...he will continue to be an easy out.
3. EVERY pitcher in the league knows to throw Carlos Q an inside curve on the first pitch and being "mr. no disipline" he not only swings at it, he tries to pull it...The results are ALWAYS the same...he beats it into the ground...another easy out...inning over.
Champions cannot make foolish mistakes like that, but then again, a game against the WORST TEAM in baseball shouldn't be so close.
I knew this Sox team was too old to sustain the pace they were at a month ago.
Oh well, Bulls pre season should be starting soon. At least they have a shot at making the play offs
Hang wiffum
When this Twins series hits town....this season is OVAHHHHHH
Sir Dragon of Romeoville
Stick with the BULLS
Failure to immediately go home for the force was a brain cramp and in retrospect cost us the game, because Paulie's homer would then have won it for us instead of merely tying it. South Side does makes a good point about Paulie's integrity in taking the blame and Mike Check makes one about the repeated futility of Jones at the plate. Quentin also twice failed to bring a man in from third base. Carlos and Rios are both in some very bad slumps. Can't blame Pierre or Alexei, they are both getting on base a lot these days. Our offense is firing on less than half its cylinders. Keep that up and we'll be out of it by the end of this week.
Got to give Paulie credit: He made a mistake and he admitted to it. He never calls anyone else out when they make errors, either physical or mental. But it wasn't his fault that the Sox left go-ahead runs on in the 9th and 10th innings and had several other chances to score that they did not capitalize on. Never mind what the Orioles' record is, they played some very good baseball the last 4 nights. Too bad they play in a VERY tough division.
Well everyone on TV telecast missed this...you would think that someone in the backgrond would have picked it up. No mention of this on the TV postgame either.
On a side note....ANDRUW JONES MUST GO ! This guy is hitting under .200 mostly against lefies. He made some nice defensive plays, but struck out in a key situation on three pitches, none of which were strikes, and he was not close to hitting any of them. He hit .217 last year, and under .200 the year before. HE IS DONE !