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All-Time White Sox First Baseman

With 67% of the vote at the time of this post, Carlton Fisk has won the race at catcher.  So far, our All-Time team looks as such:

DH: Frank Thomas, C: Carlton Fisk

The next position to be covered is first base.  Since Frank Thomas already won DH, I'm not going to include him in this.  I know he was better as a first baseman, I even said that in the DH post.  But seeing as a player can't hit twice in a line-up, he's out.  With that being explained, here are your candidates for All-Time White Sox First Baseman:

 

Earl Sheely

Sheelycws_medium

Earl Sheely was the man who replaced Chick Gandil at first base after the "Black Sox" were banned for life.  Sheely turned out to be a solid replacement.  He walked more than twice the amount he struck out (and still ranks 7th in OBP in franchise career history), fielded ever so slightly above league-average, and finished sixth in MVP voting in 1925.  He declined hard in 1927 and was lost to Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 draft in 1928.  In his 948 games as our 1B, Earl posted the following numbers:  1,051 hits, 207 doubles, 21 triples, 41 homers, 482 RBI, and a slash-line of .305/.391/.413/.804.

Dick Allen

Dickallen_medium

Dick Allen only played three seasons for the Sox, but he crushed the shit out of the ball in those three years (and was an All-Star in all three).  Traded from the Dodgers prior to the 1972 season (shipping Tommy John out west), he was then sent to Atlanta 3 years and 1 day later (after leaving the team in mid-September due to fights with Ron Santo).  Allen hit two inside-the-park homers against Bert Blyleven at Minnesota on July 31, 1972.  Allen won the 1972 MVP award in a year he posted an OPS+ of 199 (his other two seasons they were 175 and 164).  The man who many credit saving the franchise from bailing on the city posted the following numbers in his unfortunately brief stint (330 games) on the South Side: 367 hits, 71 doubles, 82 homers, 233 RBI, 33 stolen bases, and a slash-line of .309/.401/.592/.993.

Mike Squires

Mike_squires_autograph_medium

Mike Squires could not hit (career 78 OPS+).  But much like Kark, he earns his spot on the list by being amazing defensively (and being a back-up for a large part of his career).  In his 688 games at first, he committed only 23 errors and posted a .995 fielding percentage.  Other than winning a Gold Glove in 1981, there isn't much else exciting to post about the guy, so here are his numbers: 386 hits, 51 doubles, 9 triples, 6 homers, 130 RBI, 45 stolen bases, and a slash-line of .263/.325/.322/.647.

Greg Walker

Notice1018_medium

Our current hitting coach, Walker spent all but 14 games of his playing career with us.  Walk led the league in games played in 1985 with 163.  He was also alright as a fielder.  But there really isn't much else to say about him, so here are his numbers: 680 games, 649 hits, 140 doubles, 18 triples, 99 homers, 380 RBI, and a slash-line of .261/.328/.451/.779.

Paul Konerko

1szc5509_medium

Our captain, Kong has become one of the best hitters in franchise history since we traded Mike Cameron for him prior to the 1999 season.  Since that time, he has done well enough with the bat to earn the following ranks in franchise career history: 5th in doubles, 2nd in homers, 4th in RBI, 7th in slugging, 8th in OPS, 7th in runs, and 9th in hits (all of these will be changing next season).  Paulie has been an All-Star three times and was named the 2005 ALCS MVP.  Injuries and some bad-luck have slowed him down recently, but that should change.  Kong has posted the following numbers in his 1,286 games at first for us: 1,336 hits, 240 doubles, 266 homers, 834 RBI, and a slash-line of .280/.355/.500/.855.


 


 

 

 


 

Poll
Who is our All-Time Chicago White Sox (non-Frank Thomas) First Baseman?
Earl Sheely
0 votes
Dick Allen
57 votes
Mike Squires
0 votes
Greg Walker
3 votes
Paul Konerko
82 votes

142 votes | Poll has closed

SouthSideSox is a community driven site. As such, users are able to express their thoughts and opinions in a FanPost, such as this one, which represents the views of this particular fan, but not necessarily the entire community or SouthSideSox editors.

0 recs | Comment 43 comments

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PK.

interesting fact about PK is that, assuming reasonable health, he’ll likely pass schalk, aparicio, and guillen to reach #6 all time on the white sox PA list. he’d only be behind appling, fox, thomas, collins, and baines. give the man a statue already.

Griffey suffered the injury early in the season with the Reds when he tripped over a misplaced foot locker in the Reds' clubhouse.

by larry on Jan 4, 2009 11:53 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

agreed. PK will always be a favorite of mine - no matter how many slumps and injuries and molasses-runnin' around the bases.

I am trying to vote for these without the bias of my “favorites” and who I have personally seen play, but there are just certain players who entail both favoritism and bad-assedness. :P
Paulie is one of them.
Even just in the games where Swish covered 1st last season…sure, Swish could handle…but nobody can field a short-thrown ball like Paulie can. He is a damn fine player. Hitting too.

...and then some depressed fucked-cake eating.

by homesickalien on Jan 4, 2009 1:01 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

paulie walnuts all the way dudes...

when he hit the grand slam in game 2 as seen in the picture above….paul became the first white sox player to make me lose my voice due to excessive PAUL KONERKO screams and running up and down my block yelling SOX LEAD SOX LEAD SOX LEAD…

takes some real stones for the one certifiable cocksucker on here to jump into this convo.-mm

by furby2056 on Jan 4, 2009 1:04 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I vote for Dick Allen.

It was pretty common knowledge that the Sox were a struggling franchise and he arrived and turned all of that around. Attendance went up, home runs went up, an MVP went up and he hates Ron Santo as much as I do.

I loved Greg Walker as a kid….but Allen was the man. Just look at his picture.

I also cannot stand Paul Konerko. I feel he cost us the season in 2003 and almost did the same last year. Yes, I know of his 2005 heroics….. but…. I don’t like him.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Jan 4, 2009 1:28 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i like that you make a good argument every time

you give a slightly older perspective on it then i can and you aren’t just arguing stupid points. it’s really nice actually.

and big hat tip to you for Squires

sit*

by U-God on Jan 4, 2009 2:21 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I never liked Konerko either....

stemmed from his criticism of Thomas, when as it turned out, Thomas was injured. STFU paulie, king of the three month slump.

by Hatchetm on Jan 5, 2009 6:40 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   1 recs

I kind of want to vote for Dick Allen

he’s huge! And that slash line is bitching.

Sober, I was appalled at the women. Drunk I was told I danced with them all.

by colintj on Jan 4, 2009 2:08 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

agreed

He was huge, but 1420 PAs just isn’t enough. Does anyone realize he should be in the hall, though?

by Daniel Berlyn on Jan 4, 2009 2:38 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If I'm making an all-time team

I probably would put Frank at 1B and Harold at DH but that would put Maggs at RF and leave Konerko off..

It feels better to have an All-Time team that includes Pauly and not Maggs…

So I say keep it like it is, outfield of Minoso/Mostil/Baines

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jan 4, 2009 2:37 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I know Konerko snapped your little league streak

but .280/.355/.498 vs .307/.364/.525 isn’t enough to ignore the 450 game difference, which pushes Konerko ahead in nearly every counting category

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jan 4, 2009 3:24 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Get off his knob

Konerko has ruined one playoff opportunity and almost ruined last year as well. The guy is a mental midget who if he doesn’t get off to a good start never recovers. Magglio is good year in and year out.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Jan 4, 2009 4:13 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Off his knob

You’re off your fucking rocker with your hatred of Konerko, hence my comment that he must have had something to do with your snapped little league streak

Who can forget this great quote

That is a terrible move. Personally I would have rather designated Konerko for assignment than Ozuna

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jan 4, 2009 4:26 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   1 recs

I stand by that comment. At least Ozuna is quick

one more attribute than the captain kangaroo

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Jan 4, 2009 5:34 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

kong can draw a walk

and hits the ball a lot harder

sit*

by U-God on Jan 4, 2009 5:38 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Paulie may have moved slow

That’s because Paulie didn’t have to move for anybody

"Chad Pennington should be MVP"-Woody Paige, Around the Horn 12-18-08

by rangerjae on Jan 6, 2009 5:44 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

how about the time he was a huge contributor to the playoff runs

like in 00, 04, 05, 06, and, oh shit, last year. How about being consistently awesome in the postseason. Your points are just… wrong? You can make yourself look right when you choose the numbers, but you do even that wrong. I guess ignorance is bliss.

by Daniel Berlyn on Jan 4, 2009 5:31 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i agree, outside of your outfield.

i think it’s probably almost assured that if this poll had been done differently (i.e., different order) that frank would have been at first and someone else, probably baines, at DH. obviously this is more for amusement than science so doesn’t really matter.

Griffey suffered the injury early in the season with the Reds when he tripped over a misplaced foot locker in the Reds' clubhouse.

by larry on Jan 4, 2009 4:43 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i figured DH was a good starting point

but yeah, if I had done first base first, he’d be there

sit*

by U-God on Jan 4, 2009 5:00 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I voted for Allen.

I’m 23 and my dad is a Tigers fan, so I know more about them than I do the Sox. It’s a travesty, no doubt, but this is the start of my education.

Sober, I was appalled at the women. Drunk I was told I danced with them all.

by colintj on Jan 4, 2009 5:49 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

b/c i'm cool

duh.

Sober, I was appalled at the women. Drunk I was told I danced with them all.

by colintj on Jan 4, 2009 8:30 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Dick Allen, hands down.

Electricity when he came to bat. All eyes were on him. You might vote PK for the career consistency and being the face of 2005 but Dick had no one protecting him when he was with the Sox and he STILL produced. .308 in 1972 was about a .350 nowadays (Rod Carew won the batting title that year in the AL hittting .318. .318!). And, as KenWo said, no one took the Sox seriously (at the bat, at least) until Allen showed up. He was bigger than Big Klu’s acquisition in ’59 in terms of an impact hitter.

This guy was our version of Bonds when Bonds was cranking it (and just as surly with the media). I wanted to be Dick Allen when I was 15 years old. It is no travesty for those who were around then to vote Allen, even if Paulie has the career stats. No one made a bigger impact than Dick. It was only 3 years, but dammit, those were 3 of the best years evah!

I would rather douse a newspaper in gasoline, wrap it around my penis and light it on fire then relive that experience
by armedpp on Aug 29, 2007 2:36 AM EDT

by winningugly on Jan 5, 2009 8:58 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Good arguments.

I think it is impossible for the younger crowd to really feel strongly for players of the past when we weren’t around to witness them game-to-game. Stats cannot convey what you described about Allen. My opinion on stats is well-known around these parts, but this just confirms it.

There are certain presences that are irreplaceable in the context of their years, even if their numbers can be matched.
Thanks for the perspective.

...and then some depressed fucked-cake eating.

by homesickalien on Jan 5, 2009 11:51 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

allen's stats can't be matched by konerko's

in any way shape or form. of course it was only three years.

by Hatchetm on Jan 5, 2009 12:06 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

uh, pretty sure stats can convey what he described.

like, how in his two full seasons he led the league in OPS and likely would have done so in the other year if he was eligible. that’s sort of the definition of “big impact”.

Griffey suffered the injury early in the season with the Reds when he tripped over a misplaced foot locker in the Reds' clubhouse.

by larry on Jan 5, 2009 12:08 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Obviously. I am not totally fucking retarded, larry. I am pretty sure you know what I mean anyway.

Can stats tell us what Allen’s presence did for the organization, at the time that he did it?
Can stats back up the electricity WU described?

...and then some depressed fucked-cake eating.

by homesickalien on Jan 5, 2009 1:32 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i can pretty easily quantify the first.

as for the second, i don’t know any player who put up his numbers who didn’t excite a crowd. dick allen is not some marginal baseball player who requires a story to be told and superlatives added. his numbers more than speak for him. a story is nice to have but players like allen do not need them.

That makes you a blight on the face of the American sports landscape. It makes Jeffrey Loria an abomination as an owner. It does not, I should emphasize, reflect upon Larry Beinfest or the baseball operations staff, who have done yeoman's work under awful circumstances. That doesn't mean that the franchise should continue to exist though, because it exists solely and entirely to steal taxpayer money.

by larry on Jan 5, 2009 1:42 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I saw Dick Allen play,

Very intimidating at the plate.Definitely a better hitter than Paulie.It’s a toss up for Best All-Time", but I’m stickin’ with PK with 2005 being the deciding factor.

by oahu420 on Jan 5, 2009 12:19 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

this seems to be a common idea here

I guess Crede will be our best 3b all time, then too.

Allen’s numbers are sick, since Frank isnt at 1st, it has to be Allen.

"Those god damned Cubs get all of the publicity in this town." -George S. Halas, after the Babe's called shot and the Yankees sweep in the World Series, 1932.

by e-gus on Jan 5, 2009 12:57 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i think everyone on here remembers ventura enough to prevent such an occurrence

Griffey suffered the injury early in the season with the Reds when he tripped over a misplaced foot locker in the Reds' clubhouse.

by larry on Jan 5, 2009 1:01 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Jesse?

I would rather douse a newspaper in gasoline, wrap it around my penis and light it on fire then relive that experience
by armedpp on Aug 29, 2007 2:36 AM EDT

by winningugly on Jan 5, 2009 1:20 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Dick needs votes damnit!

Sober, I was appalled at the women. Drunk I was told I danced with them all.

by colintj on Jan 5, 2009 2:15 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Vote for Dick Allen.

He can kick your ass. The fact that he hasn’t is reason enough.

Sober, I was appalled at the women. Drunk I was told I danced with them all.

by colintj on Jan 5, 2009 8:58 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

It's not even close

During his time in Chicago, Dick Allen was our Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Bonds, Griffey, etc. While wearing a Sox uniform, he was arguably the most dangerous hitter in baseball. Konerko will never reach that level of accolade. As Harrelson would say, he was very “hitterish”!

The Sox will rise again!

by imoutragious on Jan 11, 2009 10:05 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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