How good is the offense of the Chicago White Sox? Although the 2011 MLB season isn't yet two full weeks old, the team has already had two of its premiere sluggers named American League Player of the Week. A week ago, we reported on Carlos Quentin (and Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs) winning top honors. Now Paul Konerko joins the fun, winning both the award itself and a free watch!
↵In six games between Monday, April 4, and Sunday, April 10, Paulie hit for a batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage line of .417/.385/.760 (1.145 OPS). Or did he? Those are the numbers given in this MLB press release, but my own cross-check at Baseball-Reference.com turns up better results: .417/.481/.833 (1.315 OPS). We'll take the latter, thank you very much.
↵In any case, during that period, the Sox went 4-3 -- splitting a two-game series with the Kansas City Royals and taking three of four from the struggling Tampa Bay Rays. Unfortunately, Konerko has to share the award with Asdrubal Cabrera of the AL Central rival Cleveland Indians. It seems the shortstop has inexplicably taken to slugging just as the Indians have inexplicably won eight games in a row.
↵MLB.com notes that Quentin and Konerko are the first teammates to win AL Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks since Jim Thome and Mark Buehrle did so in July of 2009 (7/20 and 7/27). Let's make it three in a row next week. You hear me, Brent Lillibridge?