David Pinto from Baseball Musings opines that Paul Konerko’s injury may be a good thing for the White Sox since he was not hitting so well. That Nick Swisher, who spelled him, went 3 for 3 yesterday seems to help his argument.
As an outsider looking in, my view is that Swish is getting hot just at the right moment. Stats aside, Paulie has always been a favorite in the Cell. Will his .215 average be missed? Probably not as much but Sox fans are probably used to Konerko’s inconsistent stats.
As for Swisher, an Ohio State alum, it almost seems like a new season for him. By the end of May, he was hitting .199 with a slugging percentage of .312.
Since then, he’s been a different man. In June, he’s hit .327 with 4 homeruns scoring 16 times and driving in 11. For the Sox’ sake, he better continue on this streak and forget the first two months.
I’ve always liked Nick Swisher from his days with Oakland. He’s a good hitter who will hit for some power and isn’t afraid to take a walk. I don’t know if he will ever be a superstar but he’s a solid player who plays hard. If you have a chance to hear an interview with him, don’t miss it. It’s usually pretty entertaining.