Ozzie plan one and Dunn
The DH experiment is dead, White Sox fans.
Long live Adam Dunn.
Yes, erased is any hint of the Mark Kotsay era, at least as far as designated hitter is concerned, though you never know when Ozzie Guillen might pick up the phone and plead with Kenny Williams to re-sign Kotsay as a reserve.
This much is certain: Williams is back to being the GM without any help from his manager.
They tried that last winter when Williams grew tired of hearing Guillen complain publicly about his base-clogging lineup, so the GM let the manager have what he wanted.
Instead of Jim Thome, Guillen chose the much-anticipated experiment at DH, which would feature such prolific run producers as Kotsay, Omar Vizquel, Juan Pierre and others.
But it was mostly Kotsay, and mostly bad.
Thome went to the Sox' bitter enemy, Minnesota, and merely led the league in OPS among DHs with a 1.039, while hitting .283 with 25 home runs and 59 RBI in about half a season's worth of at-bats.
He helped the Twins win the AL Central title, and against the Sox he hit a paltry .372 with 8 RBI and 2 homers, including a monstrous game-winner off Matt Thornton.
Kotsay, meanwhile, finished 18th among DHs in OPS (.683) and actually hit into more double plays (9) than the “rally-killing” Thome (8) in just about the same number of trips to the dish.
As a team, the Sox compiled a .738 OPS at DH.
So as experiments go, that one's over. And as far as getting input from the manager on major roster decisions, that's over too.
Despite Guillen bristling every time Dunn's name was mentioned last summer as Williams pursued him harder than anyone in the game Williams has again announced his presence with authority, to the thunder of a $56 million contract.
Dunn will be the left-handed lumber the Sox so desperately need in the middle of the order, and if Paul Konerko wants to return, all the better.
But one has nothing to do with the other.
The Sox have always wanted Konerko back and have always been willing to overpay, especially since he's nearly a son to owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
But that's up to Konerko, who has talked of needing to be closer to his family in Arizona, and perhaps needing to escape the Guillen Zoo on the South Side.
“We are trying to be patient and respectful of his process, but also mindful of losing opportunities for another player if we're not able to bring back Paulie,” Williams said Thursday. “I have the responsibility to the team and the city to put the best club on the field.”
So if Konerko wants to return, great, but he better do it before the winter meetings end next week. If he doesn't, the Sox will need a first baseman because the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Dunn shouldn't be allowed to even glance at a glove, let alone pick one up and use it in a professional sporting event unless it's boxing.
Dunn also known as “Big Donkey” has extraordinary power and in the Sox' bandbox he's liable to hit 50 HRs next year.
The 31-year-old Dunn has averaged 158 games the last seven years, so you know he'll be in the lineup every day, and the last two years with a woeful Washington team he still averaged 38 homers, 104 RBI, 96 walks and a .910 OPS.
Despite his legendary strikeout totals and .250 career batting average, Dunn walks so much that he maintains a career .381 on-base percentage and .902 OPS.
It's a huge signing for the Sox but just the beginning of Williams' off-season work, a winter that nearly saw him tear the team apart in favor of rebuilding.
He said Thursday it was either go all in, or go back to the beginning, and obviously they've chosen to take another shot after winning 88 games and finishing 6 behind Minnesota.
Sounds like this time they don't intend to enter the fight unarmed.
brozner@dailyherald.com