Paul Konerko: The Most Underrated Player of His Generation?

For years, Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko has been terrorizing American League pitching.  Consistently, Konerko has put up solid numbers, but it seems Konerko doesn't get the credit he deserves.  Paul Konerko might be the most underrated player of his generation.

Let's take a look at how consistent Konerko has been.  Since 1999, Konerko has hit 22 or more home runs in every season except one.  Over that same span, Konerko has hit over 30 home runs six times and driven in over 90 runs eight times.  Simply put, Paul Konerko is one of the most consistent run producers of his generation.

Paul's career numbers aren't bad either.  A lifetime .282 hitter, Konerko has hit 387 home runs, and may eclipse the 400 home run plateau this season.  The first baseman has also driven in 1,225 runs in his successful career, and let's not forget he won a World Series in 2005.

Despite his tremendous consistency and success, Konerko seems to go unnoticed.  He makes an annual appearance on the list of players snubbed for the All-Star game.  Fans seem to undervalue Konerko.

His success in a White Sox uniform is often overshadowed by his teammates.  Frank Thomas, arguably the best hitter in the American League in the 1990s and a lock for Cooperstown, regularly overshadowed Konerko's success.  Then came Jim Thome (another potential Hall of Famer), who surpassed the 500 home run plateau while playing for the Southsiders.  Even Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin have put up monster seasons that seemed to take away from Konerko's consistent play.  

Finally, last year, Konerko got some of the recognition he deserved.  He hit .312 with 39 home runs and 111 RBI, and may have won the MVP award if the White Sox were serious playoff contenders.

Now, this season, Konerko is once again putting up MVP-caliber numbers.  Currently, he's hitting .310 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI.  However, many fans are overlooking his marvelous season and focusing instead on the struggles of his teammates Adam Dunn and Alex Rios.

I'm not trying to say Paul Konerko is the best first baseman of the past decade.  He's not, but when you have a career as good as Konerko's, you deserved to be noticed.