First Basemen Ryan Howard & Paul Konerko Elected To Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame
August 12, 2011 - Arizona Fall League (AzFL) News Release
Phoenix, Arizona - Two prolific first basemen - Philadelphia Phillie Ryan Howard and Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox - have been elected to the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame.
"Ryan Howard and Paul Konerko are record-setting, all-star baseball players who epitomize the term 'consummate professional.' They're great ball players, great teammates and great people ... credits to the game of baseball on and off the field," offers Fall League Director Steve Cobb.
Howard and Konerko, both World Series champions whose clubs are in contention for postseason play in 2011, will be inducted in separate ceremonies during the coming Fall
Leagu season (October 4-November 19).
Ryan Howard - The 31-year-old Howard, a 2004 Phoenix Desert Dog, is the fastest player to 250 home runs in major-league history (855 games).
He also is one of nine former Fall Leaguers to win a major league most valuable player award. The St. Louis, Missouri native was the National League (N.L.) MVP in 2006, his first full season in the major leagues, when he led the league with 58 home runs, 149 RBI and 383 total bases while batting .313 and winning the N.L. Silver Slugger Award for first basemen.
Also, the 2005 National League rookie-of-the-year, Howard is the second player in major league history to win rookie-of-the-year and MVP honors in consecutive seasons (2005-06), joining Cal Ripken, Jr. (1982-83).
A three-time National League all-star (2006, '09-10), Howard also was the 2006 Japan All-Star Series MVP and the 2009 NLCS MVP.
Howard is a three-time N.L. RBI leader (2006, '08-09), two-time home run leader (2006, '08) and one-time leader in games played (2008) and RBI (2006). He has posted 30 home run/100 RBI seasons the past five campaigns, a Philadelphia record.
Paul Konerko - Konerko, 35, who played for the 1996 Sun Cities Solar Sox, is a five-time American League (A.L.) all-star (2002, '05-06, '10-11) and the 2004 A.L. comeback player-of-the-year.
In 2005, the Scottsdale, Arizona product was named ALCS MVP and shortly thereafter became the first player in World Series history to hit a grand-slam home run in the seventh inning or later that turned a deficit into a lead.
Among the White Sox career leaders in most offensive categories, Konerko has made 10 consecutive Opening Day starts at first base, a White Sox record. Konerko and Frank Thomas are the only players in White Sox history to belt 40 or more homers in consecutive seasons. Konerko accomplished the feat in 2004-05.
The Baseball America Minor League Player-of-the-Year in 1997, Konerko has averaged 33 home runs and 97 RBI over the past seven seasons. He has hit 30+ home runs six times and logged 100+ RBI on five occasions.
Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame - The Arizona Fall League, founded in 1992, formed its Hall of Fame in 2001 to honor the top major-league players and managers who honed their skills in the AFL. The inductions of Howard and Konerko increase the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame to 28 members.
The selection committee, chaired by baseball ambassador Roland Hemond, the "Architect of the Arizona Fall League," bases its appointments upon individual achievement at the major-league level since participating in the Arizona Fall League.
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