Konerko comes to Julian in the midst of perhaps his best season. Following play Sunday, Konerko ranks in the top six in eMLB in home runs (20, T-1), runs batted in (56, T-5), .slugging percentage (.586, 4th), and OPS (.984, 6th). He also ranks among the top 35 with a .302 batting average and a .394 on base percentage. He will enter a lineup that currently ranks 9th in eMLB in home runs and 13th in RBI.
"We have guys who are supplying power, but we needed someone to shoulder the load," explained Hoyle. "Adding someone like Paul to the order takes some pressure off a few others, which should help. He should give us an instant shot of adrenaline."
In order to add Konerko, the team had to part with Adam LaRoche and Andres Torres. LaRoche performed well for the Javelina (.256, 11, 51), but there is no denying Konerko is the better player. Torres had not seen any regular playing time with the team, but has enjoyed a very solid season and should help Encinitas add some depth to their lineup.
"We had looked into ways to find Torres some playing time, but simply couldn't get comfortable with taking someone out of the lineup to create a spot," said Hoyle. "In the end, he'll see more playing time, which is best for him."
Swings and Misses...
OF Shin Soo Choo enjoyed a pair of 2HR, 4RBI games this week....Yovani Gallardo pitched brilliantly (5 H, 0BB 12 K) in his complete game shut out....sources close to the team suggest the Javelina may have one more trade up their collective sleeve.....
