ALL OF CHICAGO BENEFITS FROM SLUGGER

TUESDAY, JAN 15, 2023  PAGE 4

AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

CONNER RUSHES TOWARD ALL-TIME HR MARK

BY PAT DORWIN

SPORTSWRITER

CHICAGO MORNING SUN

SOUTHSIDE - SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO?

WHILE SOX CENTERFIELDER AARON CONNER CONTINUES HIS MAD DASH TO THE ALL-TIME HOMER MARK, CHICAGO HAS LESS THAN 18 MONTHS TO CONVINCE CONNER TO STAY IN THE CITY HE'S CALLED HOME SINCE HE SPLASHED INTO THE LEAGUE AT 18 YEARS OLD.

CONNER WILL BE JUST 30 AND HAS AN EVEN 500 HOMERS IN HIS CAREER AS THE 2023 SEAON LOOMS.

ONE BIG PROBLEM THOUGH.

THE SOX ARE ON SUCH A FREEFALL THAT THEIR PLAYERS MAY NOT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLUB EVEN IF THEY CAN HAVE A FRONT ROW VIEW - ALTHOUGH ONE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DIVISION - OF HISTORY IN THE MAKING.

PLUS, CONNER MAY EVEN MAKE IT TO A LIFE BOAT - 2023 IS THE FINAL SEASON OF HIS 10-YEAR CONTRACT - GIVING OTHER VETERANS EVEN LESS OF A REASON TO STAY WITH THE SOX.

"THERE'S NO DOUBT THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN MENTALLY DRAINING," SAYS CONNER. "TO GO INTO A GAME KNOWING - KNOWING - YOU'RE GONNA TO HAVE TO PUT UP SIX OR SEVEN RUNS TO GET A CHANCE TO WIN IS PRESSURE. DAILY PRESSURE."

THIS FROM A MAN WHO SEEMINGLY RADIATES CALMNESS AND COMES TO PLAY HARD EVERYDAY.

"WE ALL HAVE OUR JOBS TO DO," HE SAYS. "I KNOW THE PITCHERS AND FRONT OFFICE ARE TRYING THEIR BEST - BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH AT THE MOMEMT. I AM NOT KNOCKING ANYONE - WE ALL KNOW THE STORYLINE: A DECENT OFFENSE CANNOT MAKE UP FOR POOR PITCHING OVER A FULL SEASON."

UNFORTUNATELY, CONNER IS RIGHT. WHILE A TEAM MAY SLIP BY FOR A YEAR OR TWO WITH A BLAST-AWAY LINEUP, WEAK HURLING WILL SINK ANY SHIP.

"THAT'S ESPECIALLY EVIDENT THIS YEAR," CONNER SAID IN MID-MAY 2022, AS THE SOX BUMBLED THEIR WAY TO A FOURTH STRAIGHT SEASON WITH FEWER THAN 68 WINS.

AARON CONNER

***

IT'S A SWEET SATURDAY IN LATE JUNE: THE BREEZE FLOATS LAZILY IN FROM THE WATER, BARELY TICKLING OUTFIELDER AARON CONNER AND RELIEVER IRA DENT.

THE PAIR'S FAMILIES - EACH HAS A 6-YEAR-OLD SON AND 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER - PLAY IN A SPRINKLER AS THEIR MOM'S GRILL HOT DOGS AND PLOP POTATO SALAD ONTO YELLOW PLASTIC PLATES.

CONNER AND DENT ARE RELAXED, LOOKING AT THE WATER UNDER THE COVER OF THE SHADE, LEST THE SUN ZAP ANY ENERGY, SINCE THEY HAVE A BALL GAME TONIGHT.

AFTER ALL, THE BASHER CONNER IS ON HIS WAY TO LEADING HIS LEAGUE IN HOMERS WHILE DENT IS HAVING A BREAKOUT SEASON, ON THE WAY TO FINISHING SECOND OVERALL IN SAVES IN HIS LEAGUE.

IN YEARS PAST, THIS WOULD BE GREAT NEWS, BUT DENT IS NOW WITH THE POWERHOUSE PADRES, THE TWO TEAMMATES NO MORE.

***

"THAT WAS THE FUNNEST ROAD TRIP I HAVE HAD IN YEARS," SAYS CONNER, AS HIS SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE.

THE SOX TRAVELED TO ST. LOUIS, PHOENIX, SAN DIEGO AND HOUSTON.

"GREAT CITIES AND STADIUMS, WITH AN ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE YOU CAN FEED OFF," CONNER RELATES.

WHILE THE SOX BRING IN A MISERABLE RECORD TO START THE TRIP - AND FURTHER DAMAGE IT WITH A 4-11 MARK - THE FANS STILL PACK THE STANDS, STILL MOSTLY CHEER FOR CONNER.

AFTER ALL, THIS IS A MAN WHO WILL FINISH WITH AN EVEN 500 CAREER HOME RUNS AS THE 2022 SEASON ENDS, AND WILL ONLY JUST HIT 30 YEARS OLD AS HE HEADS INTO THE LAST SEASON OF HIS CONTRACT.

PUBLICLY, CONNER HAS SAID ALL ALONG HIS INTENT IS TO FINISH HIS PLAYING DAYS IN CHICAGO. MOST EVERYONE ASSUMES CONNER MEANS HE'LL RETIRE AS A WHITE S0X.

NOT SO FAST - THERE IS ANOTHER TEAM IN THE WINDY CITY.

"WHEN I WAS A KID, I FOUND OUT MY DAD WAS A HUGE, CUBS FAN."' CONNER SAYS.

AARON CONNER HAS BEEN POUNDING THE BALL FOR THE WHITE SOX SINCE AGE 18.

 

CONNER SAYS HE AND HIS YOUNGER BROTHER MAX, WHO MADE IT AS FAR AS DOUBLE-AA FOR THE CARDINAL BEFORE GIVING UP THE GAME IN 2020 WHEN HE WAS JUST 25, FOUND BOX UPON BOX OF OLD VHS TAPES OF CUB GAMES.

"THESE THINGS WENT ALL THE WAY BACK TO HARRY CARAY, SO HE MUST HAVE STARTED TAPING GAMES WHEN IN COLLEGE," AARON CONNER SAYS. "DAD ALWAYS PLANS HIS TRIPS TO VISIT ME WHEN THE CUBBIES WILL BE PLAYING."

***

TWO DAYS GO, IRA DENT RETIRED FROM THE GAME, AFTER A CAREER HIGH 50 SAVES. HE'S 35 YEARS OLD.

"HE CALLED ME SATURDAY TO LET ME KNOW WHAT WAS UP," CONNER SAYS. "I'M HAPPY FOR HIM, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PULL THIS UNIFORM OF ME."

THE UNASKED QUESTION LNGERS, LEFT UNASWERED: "WHICH UNIFORM?"