White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko finds himself in a familiar position this year following Sunday's release of the MLB's official all-star rosters.
The southsiders' captain and offensive leader went overlooked in the 2010 player's vote as well, and Konerko now finds himself on the league's Final Vote balloting for the third time.
The good news for Konerko is that he appears to be the early frontrunner in this year's voting (ending this Thursday evening), according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
Konerko expressed a desire to represent his team in Phoenix for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game in an interview with ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on Wednesday morning, but he has also has told the media that not playing in the game would not mean the end of the world to the Sox' quiet leader.
Konerko's all-star snub coincides with the surprising selection of outfielder Carlos Quentin to the all-star roster, who held a .253 batting average, 17 home runs, and 49 RBIs in comparison to Konerko's .317 batting average, 21 homers, and 62 RBIs. Konerko's 2011 offensive statistics are better than they were at this point in the season last year as well.
Media and promotional efforts by the White Sox organization helped vote Scott Podsednik into the all-star game in 2005 and A.J. Pierzynski in 2006.
If selected by the fan's Final Vote, Konerko will play in his fifth career all-star game.
