Stretching the Field: Konerko's retiring, too

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - If you are caught up in all the buzz with a particular New York Yankees captain retiring at season's end, then perhaps Paul Konerko is just an afterthought.

No disrespect to future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, because he deserves every accolade, standing ovation, parting gift or sincere words for what he's accomplished at the highest level of baseball. Jeter's longevity is truly amazing.

But there's a guy in Chicago who has worn a White Sox uniform since 1999 calling it quits after Sunday. Konerko has played the last 16 years with the White Sox and the first baseman is leaving behind big shoes to fill. Although he may have flown under the radar when it comes to superstars in baseball, Konerko has the numbers to brag about when Cooperstown comes calling.

Konerko hit 20 or more home runs 13 times for the White Sox and drove in more than 100 runs on six different occasions. In 18 years at the major league level, Konerko enters Sunday with 439 home runs, 1,412 RBI, 2,340 hits, a .279 batting average and a .354 on-base percentage.

Fittingly, it was "Paul Konerko Day" Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field. The club unveiled a statue of Konerko on the concourse of left field in his honor and will retire his No. 14 next season.

"When you look at that statue out there, or you look at that number that's going to go right there, just realize that when you look at that when I'm not there and you're at these games, your fingerprints are all over it," said Konerko during a pre-game ceremony. "It wouldn't be there without you guys, so thank you."

Konerko said the tremendous honor is "way more than you ever dream could happen when you pick up a bat" and never thought it was going to happen when he broke into the bigs in the late 1990s. Konerko, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Saturday, has played in 80 games this season and was recently diagnosed with a broken bone in his left hand. The first baseman has plenty of time for that to heal completely after today.

Konerko is arguably one of the best ever to don a White Sox jersey and that includes; Frank Thomas, Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Luke Appling, his manager Robin Ventura, Minnie Minoso and only a few others. It's a sad but happy day for White Sox fans because Konerko is saying goodbye to baseball. The impression he left on the fans, however, is everlasting.

The six-time All-Star and 2005 World Series champion only experienced a few moments in the postseason, and obviously winning it all meant so much. Konerko hit a grand slam during the World Series and the White Sox tracked down the holder of the ball, a Chicago native named Chris Claeys. Claeys handed the ball to the White Sox captain to a boisterous round of applause.

Konerko saved his final thanks for the fans.

"I wanted to say thank you mostly to you guys," Konerko said. "I'm not going to say fans, I'm going to say all my friends. For some reason, early in my career, I don't know what it was because I really hadn't done anything, you guys treated me like I had been here. There was just some sort of connection early on."

It's awfully difficult for White Sox faithful not to be impressed with Konerko. He is the franchise leader in total bases, ranks second in home runs, RBI, games and extra-base hits and third in hits and doubles. He hit 30 or more home runs seven times and if he belts one Sunday against Kansas City, Konerko would tie Jason Giambi (440) for 41st place on the all-time list.

Konerko came a long way from his early days with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds, and his career took off in Chicago as if that was how the story was supposed to be written. His name was never synonymous with performance-enhancing drugs even though he played when abusers were rampant.

His name, however, is linked to White Sox greatness and mortality. A statue in his likeness on the South Side of the Windy City is more than proof.

"You see people who have those ceremonies. But you don't think you're that person who gets to have those," Konerko said. "So, maybe I still don't. It's all mind-boggling to me, the whole thing. The statue and the whole thing, I don't know. It's pretty cool. I'm pretty humbled by it."