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Curtain slowly closing on Konerko's stellar career

Were this any other year, Paul Konerko and his fractured left hand would probably be done for the season.

But this is Konerko's final year before he slips off into retirement, so why let a broken bone prevent a proper exit?

Konerko, who has spent the past 16 seasons in a White Sox uniform, hasn't played since injuring the hand in a Sept. 2 game at Minnesota. But the 38-year-old captain is sure he'll return before the season ends in just over two weeks.

“Definitely progress,” Konerko said. “I feel much better on day-to-day stuff. I haven't done any exercising, nothing aggressive with it or moving around hard or anything like that. The plan is to pick up a bat, maybe feel it, take some swings, and see what that feels like.

“If that feels good, and there's nothing sticking out, less painful, take it from there and maybe hit some balls this weekend, Saturday. Once I go it's good, it's not like I have to go through a program of building it back up. If I can hit a pitched ball, I'll be available the next night. Or that night.”

The Sox have been celebrating his career all month, and they'll cap it off with Paul Konerko Day on Sept. 27.

“To me, there is no bad ending here,” said Konerko, who has a .220/.272/.344 hitting line this season to go with 5 home runs and 22 RBI as a part-time player. “ It would have been better playing on a team going to the playoffs, but in the grand scheme of things I'll get back out there. I'd like to get out there this weekend but with the schedule I'm (on), that's not going to happen. I'd like to play on the road trip, maybe a couple starts, at least for some pinch-hits to at least get a feel for what I'm doing before we come home.

“There is a little fracture in there. The swelling is kind of gone but the bone doesn't heal in a few days. Hermie (trainer Herm Schneider) wants to make sure that when I do get after it, start swinging, that I don't reset the clock back to where I was last Friday.”

Emotions are going to be running very high when the White Sox close out the season at U.S. Cellular Field Sept. 26-28 against the Kansas City Royals.

Not only is Konerko one of the most productive players in franchise history, he's one of the most popular.

But when the curtain does come down on his final season, don't expect Konerko to reconsider coming back for another year.

“I think it's a good and healthy idea for me to get away and disconnect from the game and you know, it's just an indefinite type of thing,” Konerko said. “I can't say (returning) won't ever happen. But I can't sit here and say it will. I have other interests that I have and that could take on a whole life of its own. Ten, 15 years from now, I might look at what I'm doing as what I am. I want to go out and try to see why does it have to be baseball that's something I can do well and be productive in life. I'm looking to go out and try to do some other things.

“What you are gaining is the freedom to go do things. I don't have to miss kids' baseball practices that are happening right now in Arizona. This game gives you a lot but also takes a lot, a lot more than people think. It's nice to know that you can try to go back and give back to that area and just go and do things and plan a summer trip. Everybody in this locker room, probably since they have been in high school, hasn't had a summer vacation, no Fourth of July parties. I'm looking forward to that.”

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