White Sox to retire Konerko's No. 14
The White Sox' upcoming season continues shaping up as something special.
By adding capable talent like Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera to a returning core headed by Jose Abreu and Chris Sale, the Sox stack up as legitimate playoff contenders.
During a three-game series (July 17-19) against the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of winning the 2005 World Series.
On Thursday, the Sox announced plans to retire Paul Konerko's uniform No. 14 on Saturday, May 23 at the Cell. The ceremony will take place before the White Sox play a 3:05 p.m. game against the Twins.
Konerko, the Sox' longtime captain, retired after the 2014 season.
"Paul Konerko is one of the greatest players in White Sox history, not only for his strength and performance on the field but also for his heart and leadership off the field," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Paul was a humble leader whose passion for the game earned the respect and love of the entire clubhouse and fans all over the country. We honor Paul by retiring his number and welcoming him to the ranks of White Sox legends."
Konerko's number will be the 11th retired by the Sox. On Sept. 27, he was also honored with a statue on the left-field concourse.
A six-time all-star, Konerko played 16 seasons with the White Sox and is the franchise leader with 4,010 total bases.
The first baseman also ranks second in Sox history with 432 home runs and third with 2,292 hits and 406 doubles.
Sox sign three pitchers:
The White Sox agreed to one-year contracts with right-handed pitchers Hector Noesi, Javy Guerra and Nate Jones, avoiding arbitration. Noesi is due $1.95 million next season, with Guerra earning $937,500 and Jones $660,000. The deals Thursday left pitcher Jeff Samardzija and catcher Tyler Flowers as the team's remaining unsigned players in arbitration.
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• Associated Press contributed to this report