Captain Konerko knows clock is ticking with Sox

At the White Sox' training camp last spring, Jermaine Dye's locker was on one side of Paul Konerko and Jim Thome's was on the other side.

Both veterans are gone now, and the 36-year-old Dye is still collecting dust on the free-agent market waiting for a call that has yet to come.

Entering the final season of a five-year, $60 million contract, the 34-year-old Konerko realizes his time is also running out.

"You are never going to stop the clock from ticking, but you can maybe slow it down a little bit," Konerko said after reporting for spring training.

The classy captain is back for his 12th season as the Sox' first baseman, and he remains a force in the middle of the lineup.

Is this going to be Konerko's last season on the South Side?

When he reported to camp, Konerko discussed his future from both sides of the fence.

On one side, Konerko wants to keep playing as long as he can, preferably in a White Sox uniform.

"That was always my goal, to stay with one team a long time when I came into the league," Konerko said. "So I accomplished that. I'm OK with what happens from here."

On the other side of the fence, Konerko doesn't foresee himself begging for a job next winter, be it with the Sox or some other club.

"I'm probably a year too early guy (for retirement) than a year too late guy," Konerko said.

While no one questions his loyalty, there are still some questions about the White Sox captain this spring:

Can he still play? Like Dye, Konerko tailed off in the second half of last season, batting .243 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. Before the all-star break, Konerko hit .302 with 16 HR and 60 RBI.

Overall, Konerko led the White Sox in homers, RBI, doubles (30) and total bases (267), so the right-hander still has some pop. His slugging percentage last season at .489 was close to his career average .491. His career high was .551 in 2006.

Where will he be in 2011? Unlike Dye and Thome, Konerko is deeply rooted on the South Side and that means a lot to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen.

If he puts up solid numbers again, Konerko is likely to get a two-year offer, or maybe one and an option. The Los Angeles Angels have tried in the past to get him, and there's a pretty good crop of free agent first basemen available next year (Derrek Lee, Lance Berkman, Adam Dunn and Lyle Overbay).

If he tanks, well, Konerko always has his real estate company in Phoenix to occupy his time.

How is Konerko defensively? He has never won a Gold Glove, but Konerko is coming off his best defensive season.

According to fangraphs.com, Konerko had a UZR (ultimate zone rating) of 2.6 in 2009. In the American League, only the Angels' Kendry Morales (4.9) and the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera (2.8) were better.

Who else can play first base for the Sox? Another 34-year-old veteran, Mark Kotsay, is a solid backup for Konerko and he also has a good glove.

Andruw Jones played four games at first base for the Texas Rangers last season and another newcomer, Mark Teahen, played 11 games at first with the Kansas City Royals. Dayan Viciedo needs more time to develop, and some believe keeping Konerko around would help that happen.

AL's bestWhere we rank the top first basemen:1. Mark Teixeira, Yankees2. Kendry Morales, Angels3. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers7. PAUL KONERKO, WHITE SOXFalse11991611Paul KonerkoBev Horne | Staff PhotographerFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More season previews</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Cubs</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=364973&src=152">Lee's resurgence has Cubs expecting more of the same<span class="date">[03/10/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=364640&src=152">Plenty of worries for Cubs over their bullpen depth<span class="date">[3/9/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=364457&src=152">With rotation, Cubs deal with fear of the unknown<span class="date">[3/8/10]</span></a></li></ul><h2>White Sox</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=365010&src=162">Captain Konerko knows clock is ticking with Sox<span class="date">[03/10/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=364633&src=162">5 spots set, but bullpen remains an issue for Sox <span class="date">[03/09/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=364463&src=162">For starters, Sox expect rotation to be one of baseball's best <span class="date">[03/08/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>