Reinsdorf tips his cap to Konerko
Paul Konerko is going to have his final say to White Sox fans Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
In a pregame ceremony scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and run 30 minutes or so, Konerko will wrap up the festivities by grabbing a microphone and saying so long to Sox backers that have been chanting "Paul-ie, Paul-ie" for the past 16 seasons.
And following Sunday afternoon's game against the Royals, Konerko is heading into retirement.
Before the 38-year-old captain calls it a career, he is expected to have his No. 14 retired. That could be part of the Saturday ceremony.
"How could it not be retired?" White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf asked Friday. "Of course it will be retired."
Reinsdorf also said Konerko, who ranks first in franchise history with 4,010 total bases and second with 432 home runs, 1,383 RBI and 2,266 games played, is eventually going to be honored with a statue on the outfield concourse.
The chairman and captain have always had a close bond, and it was permanently sealed when Konerko presented Reinsdorf with the baseball from the final out of the Sox' 2005 World Series championship.
"Certainly, my dealings with him have been great," said Konerko, who was 0-for-4 in Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field. "It's a very open door. You can walk in there, anybody can walk in there and sit down in his office and chat with him if you want. It's not some big grand thing. I've always felt comfortable with that, the way he's treated people."
Reinsdorf, who said Konerko "is probably on the cusp" of being a Hall of Famer, is going to miss him on and off the field.
"He was the face of the franchise and always conducted himself with class," Reinsdorf said. "Just a steady guy, not flamboyant. Not spectacular. He came to work every day. Actually, I was thinking the other day about his popularity in a way that is a tribute to the intelligence of our fans. In my 35 years, who were the two most popular players? Harold (Baines) and Paulie, neither one of whom said very much.
"Harold, yes, no and evidently. Paulie didn't have a lot to say, but yet the fans loved both of the guys. It's really a tribute to our fans that they were able to sense what good guys they were even without them being out there and being characters."
Reinsdorf has been involved in professional sports long enough to know it's not wise to get too attached to players who are inevitably going to leave, but Konerko is a special case.
"I think where it's really going to be tough is next year when he's not here," Reinsdorf said. "I don't know if it'll sink in when he has his last at-bat here, but I know in the spring not seeing him is going to be a funny feeling."
Konerko said Reinsdorf can give him a call whenever he wants.
"I'm always going to pick up and say, 'What can I do for you?' " Konerko said. "There will never be a time that didn't happen."