Hitting .215, Konerko grabs some bench

DETROIT - Paul Konerko's growing list of critics seems to double with every swing and a miss - and there have been plenty of those lately.

Mired in a season-long slump and batting just .215 with 9 home runs and 35 RBI, Konerko was held out of the starting lineup Saturday night.

"A lot of people want his head, but the same people in Chicago who are criticizing him right now and don't want him in the lineup are the same people that were telling (general manager) Kenny Williams if we don't sign him back, they're never coming back to the ballpark," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "Just be patient. Be patient with Konerko, hopefully he comes out of this problem, hopefully soon, and we'll see what we have."

Passing on a tempting offer from the Los Angeles Angels after helping the Sox win the World Series in 2005, Konerko returned to the South Side with a new five-year, $60-million contract.

Already dropped to the No. 6 spot, Konerko is expected to be back in the lineup today.

"I'm not going to come here to defend him because that's not my style," Guillen said. "We know he's not swinging the bat well, but the only thing I worry about with Paulie is his body language. I'm not going to give up on him that easy."

Williams said he had a couple "soda pops" with Konerko at the White Sox' hotel after Friday's 6-5 win over the Tigers.

"It's just getting back to the basics for him," Williams said. "(Heck), he hit .370 off fastballs last year. He needs to do what he does best. He took some cuts (Friday), actually the last few times out there, where I said, 'OK, he's close.' "

Guillen hopes sitting out a game helps Konerko.

"I don't like guys that quit on themselves because I'm never going to quit on them," Guillen said. "To me, he's just trying too hard. He should back up a little bit, relax and take it for what it is. Start having fun because he's not having fun right now."