Konerko on pace to get his career-ending wish

Like the White Sox, the season is rolling along.

That means captain Paul Konerko is locked in on baseball as he locks out trade rumors and contract talk.

But as he continues hitting big home runs, like he did Saturday night to lift the Sox to their 11th straight win, and taking curtain calls, Konerko might have inadvertently dropped a big hint.

"A good feeling," Konerko said of his second curtain call in three days. "The fans have treated me well, so any time you can get one, you remember them. I've had a lot of good moments here, and hopefully more ahead of me."

Konerko is going to be a free agent at the end of the season and it's no secret he wants to finish up his career in a White Sox uniform.

The 34-year-old first baseman can obviously still play, and at a high level. Not only is he batting .400 over a nine-game hitting streak, Konerko ranks among American League leaders with 19 home runs and 55 RBI.

"Since I've been manager of this ballclub, maybe one year (2008) Konerko was off, and he still had a pretty good year," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "This guy shows up to the ballpark and puts all he has at the ballpark every day. He's a very quiet leader. It's one thing about him, he doesn't panic in crucial situations.

"He's very professional. With the game on the line he's more relaxed, more confident and he concentrates a little bit better. He has gotten a lot of clutch hits for a long time. He's a guy you get used to getting good at-bats all the time."

Steady Freddy: He didn't get the win Saturday, but Freddy Garcia has still never lost to the Cubs.

Continuing a trend that started 17 games ago, Garcia delivered a solid start while pitching 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 8 hits.

"Freddy, Freddy, Freddy," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Wow. Amazing. I don't know what I'm going to say about him. He's been outstanding. I never thought this guy is going to do what he's doing. I know he wasn't going to lose against the Cubs, I guarantee you that. He likes big games, he likes to show up and prove to people how good he is."

For his career, Garcia is 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA against the Cubs.

Jenks watch: Closer Bobby Jenks missed his second straight game to take care of a family illness.

Matt Thornton pitched the ninth inning Saturday and earned his third save of the season while attacking the Cubs with 99-mph fastballs.

Manager Ozzie Guillen said Jenks could be back today.

"I expect Bobby to be back, or we have to make a decision," Guillen said. "To me, family's first. To me, I don't care what happens with the ballclub; I think your family is No. 1. I would rather him solve his problem. It's not a family problem, someone in his family is sick. I don't want him at the ballpark if he was thinking about his family."

My dinner with Carlos: Ozzie Guillen did have dinner with suspended Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano on Friday night.

"I asked what happened," Guillen said. "He told me exactly what happened. He was upset with a lot of the team. That was it. I told him what to do, to wait a couple days. He will do what I tell him to do. Face it like a man. Don't turn your back on this problem. Face it like a man. Go out, put your face on it and move on.

"What are they going to do to him? Trade, release or suspend him? At least when you face it like a man and admit you were wrong, everyone moves on. He didn't kill anyone. He just made one mistake."