While the baseball world is busy waving farewell to Derek Jeter, another icon is making his way off the stage without the fanfare or the parting gifts.
Paul Konerko came up with the Dodgers and was traded to the Reds in his second season, but has played all but 75 of his 2300 games with the Chicago White Sox over an 18-year career. Now 38, "Paulie" has been reduced to part-time status befitting a first baseman who has lost his big bat.
Konerko has smacked 436 career bombs and driven home 1400 for the ChiSox, earning six All-Star berths and MVP votes following five seasons. He's topped 30 HR seven times and 100 RBI six times with two other seasons of 99 and 97 runs driven in. His career .844 OPS without speed or defense suggests a good player who is no threat to enter Cooperstown.
Konerko's best season was 2010, at age 34, when he went .312/.393/.584 with 39 HR, career bests at OBP and SLG. Since then, his OPS has declined dramatically each year, to the point that last year he was costing the team wins. He signed a one-year "last hurrah" $2.5 million deal this year so he could take a victory lap in Second City, but has mostly played bench warmer, hitting .171 in half-time duty with two homers.
Of course, in another sense, his career year was '05, at age 29, when he went yard 40 times and led the ChiSox to 99 victories and a World Series sweep of Houston. Without question, Paulie was the heart and soul of that championship team, which boasted few other stars -- Mark Buerhle and the last wisps of Frank Thomas about the only other notable contributors.
Konerko's big bat and quiet leadership are beloved on the South side and about the only things, besides perhaps another Stanley Cup, the city will have to celebrate this summer. So a tip of the cap to Paul Konerko. Consider this homage your parting gift.
Well, that and $130 million lifetime earnings.
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