Paul Konerko will take a month off before deciding if he will return

For some reason, when discussing talented first baseman, a name often forgotten is Chicago White Sox slugger Paul Konerko.

The skills (along with the health) of the 37-year-old bopper have diminished in the past few seasons, however, for years Konerko was among the league leaders in home runs, hitting over 30 home runs seven times, twelve times over 20. But he was more than that. Konerko, unlike a lot of power hitters, could also hit for average given his career .281 average. Paul was also a very competent fielder, posting a .995 fielding percentage during his seventeen year career, so while many outside of Chicago might not realize just how good the Arizona native was, White Sox faithful know the truth.

That’s why many have been biting their nails in anticipation of Konerko’s retirement decision, something he apparently isn’t even aware of yet.

As Konerko and the White Sox close the season today, the first baseman says he plans to take a month off before making a decision on his future:

"‘‘You come in, you have a way you want to work and a vision of how the season is going to go,’’ Konerko said Friday. ‘‘Pretty much all of that was destroyed as the season went [down] piece by piece. But one of the things I did want to do, no matter how the season was going to turn out, was to go home after it and take a month off and get away from it. I didn’t know what I’d be getting away from, but that was definitely something I wanted to do.’’"