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Chicago White Sox retire Paul Konerko’s number (Video)

By Connor Muldowney

May 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The number of Paul Konerko is unveiled on a wall during the day that his number was retired at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The number of Paul Konerko is unveiled on a wall during the day that his number was retired at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago White Sox retired Paul Konerko’s No. 14 before Saturday afternoon’s contest and the former first basemen gave a thank you speech.

Not many players that have been in the game of baseball are respected much more than former Chicago White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko. The hard-hitting infielder was known for having quite the bat, but he was also one of the best people off the field as well.

Starting his career in 1997 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was unclear just how good he would be. He played just 55 games in two years with the Dodgers before getting dealt to the Cincinnati Reds to finish off the 1998 season. Not many people thought anything of the young first basemen through two years as he posted an average of just over .200 to start his career.

However, it took a change of scenery in 1999 to Chicago that turned his career around and he headed down the right path from there, hitting 439 career home runs, 432 with the White Sox alone, and batting a solid .279 in 18 seasons.

After a poor, lightly-used, 2014 season, Konerko decided to call it quits at the age of 38. He knew it was time as the team replaced him at first with Jose Abreu and he was even barely used in the designated hitter role.

On Saturday, the organization he called home for 16 years retired his No. 14 and gave him a nice pregame ceremony in which he gave a speech and heard from former manager Ozzie Guillen, current manager Robin Ventura and former teammates, such as Jim Thome.

That’s some pretty cool stuff for a guy who helped the White Sox win their first World Series title since 1917 in 2005.

Congrats to Konerko.

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