Not much ado about Paulie

The celebration of Paul Konerko’s White Sox career has been ongoing since SoxFest in January, and if Konerko has been a little uncomfortable with it, well, that’s just another reason why Sox fans love their “Paulie.”

In an age when it pays to be a “me guy,” Konerko has never been that, making his last hurrah a bit awkward.

When we spoke in spring training about the Sox’s marketing of his final year, Konerko said he understood the rationale, but just wanted to do his job the way he’s always done it.

No flash. No frills. No Jeter-type hype.

Just try to do your job, whether it’s cleanup hitter or late-inning pinch hitter.

“It’s a little bit different kind of job than in the past, but it’s still a job,” he said in February in Glendale, Ariz. “I want to do that job well, and hopefully that makes people cheer for you, not for something I did 9 years ago or 10 years ago or 8 years ago. That’s never been the way I do things.”

Konerko’s place in White Sox history was secured long ago, and he’ll finish behind Hall of Famer Frank Thomas in a number of offensive categories, including home runs, RBIs, and extra-base hits, while leading the franchise in total bases. Only Luke Appling played more games in a Sox uniform, and only Appling and Nellie Fox had more at-bats.

His chances of making the Hall of Fame appear remote, though Konerko ranks 42nd in career home runs with 439, ahead of Hall of Famers like Andre Dawson (438), Cal Ripken Jr. (431), Billy Williams (426), Duke Snider (407), Al Kaline (399), and Jim Rice (382).

Konerko’s main job was as run producer, and he did it exceptionally well. He ranks 71st in career RBIs (1,412), only two behind confessed cheater Mark McGwire, and 39 behind Rice, who ranks 60th all-time.

But Konerko’s career offensive WAR, according to baseballreference.com, is only 33.3, tied for 397th place with Don Money and Marty McManus.

Rice, the Red Sox slugger, is perhaps the closest analogy to Konerko, offensively-speaking. He also ranks relatively low (tied for 222nd) in offensive WAR at 45, but his candidacy was boosted over time by the onset of a chemically-enhanced era that may have made his numbers look small by comparison, but boosted his perceived dominance in the minds of older voters.

Rice was elected in his 15th and final year of eligibility. The Hall rules were changed in July, and future candidates will have only 10 years on the ballot. The fact Konerko was considered to be “clean” during the steroids era may help his cause.

But like Sox great Harold Baines, who ranks 30th in career RBIs (1,628) but never came close to being elected, Konerko may go down as a great player who misses the cut.

In the end, however, numbers won’t define Konerko’s legacy in Chicago. Perhaps no fan base has related to a star player the way Sox fans have over the last 16 years with Konerko.

They see the work ethic, the humility, the lack of pretense, the common-sense approach to his job, and they feel like they’re looking in a mirror. Konerko is everything they want Jay Cutler to be.

It’s easy now to forget that the trade that sent promising young outfielder Mike Cameron to the Reds after the 1998 season wasn’t immediately viewed as a winner. The Boston Globe soon reported that Konerko, who began his career with the Dodgers, was damaged goods: “As [Dodgers Vice President] Tommy Lasorda knows, the slow-footed Konerko has a hip problem that may not be curable.”

General manager Ron Schueler responded to the report by saying he had no concerns about Konerko’s hips, and if there was any evidence of a career-threatening injury, he’d ask to nullify the trade.

“My hips don’t hurt at all. It’s just the way the bones are structured,” Konerko told the Tribune. “They’re no better or worse than they were 4 years ago. And they won’t be better or worse 4 years from now. Look, if I had perfect hips, I still wouldn’t be stealing 20 or 30 bases [a year]. The hips are the least of my problems.”

Konerko didn’t go on to swipe many bases. In fact, barring a steal in his final week, he will end up with nine for his career.

But he survived just fine, and went on the disabled list only three times in his Sox career – for an oblique strain in 2008, for a concussion in 2012 after being accidentally elbowed in the head at first base by the Royals’ Jarrod Dyson, and for a lower-back strain in 2013. It’s only fitting he’ll end his career playing with a broken hand.

Back in late June in Minnesota, I wondered if it was starting to hit him yet, the final act of a long and eventful career.

Konerko just shrugged.

“I try not to look at it as something sad or something bad,” he said. “I look at it as something like a graduation. You can’t go backward. Keep moving forward, try to have fun with it, and that’s it.”

Graduation day is near.

Hoist your glass.