Paul Konerko
is in some very powerful company after tying
Albert Belle
for 60th all-time on the home run list with 381 and looking at
Frank Howard
and
Jim Rice
next.
“Albert hit a lot of home runs. I’m honored to be in the same group as him,” Konerko said. “He would have hit a lot more if it had not been for injury. I don’t think about it much. l have another game today so you keep on rolling along.”
Konerko also owns the Sox record for most consecutive games with an extra-base hit, getting at least one in his last nine before singling in four at-bats Saturday.
“Same thing, it’s not going to help me get any hits (the next) night,” he said. “This game keeps coming at you every day and you get to enjoy things more after the season’s over.”
Konerko also says he doesn’t consider himself a home run hitter.
“I’ve always just tried to be a good hitter first and power second,” he said. “That will hold up more in bigger situations and it will help the team out more as you go through season because you’re going to have more at-bats where you can pick up hits. … You can get home run happy.”
Healing up:
It has been just more than a week since Konerko missed a pair of games after having a bone fragment flushed from the joint in his left wrist.
“It’s good,” he said. “(Friday) or the day before all the soreness was finally out.”
While he is hoping to avoid it, surgery is still a possibility if the fragments move back and lock up his wrist again.
“It just depends on that little fragment in there,” he said. “If it continues to get in there at times, I guess we’ll have to go in there after the season and get it out. I hope it stays (where it is). That’s the best case for me.”
Sitting out:
With left-hander
Gio Gonzalez
pitching Saturday night, manager
Ozzie Guillen
chose to rest
Juan Pierre
and
A.J. Pierzynski,
making
Adam Dunn
the only lefty swinger in his lineup.
“I had to choose between Dunn and Juan Pierre, and I chose Juan Pierre because every time Dunn is on the bench, the boss is losing a lot of money,” Guillen said with a laugh. “But no, I just think Juan needed a day off more than Dunn.”
Pierre had played in 65 of the first 66 games.
Extra innings:
Saturday’s was the 46th different lineup in 67 games for the White Sox. … It was also Rat Pack Night at U.S. Cellular Field, one day after ’70s Night. … Birmingham’s
Tyler Kuhn
and
Christian Marrero
will start at second base and designated hitter respectively June 21 in the Double-A Southern League All-Star game.
