White Sox honor Konerko, unveil statue in left field concourse

Derek Jeter is catching all the headlines as he prepares for the final game of his illustrious career on Sunday at Fenway Park, but the Chicago White Sox paid homage to one of their all-time greats prior to Saturday's clash with the Kansas City Royals.

The team held a special ceremony in celebration of Paul Konerko in front of a packed house at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, where they unveiled a Konerko statue that sits alongside the statue of former White Sox Hall-of-Famer Frank Thomas in the left field concourse.

Konerko delivered a heartfelt eight-minute speech thanking fans, his family, his peers, and team management after the team showered him with gifts which included a bench made of bats, two pieces of commemorative art, and a Gibson guitar.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf recalled a touching moment in his speech when Konerko, at the team's 2005 World Series parade, presented him with the ball that solidified the team's championship. He then joked that Konerko will "never" get that ball back. Reinsdorf did, however, track down the fan that caught Konerko's grand slam ball from Game 2 of the 2005 World Series. The fan presented Konerko with the ball as a thanks for his 16 years of service to the club.

Legandary announcer Hawk Harrelson emceed the event and cued up a video tribute which included well wishes from former teammates, and other Chicago sports superstars, such as Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls and Jonathan Toews from the Chicago Blackhawks. Konerko seemed the most touched, however, by a personalized message from Jeter, his fellow retiree.

Harrelson also announced the team will retire Konerko's No. 14 on a date to be announced next season.