White Sox' Konerko plans to make most of last MLB season

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For Paul Konerko, his 18th and final season will be more about the experience than production. 

Having re-signed for one more year, the 37-year-old first baseman has made it clear that he, along with his wife, have decided 2014 will be his last. With the signing of Cuban Jose Abreu, who is expected to serve as the White Sox primary first baseman, Konerko is likely to platoon with Adam Dunn, getting starts against left-handed pitching. 

As Konerko expects his playing time to be limited and without the pressures of playing for another contract, the six-time All-Star isn't putting much stock in statistics this season. 

"There's going to be a lot of days this year where I don't play, or I play and don't do good that day, and the end results of the numbers might not be anything even close to what I've done since the playing time will be less," Konerko told MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "But I know a lot of those days where I don't even play I can go home saying, 'That's a great day,' because of what I know I did.

"That's totally different than in years past, where when you're that four-hole hitter you have to carry the team at times, you have to drive in runs, you have to be the guy. If you do the other things, great, but you know everything is hinging on you producing and putting up numbers. It's different now. I still want to do well, don't get me wrong. I want to help the team win."

Coming off the bench will be a new experience for Konerko, who's played in at least 142 games in 12 seasons, but despite other opportunities of full-time work somewhere else, the former 13th overall pick by the Dodgers in 1994 didn't want to be anywhere but Chicago. 

"If I come here, finish it out correctly, help guys get going in the right direction. A year from now, 10 months from now, this organization is already starting to move in the right direction from last year, kind of takes a step forward and does well and I know I was a part of that, I'll feel better than if I would have joined another team and rode along with them to the playoffs or something.

"What I'm doing here is something that tons of players have done at the end of their career over the last year or two. The difference is I'm staying here to do it."