White Sox to retire Paul Konerko’s No. 14 on May 23

Considering the man already has a statue, retiring Paul Konerko’s jersey number was the obvious next step for the White Sox to take to honor their longtime slugger.

The date of the ceremony to retire Konerko’s No. 14 has been set for May 23, when Chicago hosts the Twins.

“Paul Konerko is one of the greatest players in White Sox history, not only for his strength and performance on the field, but also for his heart and leadership off the field,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Paul was a humble leader whose passion for the game earned the respect and love of the entire clubhouse and fans all over the country. We honor Paul by retiring his number and welcoming him to the ranks of White Sox legends.”

The first 20,000 fans through the turnstiles at U.S. Cellular Field on that Saturday afternoon will receive a replica of the Konerko statue that sits on the concourse in left-center field.

Konerko retired following the 2014 season and spent 16 of his 18 years in the big leagues in Chicago, undoubtedly leaving his mark on the franchise and its record books. He is first in total bases (4,010), second in home runs (432) behind Frank Thomas, and third in hits (2,292) behind Luke Appling and Nellie Fox. He also led the White Sox to a World Series title in 2005, their first championship since 1917, and that’s when he delivered the signature moment of his career, hitting a grand slam home run in Game 2.

Konerko joins Thomas, Appling, Fox, Harold Baines, Minnie Minoso, Luis Aparicio, Ted Lyons, Billy Pierce, and Carlton Fisk as players that have had their numbers retired by the White Sox.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr