Konerko the leader in White Sox clubhouse

CHICAGO (MCT) — With Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buehrle gone, White Sox veteran Paul Konerko — whether he likes it or not — becomes the face of the franchise.

Captain means more than it ever did if only because it may be used more than ever with first-year manager Robin Ventura running things.

“I’m not going to take (the title) away from him, I’ll tell you that,” Ventura said. “He deserves that, not only as a player but within the clubhouse as a guy who goes about it the right way.”

In other words, Konerko becomes the modern-day version of Ventura, a presence in the clubhouse who doesn’t speak loudly but carries a big stick of influence.

“It’s huge to have a guy like that,” Ventura said. “Most of the stuff is dealt with by guys in the clubhouse anyway. A manager can subtly do things but it’s more important for players to do that themselves than it is for me to walk around and yell at this guy and that guy.”

Konerko has been a White Sox since 1999. The only other current Sox player who celebrated the 2005 World Series championship is A.J. Pierzynski, and that was his first season with the team.

So does Konerko consider himself, as others do, the front man for the franchise?

“I don’t know. Does it matter?” he asked recently at SoxFest. “I’m the first baseman, that’s all that matters to me. I try to deal with stuff that actually affects my job productively. Anything that I spend more time thinking about that has nothing to do with how I’m going to go out and perform that day is so irrelevant to me that I can’t tell you how much.

“I’m just really focused in on getting ready. Anything outside the lines from that has no place.”

Of course, Konerko knows that all the supposed fringe stuff is important. And, having played 14 seasons in the bigs, he knows how important it is for a clubhouse to have someone who can stomp out brush fires before the manager gets involved.

“I know where he’s at in his career and how important it is for him to say things,” Ventura said. “I was that kind (of player) at the end of my career, where if you can say a few things it would be better coming from (the player). And your group has to believe in that.”