Hate to say it, but it's time for Konerko to go

The White Sox haven't heard from 1B Paul Konerko about whether he'll retire. On the occasions last season when I saw him in person or on TV, Konerko really looked a step slower in the field and a tick slower with the bat. He has had a remarkably consistent career as one of baseball's solid citizens. As we age, most of us have to move away from an occupation or a situation we love. My experience has been that such times are just a transition to something better. Let's hope that Konerko and the Sox appreciate what he has done sufficiently to enable him to retire without tarnishing his hard-earned reputation by hanging on too long. He has not made enemies in the game, so it's quite likely there's a coaching, front-office or broadcasting job that he could excel at and enjoy. Or perhaps his life would become retiring to spend time with children or grandchildren and to play golf or hunt or whatever he enjoys doing. Bottom line: Konerko should retire as a player. The Sox probably gave him a hint by signing Cuban 1B Jose Abreu. * * * Update on my currently playing fantasy teams. Hockey -- My team took a serious dive, falling 4 1/2 points behind the third-place team. Even Tuesday's highlight came with a price. Flyers G Steve Mason won 5-2 over Ottawa. The win left me still a point behind the teams tied for seventh, and though my goalies moved closer to ninth place in GAA and save percentage, I still have only 1 point in those categories. Furthermore, it came at the expense of the three Senators skaters in my lineup, who combined for minus-6 of my team's -8 total. With my 12 skaters putting 32 shots on goal, they scored only one goal, and I lost a point there. And, as Harry Doyle might have said, they had just 2 G.D. penalty minutes. Basketball -- This was better. Led by Chris Bosh's 8-for-9, my five players in action shot .540 from the field. They even made five 3-pointers, and scored 74 points -- 25 by Carmelo Anthony. I'm ahead this week in three categories, trailing in three and tied in two. The ties are in 3-pointers and blocks, and I'm only one steal behind. If I win this week's competition, I'd move up at least to ninth place and possibly to eighth. My plan is to get up Wednesday morning early enough to set my lineups and to look for some free agents. If I see good ones that might be helpful to a lot of people, I'll share those suggestions.