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CHICAGO -- If Paul Konerko returns for another season, nobody who knows him well will really be shocked. The Chicago White Sox first baseman will make up his mind at some point over the next six weeks and then sit down with Sox officials to determine what role he might play in the team’s future.

Konerko has expressed an openness to a possible new chapter in his major league career, which began in 1997. Physical limitations have planted the seed in Konerko’s thought process that a part-time role might be the way to go.

If Konerko wants to take one more year before a career in carpooling his kids begins full-time, then mentoring teammates and playing a couple of times a week may be a sufficient way to end his baseball career.

The good news for Sox fans is that Konerko’s wife, Jen, has been totally supportive of Paul deciding when he wants to retire. That kind of hall pass from home is huge for an aging player with young children to raise. Konerko plans on taking his family on more road trips next season if he does decide to play. The role of player –coach does not appeal to him, yet some of his responsibilities would fall into that area if he returns as a supplemental player.

Whenever Konerko takes his final curtain call, which may have happened Sunday, he will be the last player to leave who played on the 2005 World Champion White Sox. Konerko is content with the knowledge that many great players never got to grab the brass ring like he and his teammates did eight seasons ago.

“The last-man-standing thing is not that big of a deal,” said Konerko. “When you look around and you see that team and that year you remember how fragile and how tough it is to get one of those things. You look around and not to just pick just his name, but you see Todd Helton. He is awesome -- great guy, great career, and he didn’t get one (World Series ring). He deserved one. I look at guys like that and realize that is the highlight. It is not the All-Star Games or this game or that game, it is not even close to winning a World Series.”

Konerko’s legacy has grown among the fan base after returning twice for less money. He had chances with Baltimore and Arizona to make more cash when free-agent opportunities were presented after the 2005 and 2010 seasons. He has always been “The Man” of the blue-collar White Sox fan base.

“I could have left a couple of times but I stayed,” he said on Sunday. “I will always take pride in that. There are numbers and statistics that everybody has, but for me, I was 2-for-2 on that.”

A good bet at this time is that Konerko and the Sox brass make it 3-for-3 as he approaches the next phase and final chapter of his stellar baseball career.

CHICAGO -- At the end of a lost season for his team, Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura seems pleased to be moving on from the second worst record in franchise history.

“As you move toward the end of the season you start making adjustments looking ahead,” Ventura said. “That all starts tomorrow.”

After losing 99 games, finding a silver lining is not an easy task for Ventura.

“Any time you go through a season like this it is not easy to keep pushing forward,” he said. “This is not fun, but you need the commitment of moving forward in order to get better. I am not sure I can point a finger as to what you really learn (from losing), you know for sure you don’t like going through anything like this.”

Ventura will return to his California home and wait to see what kind of moves the front office makes in response to this disappointing season.

“We have to make adjustments,” he said. “That will all depend on what happens personnel-wise. We have added some young players here at the end that we did not have last spring training. We hopefully will get some players in here to turn this thing around. We need the others who are still here to get better.”

Ventura, who now enters his last year under his original three-year contract, had a simple final message for his players.

“At first you should go home and enjoy your family,” he said. “When you do start to work out again, remember how this tastes. It isn’t a lot of fun, so you need to understand you don’t want to go through this again.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox will be looking for a new hitting coach and iconic batting instructor Rudy Jaramillo will be paying attention.

After firing hitting coach Jeff Manto on Saturday, Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he would do an extensive search both inside and outside the organization. Former Chicago slugger Jim Thome, who went to work for the White Sox this summer, is not being considered for the job due to family obligations.

Jaramillo, who has been staying busy with his hitting school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said that if the right circumstance comes his way he will certainly listen.

“It has been a long year and a half away from the game,” Jaramillo said from his Texas home. “I love the game and still have great passion for teaching. I am still fine tuning my teaching and finding ways in how to get better as an instructor.”

Jaramillo said he won’t campaign for a job, but said he keeps in touch with his friends in different organizations.

“I have known (Sox assistant GM) Buddy Bell for a long time and (scouting and minor leagues assistant director) Del Matthews is also a good friend,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo, 63, has 22 seasons on his resume as a hitting instructor. He coached 18 seasons with the Texas Rangers and two-plus with the Chicago Cubs, before he was let go by the team in June of 2012.

The five-step system he teaches consists of his video, “A professional approach to hitting.”

“All the young people you see get a chance to play at the big league level have the talent to hit,” he said. “The mental approach is the difference in making it or not. As a coach, that is what you are trying to do. You are trying to be there for these guys . You try to support them, make them feel good about themselves . You help them learn to have a plan when they are at the plate. You can prepare and practice all day long, if you don’t trust it when you get to home plate, executing the plan is not going to happen.”

Jaramillo’s five steps include: seeing the ball, rhythm, separation, staying square and weight shift-transfer.

“Hitting has become a more difficult process,” Jaramillo said. “The technology has become so advanced that they know your hitting weaknesses better than any time in the past. We also can turn that around and use that against the pitchers, and we do.”

The role of team leader might be open with the unknown status of White Sox team captain Paul Konerko. The veteran free agent will not decide until November if he will play next season. Regardless of his decision, a changing of the guard in the Sox locker room is inevitable.

Gone are the days of Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome being the go-to guys inside the Sox clubhouse. Veteran designated hitter/first baseman Adam Dunn will automatically become a go-to guy. That said, Dunn has only one year remaining on his four-year, $56 million contract. Others in the organization point to Gordon Beckham as the next voice of the White Sox clubhouse.

“I think there are guys here that have the ability to [be a leader]," manager Robin Ventura said. “When things are going tough like this year, it is harder to do that. When it is going well for a guy, it is easy to do that. Usually at times like this, you see the true character of people. Guys like Gordon have stepped up and have been responsible and accountable."

The natural passing of the leadership baton from Konerko to Beckham would make sense in a few different ways. The 26-year-old second baseman has been a close friend and student of Konerko’s since he arrived on the major league scene in 2009.

"That is not something that is just going to be given to you," Beckham said. "You have to earn the respect of your teammates. The leader role will take care of itself. Some guys will be involved in managing the team, and that will evolve in due time.”

Beckham has established himself as a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman. He reinvented his batting stance in 2013. Working out of a deep crouch, he was able to have a more direct route of the bat to contact, taking away the loop in his swing. The end result was a batting average of above .300 for the first four months of the season. Having to deal with a leg and wrist injury altered his approach and cut almost 35 points off the season average.

Learning at the knee of the accomplished Konerko has prepared Beckham for the next step in his role with the White Sox.

"Going back to my time [at the University of] Georgia, that [leadership skill] was in me then," he said. "It hasn’t left me; it has been a matter of taking a back seat to the veterans like Paul, Dunn and Jim Thome. We let them run what was rightfully theirs to run. I have learned a lot from Paul. We spend a lot of time together, on and off the field. I am confident I have learned as much as I can from him in terms of how to handle the media stuff or just everyday things in here. I know he has taught me the right way to do it."

The maturity that Beckham has gained as a ballplayer has also helped in his off-field life, seen in his commitment to his religion and his pending marriage in November.

The fate of Paul Konerko and his future in Chicago is not any clearer now than it was before he completed a 23-minute news conference on Friday. Winding down a forgettable season on a personal and team basis has the 15-year White Sox veteran contemplating his next career move. The four-time All-Star will take at least a month to decide if he has anything left in the tank physically and mentally.

If Konerko does decide to play again, he is hoping that the White Sox are interested in his return. For the first time on Friday, he said he might be interested in a part-time role in 2014. Konerko did say if he plays next season, it would definitely be his last season as a player. The message he sent to Sox brass was a strong one. Prior to today, the team's executives had no idea if the 37-year-old first baseman would accept a lesser role than in the past. After the Sox's iconic player put that possibility out there, general manager Rick Hahn, vice president Kenny Williams and chairman of the board Jerry Reinsdorf are suddenly in a more comfortable position to decide on the Sox's approach to an aging player's delicate situation. The club is off the hook for having to pay Konerko anything close to the $13 million he made in the last year of his most recent three-year contact.

With that smartly placed concept in place, both the player and the club have a tremendous amount of wiggle room to figure out what works for everyone’s best interest. Leaving baseball on the worst team he has ever played for most assuredly would leave a bad taste in Konerko’s mouth.

“That may be the hugest thing,” he said. “You only get to go through these careers once. The majority of the advice you get from guys who have been through it is, if you can play, play. The other side of it is, this is how careers are supposed to end. Not everybody gets to do it the way they want to do it.”

Former star players like Jason Giambi and Mark Kotsay have filled those lesser-type roles for clubs in 2013. The White Sox are getting younger; having the sage advice and presence of Konerko for one more season could help manager Robin Ventura and his staff turn things around in 2014.

Numerous injuries and two chronically weak hips might be the deciding factor in Konerko’s decision. That final word on his playing future will come sometime in November. Attempting to pass Frank Thomas for the franchise home run and RBI crowns will not be the motivation for the player if he returns to the Sox in 2014. Konerko wants to go out with a feeling of accomplishment, despite the fact he has nothing more to prove in establishing himself as one of the best players in franchise history.

The only injustice would be if Konerko plays for another club next year. He should have the right and Sox fans should have the chance to celebrate this wonderful player's great contributions with a yearlong tribute. The Yankees did it the right way with Mariano Rivera. Hopefully the White Sox and Konerko can get it right in the final act of a great career.

CHICAGO -- Here is a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field:

How it happened: Catcher Bryan Anderson threw away a bunt allowing the Royals to score what proved to be the winning run in the seventh inning. Kansas City's other runs came on David Hough's two-run homer in the fourth. The Sox scored their runs on solo home runs by Paul Konerko in the second and Adam Dunn in the sixth. Dunn's homer was his 33rd of the season and was estimated to travel 442 feet.

What it means: The Royals' 84 wins are the most by the franchise since 1993. Regardless of the outcome of the next three games, the White Sox will finish under.500 at home for only the fourth time since they began playing at U.S Cellular field in 1991. The other sub-.500 years were 1999, 2007 and 2011.

Outside the box: The Sox have made 51 more errors this season than they did in 2012. Konerko will hold a news conference to take questions about his future on Friday afternoon. A source said Monday that Konerko would not make up his mind about whether to retire or keep playing until November. General manager Rick Hahn will also give his state of the team address Friday.

Up next: Kansas City sends James Shields (12-9, 3.21 ERA) to the mound to face the White Sox's Chris Sale (11-13, 2.97 ERA) in Friday's 7:10 p.m. CT start.

CHICAGO -- Coming into 2013, White Sox manager Robin Ventura was riding the wave of an 85-win season in 2012 and accolades from industry experts on his success as a rookie manager.

The reactions to the Sox's last-place finish in the AL Central have been a different learning curve for Ventura. Pitching coach Don Cooper told reporters Wednesday that he was embarrassed by the team's performance in 2013.

"Sure there have been times I have felt that way," said Ventura as the team prepared to play its last series of the season. "Any time you have a year like this, that is part of it. Frustration, anger, all of those things."

Ventura has found enough passion in a lost season to know he wants to stay on the job despite all of the losing.

"That is just the frustration of right now. After that, it will be behind us," he said. "At that point you move forward and make adjustments and find a way to get better."

The franchise will have its hands full moving up in a division that has been dominated by the Detroit Tigers, who have won the past three division titles. There also are two up-and-coming teams in the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. Both have young talent that is being complemented by an influx of free agents and veterans acquired in trades.

Sox general manager Rick Hahn and Ventura are on the same page moving forward and have spent a good deal of time making plans for the 2013 offseason and 2014.

"The object is for us to go and win games," Ventura said. "We don't think what we have done is OK. We are going to try and make some moves. You are planning to be better and that is our focus. We are not going to the playoffs, so you must figure out a way to construct a team and build on that beginning in spring training."

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The results of a meaningless September are rarely overanalyzed, but White Sox brass are paying close attention to their young core of players. Solo home runs by Marcus Semien and Avisail Garcia on Monday might be a snapshot of the future core of the team beyond 2013.

Semien, who was the MVP of the Southern League, hit his first major league home run, giving starter Jose Quintana a two-run cushion to work with against the Blue Jays.

“It was really a great feeling," he said after hitting the second-inning home run off J.A. Happ. “Whenever you have a big league first it is kind of a great feeling.”

The young infielder has made a strong impression on manager Robin Ventura during his brief late-season call-up.

“I have somewhat of a feel what type of player he is," Ventura said before the Sox's 3-2 victory. “Again, you are going to have a month in spring training to see him again, and see how he progresses. He is going to the fall league. We will follow him there and be able to see how he [improves].

“Marcus is showing us what he can do up here and making some good plays on defense as well. He is making a good case for himself that he can play at this level.”

Garcia, acquired in the trade that sent Jake Peavy to Boston in a three-way deal with Detroit, has shown some ability in his two months with Chicago. “That is a part of having these guys up here and moving forward," Ventura said.

Garcia is hitting .369 in his last 13 games with 13 RBI and 10 runs scored. Semien is also on a tear, hitting at a .342 clip in his last 11 contests.

Playing a full Arizona Fall League season, which begins Oct. 8, might be a letdown for some young players who have been playing full-time in the major leagues like Semien. But not for Semien.

“Not at all," Semien said. “It will be a great experience. Fall league is traditionally a great league; the best minor league players in baseball are there. I am happy to be there too.”

CHICAGO -- The White Sox used a pair of home runs and strong starting pitching to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

How it happened: The White Sox and Jays were making up a game rained out on June 12. Jose Quintana was seeking his ninth win of the season. LHP J.A. Happ was on the hill for Toronto. Rookie Marcus Semien hit his first major league home run with Dayan Viciedo on base in the second inning. J.P. Arencibia hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Avisail Garcia led off the White Sox fifth with his sixth home run. Quintana exited in the eighth after giving up an RBI base hit to Ryan Goins.

What it means: The Sox win the season series against Toronto 4-3. Chicago had lost nine of its past 12. Chicago continues its six-game road trip with three in Cleveland against the Indians to close out its 2013 road schedule.

Outside the box: Manager Robin Ventura said he is not interested in talking about managing beyond 2014 at this juncture. Ventura signed a three-year deal in the fall of 2011. "I said I want to do it again," Ventura reiterated on Monday in reference to next season. "After that, you would like to [continue], but we will discuss that after next year. It has to be [agreeable] on both sides. That is a discussion for another day."

Ventura turned down an extension that was offered in spring training. At that time, he said there was no hurry in signing beyond the two years remaining on his deal. … Viciedo returned from paternity leave after missing the weekend series in Detroit.

Up next: The Sox resume their road trip against the Indians. LHP Hector Santiago (4-9, 3.53 ERA) faces RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.59).

CHICAGO -- John Danks' outing on Wednesday seemed like a microcosm of his entire season.

The Chicago White Sox starter pitched well enough after giving up four runs in the first two innings, but the end result was his 14th loss in a frustrating year. After having season-ending shoulder surgery in 2012, Danks’ comeback has been laborious at times.

“He was down in the zone later in the game,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said after his team’s 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. “I think early on he didn’t have a feel for it. He was up in the zone and they made him pay for it.”

The most difficult issue for the 28-year-old pitcher has been his command issues. Danks’ velocity has come back three or four miles per hour in a given start. The rest of the equation is solving the location on a variety of pitches.

“We are not in instructional league here,” Danks said. “We are judged on our success. Wins and losses are all that matter here. I would not have come back when I did if I didn’t think I could help this club win ball games. Certainly it has not been fun. I will continue to work hard and get things straightened out.”

Danks retired 16 straight hitters Wednesday, pitching seven innings in the loss after a three-run second inning. He has allowed four or more runs in each of his last four starts, going 0-4 with a 8.02 ERA. Danks’ record of 4-14 is the lowest winning percentage by a Sox starting pitcher since 1978.

An offseason of work should pay added dividends going toward next season. Danks plans on spending some time with pitching coach Don Cooper in Nashville this winter.

“I will take a little bit off time off,” Danks said. “I will continue to play catch and spend some time with Coop. That will be good.”

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday:

How it happened: The Twins took a 4-0 lead on the White Sox and starter John Danks after two innings. But Danks pitched five shutout innings from there, retiring 16 straight at one point. Alejandro DeAza hit his career-high 16th home run of the season off Twins starter Scott Diamond in the fourth inning. Jordan Danks singled home two runs in the seventh to cut the deficit to 4-3. The White Sox were looking for a sweep after securing their first series victory since Aug. 28 against the Houston Astros.

What it means: Danks dropped to 4-14 on the season. ... The White Sox ended their second-to-last homestand with a record of 3-7. Chicago has three games against Kansas City at home Sept. 27-29 to end the season.

Outside the box: Minor League base stealing champion Micah Johnson was honored for his MVP award in the Southern League championship series. Johnson led the minor leagues with a combined 84 stolen bases at three different stops in 2013. ... The White Sox's 42 division losses are the most in team history. ... Chicago leads the major leagues with 115 errors and have made 12 in their last 10 games.

Up next: After an off day on Thursday, the Sox begin their last road trip of the season in Detroit. The Sox's Andre Rienzo (2-2, 5.04) will be opposed by Detroit's Max Scherzer (19-3, 2.95) in the 6:08 p.m. CT start on Friday.

CHICAGO -- White Sox prospect Micah Johnson, voted MVP for the Double-A Champion Birmingham Barons in the Southern League championship series, was recognized before Wednesday’s game at U.S. Cellular Field.

The 23-year-old Johnson has the one tool that cannot be taught, god-given speed. In three combined minor league stops in 2013, he stole 84 bases -- the most in professional baseball. With the subtle change toward speed and defense that has occurred in baseball’s post-steroids era, players like Johnson have a chance to move up the ladder as top-of-the-order impact players.

The White Sox have emphasized the athletic-type player more than many big league clubs over the past five seasons. Some work out, some do not as the old adage of not being able to steal first base still applies.

“If I can be the type of player to get on base with a powerful lineup behind me, [that] would be great,” Johnson said. “If I can find a way to get on base 40 percent of the time, we could have a successful team.”

Johnson’s game is not quite there yet, however the future looks bright for the young infielder. He insists he is not in the same speed zone of Cincinnati outfielder Billy Hamilton, who stole 155 bases in 2012.

“I have seen faster guys than me but I do what I can to steal my base,” he said. “I think Hamilton would beat me in a race, but he is also 40 pounds lighter than me. My goal is to disrupt the defense and create more fastballs for the rest of the lineup to see. It is my goal to impact games.”

Johnson, a ninth-round pick out of Indiana University in 2012, was successful on 78 percent of his stolen base attempts in 2013.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn did not see the disaster of 2013 coming when he signed a three-year contract to run the team last October. Nonetheless, the 39-year-old Chicago area native is ready to roll up his sleeves and start to rebuild his ballclub for next season and beyond.

A total collapse of the offense was certainly a shock to Hahn & Co. as the team muddled its way through one of the franchise's worst seasons since 1976.

"I think our most glaring issues have been our offense, our defense and our baserunning," Hahn said. "All of which calls for improvement on the position-player side of things. I think it is safe to say we are very aware of where we fell short. We are also very aware of where we need to get better. All of that would entail significant improvement among the players we have or new faces."

The White Sox have more than $50 million coming off the payroll heading into 2014, with the trades of veterans and other contracts such as Paul Konerko's coming off of the books. It's unclear what the payroll for next season will be. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf usually gives his department heads their budgets in early November. The club will have to investigate the free-agent market as part of the formula for improvement. Atlanta catcher Brian McCann may be the perfect fit for Chicago. McCann has outstanding power, to go along with his leadership skills and game-calling acumen.

"You have to be real careful," Hahn said, speaking generally about the free-agent market and aging players in the mix. "We do have the benefit in the American League of the DH. If whoever you are buying is a bat, at least you have a spot to move him to if his defensive skills start to erode, which is usually first to go. You do have to be careful but you also want to look at each guy individually."

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ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine takes your Cubs and White Sox questions during a live chat at noon CT Tuesday. Click here to submit your questions.