Chicago White Sox: 5 Career Milestones Within Reach for Paul Konerko

Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko is set to return for his 16th big league season in a few weeks when he reports to spring training.

For the captain of the White Sox, much has been accomplished in his long career. There are several milestones within the veteran slugger's reach before Konerko hangs up his spikes.

Here are five milestones that Konerko has in his sights heading into the 2012 season.

1. 400 Homers

Konerko currently sits at 396 career home runs for his career. He ought to be able to become the 48th player in baseball history to reach the 400-homer plateau by the end of April.

Konerko will pass Joe Carter with his next dinger and pass Dale Murphy, Al Kaline and Andres Galarraga on the all-time list upon seeing his 400th tater clear the fence.

2. Big Hurt's Club Record for Home Runs

Konerko is second in White Sox history with 389 homers hit with the team. He trails Frank Thomas for the club record by 59 round-trippers.

If Konerko can maintain his current pace from the last two seasons, he will be right there with the Big Hurt when his contract expires.

3. 1500 Runs Batted in

Konerko has driven in 111 and 105 runs in his last two seasons. If he can drive in a similar amount over his next two seasons, he will have 1477 RBI, putting him on the doorstep of an impressive career mark.

Of course, he'll have to stay in the lineup to even approach that milestone.

4. 2000 Games Played with the White sox

Konerko is fourth among all White Sox with 1917 games with the team. Two healthy seasons should eclipse the 2000-game mark and also vault him over Frank Thomas and Nellie Fox, putting him behind only Luke Appling's 2422 games on the all-time list.

5. Double Digit Triples and Steals

The Konerko who legged out four triples in 1999 may be a distant memory, as well as the speedster that swiped both of those bases in 2008. However, we can dare to dream.

Konerko has three-baggers in three of his last four seasons. With eight career triples and nine steals, it's a possibility that before the captain tips his cap for the final time, he can smash those elusive barriers.

Here are a few more milestones Paulie can reach with some good fortune that aren't quite so tongue and cheek:

400 doubles (currently 364)

15,000 putouts (currently 14,379)

Six All-Star Games (currently five)