"When Paul Konerko isn't steering the White Sox's offense, he's aiding his teammates off the field.

Hitting coach Greg Walker, whom Konerko has credited for suggestions that have helped his ascent since 2003, said Konerko's contributions run much deeper than his streak of hitting home runs in five consecutive games entering play Wednesday.

"As good of a player as he is on the field, he has been an unbelievable captain for this team over the years," Walker said. "And he's getting better with it.

"Last year when we were in the deepest, darkest spot, he was taking the young kids to lunch, talking to veterans after games and helping us get out of it. So not only is he taking care of his own game, but he cares enough about this organization and this team that he's sharing his knowledge with other people, too."

The Cubs showed Konerko plenty of respect Wednesday in the first inning when he drew an intentional walk, and he can expect more of that as he leads the majors with 10 home runs in the month of June.

Walker hopes Konerko will remain disciplined, citing that he has come a long way since Walker joined the Sox's staff in 2003 when Konerko was struggling.

"I know early in our situation working together, there were a lot of days when he was frustrated with me, or I was frustrated with him," Walker said. "But the one thing about Paul was he always came back the next day and was ready to work with an open mind."