"Greg Walker might walk when his ninth season as the White Sox' hitting coach ends next week. Or he might not be asked back.

No matter what he does or where he goes, though, he knows one thing for sure.

''With all due respect to any coach I've had in the past or any coach I would have in the future, Walk is my hitting coach,'' first baseman Paul Konerko said. ''He's taught me to be smart enough to know what to listen to and not to listen to. Walk's my guy.''

Konerko, who has played through a painful calf injury for about a month, hit his 30th home run of the season Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Coupled with his 103 RBI, he reached the 30-100 plateau for the fifth time in his career.

Credit Konerko for getting it done with hard work, knowledge of his swing and attention to detail. But credit Walker, too."