Sox hitting coach Walker on board with small ball

The White Sox batted .258 last season, tying them for last in the American League with the Seattle Mariners.

They scored 724 runs, just ahead of the Kansas City Royals (686) and Mariners (640).

So when SoxFest reconvened in late January, guess which coach fans chose to tee up during a Q&A with manager Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams?

It was Greg Walker, in a landslide.

One graying fan, who probably watched Walker play first base for eight seasons with the White Sox (1982-89) and hit 113 home runs, wanted the current hitting coach canned.

Guillen and Williams both went on the offensive.

"You know how you find a good hitting coach?" Guillen said at SoxFest. "Go out and find good hitters. You can blame Greg Walker, and he will take the blame. But remember, Ron Karkovice hit .210 when we had Charley Lau."

Said Williams: "All I ask from my coaches is communication, and Greg Walker can still communicate with the hitters."

Can Walker survive another season? Yes he can, and the pressure is actually lessened this season.

The White Sox added Cy Young candidate Jake Peavy and No. 5 starter Freddy Garcia late last season and are going to try to win with pitching and defense this season.

Jim Thome is gone, and so is Jermaine Dye. The plan is to get away from the "softball" mentality, and Walker is on board with the new philosophy.

"This team's got a chance to play small ball with more guys than any time since I've been here, so it's going to be fun to watch," Walker said.

What about Don Cooper? He's the pitching coach and "Coop" will be the one feeling the heat this season if the Sox' vaunted staff doesn't perform well.

Good or bad, don't expect Cooper to change his persona.

Whether it's the top starter or last arm out of the bullpen, Cooper always stresses the positives and keeps things loose.

And Cooper probably doesn't get enough credit for taking pitchers that have failed in other organizations - Gavin Floyd and Matt Thornton are prime examples - and turning them into key contributors.

Unlike other major-league pitching coaches that rely heavily on videos and sabermetrics, Cooper has succeeded by identifying strengths in his pitchers and building from there.

What does Joey Cora contribute? Much like those four seasons (1991-94) when Cora was playing second base for the Sox and Guillen was at shortstop, this remains an inseparable duo.

And just like those foregone days, Cora and Guillen are about as perfect a combination as there is in the game.

Over the past few years, Cora's name has come up for managerial openings from Seattle to Washington. He should have gotten the Mariners' job prior to last season, but Seattle's loss has been the White Sox' gain.

Cora is a tireless worker and he's organized. As bench coach, he knows the ins and outs of every White Sox opponent.

What about Harold Baines? When he was playing Baines never said much and rarely showed emotion.

But there was always a respect factor and that hasn't changed with Baines, who is back coaching first base. It starts with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and filters down through Guillen and all the way to the 25th man on the roster.

What is Jeff Cox like? The third-base coach is out there - way out there - and the Sox actually enjoy his off-the-wall persona.

But Cox is going to be on the spot this year as the White Sox stress a more aggressive approach on the bases. If too many runners are cut down at home plate, Cox is going to feel the heat.