Abreu expresses desire to learn English, rise as Sox leader

Jose Abreu is comfortable swinging at 100-mph fastballs and scooping errant throws out of the dirt at first base.

Learning how to speak English is a much more imposing challenge for the Chicago White Sox' slugging first baseman, who is determined to learn the language this off-season.

But don't expect Abreu to report to training camp in the spring and speak without a translator. When I asked the native Cuban on Tuesday how much English he spoke, Abreu held his right index finger and thumb very close together.

"It's a very hard language to learn," Abreu said through Billy Russo, the Sox' translator. "Spanish is so much easier to learn. With English, there are a lot of words that sound the same but have different meanings."

Abreu is getting married on Nov. 28 in Miami, so he already is looking at a busy winter. But he also wants to learn English so he can return for his third season with the White Sox and have a vocal presence.

"That's my goal," Abreu said. "I want to be a leader, and I know for that I have to learn the language. And that's my focus for this off-season, it's one of the things that I have on my list. I know if I can learn a little bit more of the language I can express myself in a better way with my teammates and my coaches.

"It's going to help our relationship. That's the way I think I can express my leadership. I'm not just trying to be a leader as an example. I'll try to say something."

So much has gone wrong for the White Sox this season, and a lack of leadership in the clubhouse has been an obvious problem. Paul Konerko was the Sox' undisputed leader for more than a decade before retiring at the end of the 2014 season.

Adam LaRoche was signed last winter to provide left-handed pop in the middle of the lineup and lead on and off the field, but he has had a miserable season with the bat and that's had a big impact on his influence.

"We have it," manager Robin Ventura said when asked about leadership. "I think you can look at it a couple of ways, but when you don't win games, it just doesn't look like it's always there. We have guys that fill that differently than Paulie did. There are guys that monitor that and take care of that."

If Abreu wants to step up and become a bigger leader, Ventura is all for it.

"It's a good thing to hear because we know he operates," Ventura said. "We know how he comes every day and how he prepares and how he plays the game. Any time a guy like that wants to step up and lead, we're happy to hear that."

Abreu would be happy to oblige, but he needs to learn English.

"I don't know how," he said. "I just know that I have to do something."