Experiment time: Fields to play left
The decision has been made.
Your 2008 White Sox third baseman will be … Joe Crede.
That is provided Crede's back is healthy, provided he's not traded and provided that the Josh Fields experiment in left field works out.
What Josh Fields left field experiment, you ask?
The one Sox manager Ozzie Guillen announced Sunday morning. The one in which Fields, who has been the everyday third baseman for the past few months, will now become the everyday left fielder for the rest of 2007 as Sox officials try to determine if playing him there might be an option for next season.
"It's a decision for obvious reasons -- for the future," Guillen said. "I explained to him why we did it. He handled it real well.
"It's an opportunity. Now he's going to play left a little bit and it's (general manager) Kenny Williams' decision what he's going to do."
Guillen informed Fields of the decision following Saturday's loss to the Red Sox.
"He said, 'Go out and relax and don't worry about making mistakes because we are the ones putting you out there,' " Fields said. "I hadn't played left hardly at all before. I don't know if I'll be there for a while or what."
He will.
"I don't think you'll see him at third base unless there's some extreme emergency," Guillen said.
It will mark the first extended stint in left field at the major-league level for Fields, who estimates he has played about 30 games there in his career, including some during winter ball in Venezuela.
"I had a lot of fun there," Fields said. "I would mess around with the fans in the outfield whenever I was in Venezuela.
"At third base, you are kind of locked in. You can't do too much besides wearing a ball off of your face. In left, you have a little more time. Hopefully I don't mess it up."
As luck would have it, the first action Fields saw all day came in the ninth off the bat of David Ortiz, who hit a high flyball that Fields lunged at late and missed, resulting in a 2-run error.
"I got one ball hit to me -- two outs in the ninth," Fields said with a shrug. "The ball kind of came back toward the infield and the wind blew a little bit …"
"I don't worry about that," Guillen said. "I know that kid will be all right."
Dominoes: The move of Josh Fields to left means Andy Gonzalez will get the majority of playing time at third, spelled occasionally by Alex Cintron, who is on bereavement leave.
It also means a lot less playing time for left fielder Scott Podsednik, who is resting his strained right rib-cage muscle.
"Hey, he's not healthy, so we need someone to go out there," Guillen said. "When he's healthy I'll give him some at-bats. I don't know how much I'll play him.
"When he's back and ready to go I'll pick my spots to play him."
Around the horn: After missing the first three games of the series, designated hitter Jim Thome was back in the Sox' lineup Sunday. He went 0-for-3. … Alex Cintron (bereavement list) is expected to rejoin the White Sox in Cleveland. … Javier Vazquez's 10 strikeouts Sunday matched a season high.
Scouting report
White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays at U.S. Cellular Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchup: The White Sox' Jose Contreras (6-16) vs. Edwin Jackson (4-12) at 1:05 p.m.
What to watch: This is the game everyone's been talking about -- the one featuring the two worst teams in the American League battling it out. OK, not really. Today's game is a makeup from a May 26 rainout, and the good news for the Sox is that they've dominated Tampa Bay this season, taking five of six. The bad news is that Rays outfielder Carl Crawford comes into the Cell on a serious roll, hitting over .400 in August. … After today's game, the Sox hit the road for a stretch of nine games in 10 days.
Next: Texas Rangers at Ameriquest Field, Tuesday-Thursday
-- Mike Spellman