Williams welcomes outspoken Guillen
TUCSON, Ariz. -- White Sox general manager Kenny Williams noticed a big change in manager Ozzie Guillen last season.
"He's a little different,'' Williams said. "And he's better when he's a little different.''
While Williams isn't encouraging Guillen to cross the line between outgoing and offensive, he is hoping for something "a little different'' after a trying 2007 season.
"We talked about it,'' Williams said Saturday while Sox pitchers and catchers were going through their first workout of spring training. "Was I unhappy with the change? No. He, like myself, you try to grow in these jobs. There's no manual. There are certain expectations people want to put upon you.
"But ultimately, you have to decide who you are and how you're going to approach the job, how you best are going to approach the job to have success. What I found is generally it's best just to be you.''
For much of a dismal 72-90 season, Guillen was noticeably withdrawn. The 44-year-old manager, who signed a five-year extension last September, said the edge is back this season.
"It started this (first) meeting,'' Guillen said. "I want to be myself. I'm not going to hide from anyone. When you ask me a question, I will be as honest as I can be. I don't believe in 'no comment.' That gets me in some trouble, but this is my 26th spring training at the big-league level and that's pretty good success.''
Guillen thinks the White Sox made enough positive moves in the off-season to get back into contention, and he is looking forward to guiding another winner.
"If we win this year, I will be cocky,'' Guillen said. "I was taking things low-key, but this is my job. If we win this year, I might run naked down Michigan Avenue like people expect me to do.
"I suffered a lot last year. My family say that when I win, take advantage of it because when you lose, you are going to take the blame.''
Show of respect: GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen both wore NIU baseball caps Saturday in the wake of Thursday's campus shootings.
"I have a niece that went there, and I've got a couple of friends that went there and played basketball a few years back,'' Williams said. "More than anything, it's a Chicago thing. It's our way of showing a little bit of support and understanding. We've been talking about it all morning.
"It's hard to figure when the bulk of your worrying as a parent is supposed to be over, you send your kids to college, and now you have to worry about a whole new element.''
Williams has five children, and four advanced to college. His youngest son is in high school.
Trading time? With Josh Fields and Joe Crede competing for the starting job at third base and shortstop Juan Uribe being displaced by Orlando Cabrera, Sox general manager Kenny Williams could be making two trades this spring.
Williams also has to make decisions on young players such as pitcher Nick Masset and outfielder Brian Anderson, who are on the 25-man roster bubble.
"A couple here, a couple there,'' Williams said of possible moves. "I don't anticipate, even if I say a couple here, couple there, someone will say, 'Well, that's four moves then.'
"We never put together a roster (thinking) the 25 men we break camp with are going to be the 25 men we end up with at the end of the season. It just doesn't happen. We're mindful to make sure we have enough reserves, especially pitching, that we can cover ourselves.''