Uribe determined to win job at second base
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Juan Uribe's erratic play last season cost him his starting shortstop job, but the 28-year-old infielder arrived at White Sox training camp Thursday determined to keep his name in the lineup.
If that means shifting to second base, so be it.
"I'm going to do everything I can in my power to be the starting second baseman,'' Uribe said through a translator. "That's what I like to do; I like to start and be a difference-maker.''
In 2007, Uribe hit 20 home runs for the second straight season and drove in 68 runs from the bottom of the order. On the negative side, his batting average (.234) and on-base percentage (.284) were among the worst in the AL.
The Sox declined Uribe's $5 million option for this season, but they did agree on a one-year deal for $4.5 million. Less than two weeks later, they acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera in a Nov. 19 trade from the Los Angeles Angels.
"I heard the news and I was like, 'Wait a second, they just signed me to a contract,' '' Uribe said. "But we talked to a lot of people and everything was fine after that.''
Uribe is in the mix for playing time at second base with Alexei Ramirez, Pablo Ozuna and Danny Richar.
"(This) morning, I plan to talk to him about our situation, his situation,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's in our plans and we're going to let him know how we're going to use him, how we want to use him, and I want to hear from him in a good way what he thinks. I expect a good conversation like always and see what happens.''
Uribe is looking forward to the talk.
"They don't have to worry about my attitude,'' he said. "Whatever they need me to do. I've never had one problem anywhere I've been. I'm here to work hard and win that second base job. If not, whatever job they give me.''
Mystery man arrives: After spending the last seven seasons playing in Cuba, 26-year-old Alexei Ramirez reported to camp Thursday and promptly made a good impression.
"Good hands,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He really impressed me taking groundballs. You look at him, he looks like me when I got here, about 152 pounds. But he showed me he can play.
"Right now, it's too early to see how good he is. Expectations are pretty high and he's going to play enough games to show us how good he is.''
Ramirez had a career .334 batting average for Pinar del Rio.
"I'm here to compete for a job, anywhere they put me, center, second or short,'' Ramirez said through a translator. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to work hard to win a job.''
Hat's off to NIU: The White Sox will wear Northern Illinois University baseball caps in their opening spring game Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies.
After the game, Sox players will autograph the caps, which will be shipped to NIU and auctioned off to benefit the university's February 14 Student Scholarship Fund. The fund will award five scholarships in memory of the victims of the campus shootings.
"It is our way of showing a little bit of support and understanding," said White Sox general manager Kenny Williams. "While it's a simple gesture on our part, we just want to let the NIU community know that it continues to be in our thoughts and prayers.''