Richar will get fair shot win job
TUCSON, Ariz. -- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wants second baseman Danny Richar to take care of his visa problems and arrive at training camp as soon as possible.
But Guillen said Richar won't be penalized by his absence when it comes to competing for a starting job.
"He's going to have a legit shot,'' Guillen said. "The competition is out there, and when you are a couple days late and guys are getting ready for the season, that could hurt you. But he's going to get his shot to compete.''
Richar lives in the Dominican Republic, and Guillen has no idea when he will be in camp. Last season, Richar batted .230 in 56 games.
"I didn't hear from his agent or any of the guys here,'' Guillen said. "We're still waiting. When he shows up, he's got to be ready to play and be ready to compete.''
Juan Uribe, Alexei Ramirez and Pablo Ozuna also are vying for playing time at second base.
Crede update: Joe Crede took batting practice Saturday after being held back the day before. On Thursday, Crede was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Mike MacDougal.
Manager Ozzie Guillen was never worried about the hand, but he still is taking a wait-and-see stance with Crede's surgically repaired lower back.
"The goal is to see him play, to see exactly where he stands and how much we can count on him,'' Guillen said. "We've waited for a long time. Hopefully he plays and stays healthy. I already talked to him about being honest with me about any problem.''
Play ball: The White Sox will go through a light workout today and play intrasquad games Monday and Tuesday.
Mark Buehrle starts against Gavin Floyd on Monday and Javier Vazquez and Nick Masset are scheduled to start Tuesday.
The Sox open Cactus League play Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. John Danks gets the start.
Coach Cox: Manager Ozzie Guillen is as chatty as they come, but he has a rival in training camp -- new third-base coach Jeff Cox.
Cox was hired to replace Razor Shines, who is no longer in the organization. Guillen and Cox coached together with the Florida Marlins and the Montreal Expos.
"One thing about Jeff Cox, he knows about the game, and he has a lot of passion for this game,'' Guillen said. "When you see a guy show up every day with the same enthusiasm, I think we kind of missed that last year without (former bullpen coach) Man Soo Lee, a guy who brings some energy and a positive way.
"He's funny and he keeps guys loose. But in the meanwhile he teaches the right way, and we need that. Baseball needs that. I just want him to be him. I want him to stay the way he is.''