Future is now for Anderson

TUCSON, Ariz. -- White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson is not making any excuses for past failures.

He's tired of coming up with reasons why he has not lived up to his first-round hype and has decided to show the Sox organization that he belongs on the opening-day roster.

So far, so good.

"I feel I have done everything I could do," Anderson said about his chances of making the final roster. "The rest is up to them. I feel like I have played well. I have swung the bat and done everything they have asked me to do. I will be curious to see how everything pans out."

The odds were not good that Anderson would be on the 25-man roster after a troublesome last two seasons.

That appears to have changed with a productive spring training at the plate for Anderson, who's throwing out baserunners while in left or right field and showing a more business-like approach in the clubhouse.

"I am proud of him," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He has impressed a lot of people. He shows up to play and shows this organization he is ready to be in the big leagues and he wants to stay in the big leagues."

Anderson went from hitting a pair of home runs the first week with the club during the 2005 World Series run, to being named the starting center fielder instead of Aaron Rowand a year later to being almost an afterthought heading into Cactus League play this spring.

Add a wrist injury that slowed his progress last year, public complaints about the bus rides in his manager's home country of Venezuela and some communication issues after being dropped to Triple-A Charlotte last year. So the 25-year outfielder had something to prove.

The proof is his .353 spring batting average and being among the Cactus League leaders with 18 hits and 34 total bases and 9 walks.

All of a sudden instead of being on the outside looking in, he appears on the inside with others hoping to catch him during the final week of spring training.

Anderson has been playing more than first anticipated, with a groin injury to Jerry Owens slowing his progress and Carlos Quentin's shoulder not responding quickly after off-season surgery.

Anderson has made the most of his chances, but the White Sox still are looking at the big picture with a player picked 15th overall in the 2003 draft who batted just .225 during his first full-time starting duty and who had only 17 big-league at bats a year ago before being demoted to Charlotte.

Guillen has said several times during the spring that Anderson didn't take advantage of the opportunities given to him in the past.

Here's his second chance.

"I think Ozzie and I have a solid relationship. I think any tension there has been is based on my performance, and my performance has been below average, at best," Anderson said. "You can't blame him. I blame myself.

"I have to prove that I want to be here and I want it bad enough. If I go out there and play well it is easier to have a better relationship with your manager. When I do bad it makes his life tougher."