Uribe working through slump
After playing the last five games on the road, the White Sox returned home to a receptive crowd of 25,012 Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Well, most of them did.
Juan Uribe was applauded as he took the field in the top of the first inning, but the slumping second baseman also heard some boos.
The reason? Uribe entered the game with a .153 batting average, the third lowest in the American League ahead of Detroit's Placido Polanco (.148) and Minnesota's Mike Lamb (.145).
It's still early, but Uribe's average has dropped in each of the last three seasons, bottoming out at .234 in 2007. While he's done a solid defensive job at second base after moving over from shortstop, Uribe understands why he is hearing it from the fans.
"I've been working hard with (hitting coach Greg) Walker,'' said Uribe, who snapped a 2-for-18 slide with a clutch 2-run double off Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang in the second inning. "I'm not hitting now, but I'll keep working hard in the cage so I can come out of it. I don't take the at-bats out to the field. I'm just trying to help the team by playing good defense when I'm not hitting.''
Like Uribe, most Sox regulars are off to a slow start in terms of batting average. But they are all expected to snap out of it, while Uribe remains a major question mark with the bat.
"He's playing good defense,'' Walker said when asked about Uribe. "Obviously, he's been struggling, but I think he's been somewhat more disciplined at the plate. He's taken some big walks. He finished spring training so strong, but the results haven't been there yet. We'll keep working at it.''
Sitting star: Not only was Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup Tuesday, the Yankees' third baseman was not even in Chicago.
Rodriguez was back home in Miami with his new baby daughter, who was born Monday night. Rodriguez, the league's reigning MVP, won't play today and is questionable for Thursday after straining his right quadriceps at Baltimore on Sunday.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said the Yankees are still a potent team without Rodriguez.
"You look around the lineup and everybody out there, and they're capable of scoring a lot of runs,'' Guillen said. "He's a guy, when he's in the lineup, he can make a lot of difference. I don't know how long he's going to be out, but hopefully for the next few days we won't have to see him.''
Out of sight: There's still no change coming on the White Sox' 25-man roster. That means Jerry Owens is staying at Class AAA Charlotte for the near future, while Brian Anderson stays put.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said a sore hamstring has been bothering Owens, but the center fielder was in the lineup against Durham on Tuesday night, going 1-for-3 with 2 walks and a stolen base.
"Right now we're playing well, and I'm not going to change the ballclub when we don't need it,'' Guillen said.