Guillen sticking with Uribe because of his defense
The White Sox have been winning. And Juan Uribe has been out of the lineup.
From manager Ozzie Guillen's viewpoint, it's more coincidence than correlation.
Uribe missed his fifth straight game Wednesday night with a strained right hamstring. Uribe isn't expected to play tonight, either, when the Sox wrap up a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians.
But Guillen said the second baseman is going to be in the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Angels this weekend.
"Uribe is the best second baseman the White Sox have had in a long time,'' said Guillen, adding that Uribe has a better glove than Joey Cora and Tadahito Iguchi.
"No matter how bad he gets or how he looks, he helps me. I believe in defense. Defense is going to make our pitching staff better, and Uribe does that.''
A converted shortstop, Uribe has made a near-flawless switch to second base, and his powerful throwing arm has been an asset turning double plays.
Uribe's defensive skills rarely have been questioned since he arrived on the South Side from the Colorado Rockies following a 2003 trade.
His bat, on the other hand, continues to be a hot topic.
Even though he was hitting .278 with a home run and 6 RBI over 11 games before injuring his hamstring, Uribe's average still stands at .198 and his on-base percentage is an equally grim .262.
Guillen said Uribe has been unfairly singled out for his poor hitting.
"Look, we've got a bunch of hitters playing like junk, and Uribe has done good for us,'' Guillen said. "The second I see that he's not playing good for me, he's not going to be in the lineup.''
Alexei Ramirez has been starting for Uribe at second base, even though he's more comfortable at shortstop and center field.
"The Cuban missile (Ramirez) has gotten a couple nice hits,'' Guillen said. "He's playing the position real well. In time we'll see how it works, but when Uribe is ready to play he should be back. Obviously if Ramirez continues to hit, I might change my mind. But why take it away from Uribe?''