Having fun at coach's painful expense
General manager Kenny Williams said the White Sox were laughing at pitching coach Don Cooper from the moment he pulled his left hamstring in the dugout after being ejected Thursday at Dodger Stadium until the team plane landed in Chicago late Thursday night.
Cooper wasn't getting the joke.
Enraged with first-base umpire Lance Barksdale for not calling out the Dodgers' Luis Maza on a check-swing third strike, Cooper, after getting tossed, stumbled down the dugout steps and injured his hamstring.
He reluctantly emerged from the coach's office before Friday's game against the Cubs to discuss the incident.
"I'm OK,'' Cooper said. "My leg is a little sore, but here is the bottom line with the whole thing - I'm wrapped up in the game; I want to win the game. I have patience when we make mistakes as players, I don't have patience. . .''
At that point, manager Ozzie Guillen chimed in with: "Don't embarrass the organization,'' and Cooper retreated with a, "Go talk to (Guillen).''
The White Sox had a personalized electric cart on the field Friday during batting practice, but Cooper declined to take it for a spin.
Keeping the yucks going a little longer, injured first baseman Paul Konerko was asked if Cooper would be joining him on the disabled list.
"Coop said his rehab will last five years because the program is to lay around and do nothing,'' Konerko said. "His (rehab) is one of the easiest because he's been pre-habbing since he's been with the White Sox.''
Getting closer: Paul Konerko was hoping to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday, but it looks like the White Sox first baseman might not be ready to go on time.
Konerko (strained left oblique) took 100 swings in the indoor cage Thursday and Friday, and he hopes to take live batting practice today.
"Today felt better than yesterday, but that was good,'' Konerko said. "There was a little tightness yesterday, which they say is normal. Today I was a little less cautious and it held up, so that's good news.''
Ideally, Konerko will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Charlotte on Monday.
"You definitely want two (rehab games), just to make sure you can play and come back,'' Konerko said. "I've never been on a rehab assignment, so it's probably more the people that are reporting back to our people making the call.
"I'll just be happy to get back on the field, get some swings and get back into it.''
No deal: The nonwaiver trade deadline is just more than one month away, but White Sox GM Kenny Williams isn't anticipating any deals.
"Generally, I use the month of June to really narrow down what's happening in the league and what potentially could be available,'' Williams said. "You put targets out and assign scouts to certain places. I'll tell you this, I have not assigned our scouts to do anything but continue on their normal schedules.''
Williams said the White Sox don't necessarily need to make a trade.
"The only thing missing right now is consistency on a day-to-day basis,'' he said. "You see all the ingredients here for a championship club.''
Family first: Alexei Ramirez was not at Friday's game. The White Sox second baseman was excused to be with his wife, Mildred, who is expecting the couple's third child.