White Sox' Beckham learned from 2010 struggles

Gordon Beckham expects much better results this season — from himself and the White Sox.

Speaking on a conference call Thursday after completing three days of “Camp Cora” at Florida International University in Miami, Beckham said he learned a lot from his 2010 personal struggles.

After showing so much potential as a rookie before taking several steps back last season while batting .252 with 9 home runs, 49 RBI and a .317 on-base percentage, the Sox' 24-year-old second baseman said he's ready to return to the fast lane.

“It was way more mental,” Beckham said of his sophomore slump with the White Sox. “The way I kind of digested the whole situation, there was a lot put on my plate by myself and other people and when I didn't immediately meet those expectations, I kind of went into panic mode.

“That can't happen, and it won't happen again. It's something you have to go through sometimes to figure it out. I just got in a bad place, and I got mentally frustrated and mentally tired. Once that happens, it goes down real quick.”

Beckham was encouraged by the way he played in July (.354) and August (.309), but he tailed off in September (.188) after being hit by a pitch on the right hand.

“There were some mechanical flaws and we had to fix those,” Beckham said. “But once I kind of got out of my own way, it was easy. No doubt it was the worst mental state I've ever been in my life in terms of baseball and the worst statistical time of my life.”

Beckham said his hand is 100 percent again and he vows to be better this season. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2008 draft feels the same way about the White Sox thanks to the additions of Adam Dunn, Jesse Crain, Will Ohman and the return of Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski.

The Sox won 88 games last year while finishing second to the Twins in the AL Central. It was a season filled with off-field distractions, most courtesy of Oney Guillen's Twitter account.

Oney, the middle son of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, directed some harsh tweets at departed closer Bobby Jenks in late December.

The way Beckham sees it, enough is enough.

“Me and Joey (Cora, White Sox bench coach) talked a little bit about it,” Beckham said. “I think everybody is on the same page. We want to go out there, we want to compete, we want to play. We don't want to have outside drama fill our locker room this year. (Cora) said he talked a lot to Ozzie about the same kind of stuff.

“Everybody wants this year to be about the team and not about outside issues. It's unfortunate that all that stuff came out. But it's over and done with and hopefully everybody can move on and started focusing on baseball because that's what we want and that's what's going to happen, I can guarantee it.”