Sox could do a lot worse than Crede at third base
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The bad news for the White Sox is there is no room for Josh Fields on the 25-man roster.
The good news is that Joe Crede is blocking Fields.
"Joe is Joe,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's healthy now, and as long as he stays healthy, you know what you're going to get from him. He's going to help us a lot.''
Crede missed most of last year after having back surgery, and since he is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, the popular assumption this spring was a trade. There's no doubt White Sox general manager Kenny Williams was waiting for offers for Crede, but none came that were even slightly enticing.
Tuesday, the Sox optioned Fields back to Class AAA Charlotte. A day later, Crede could finally relax a bit.
"The biggest thing I'm pleased with is I'm healthy,'' Crede said. "I feel great out there on the field, and I'm getting to where I need to be for Opening Day.
"I've felt great before and after games, and when I wake up in the morning, there's no pain. I feel like I've put my body through a pretty good test this spring to get ready, and I'm happy with the fact that I feel ready.''
Considering he had surgery June 12 and didn't start playing real baseball again until late February, Crede was understandably rusty when exhibition play opened.
The 29-year-old infielder still is trying to get his stroke back at the plate -- Crede is batting .185 with one Cactus League game left -- and his usually stellar defensive play has been in and out.
But every now and then there's that old flash of magic. As he continues playing, expect to see a lot more of it.
"The one thing is, I can never guarantee numbers,'' said Crede, who batted .216 in 47 games last season while performing in noticeable pain. "I'm not a guy that's going to come out and say 'I'm going to do this,' or 'I'm going to do that.' You never know what's going to happen.
"The main thing is I can go back out there and give a 100 percent effort and just knowing that, I feel that much more confident in my abilities.''
There still are some health questions hovering over Crede, but the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder is not at all concerned.
"I don't think there was ever any doubt in my mind that I'd come back healthy,'' he said. "The way the rehab went last summer and all winter, I felt good about everything. I didn't really have any hiccups along the way.
"I felt great the whole time and every test that they gave me I was able to pass with flying colors. So really, it hasn't come as much as a surprise to me to feel the way I feel right now.''
While he said he feels bad for Fields, Crede probably is bubbling over inside.
"I'm really excited to be getting back into it,'' said Crede, one of the Sox' heroes during their 2005 World Series run. "I missed it a lot last year when I was gone, and I missed being around the guys and traveling with the guys. Being around the game of baseball and playing this game for a living, I missed that quite a bit.
"It kind of sinks in when you're sitting at home and you see everybody else out there working for a living. Now I here I am, I get to get back to doing what I love to do. I'm really looking forward to it.''