Guillen: I would rather (Sox) be too young than too old

LAS VEGAS - A few years ago, the White Sox tried to sell a youth movement with the theme of "The Kids Can Play."

The Sox do appear to be getting younger, with the likes of Brian Anderson, Josh Fields, Jerry Owens and some new young blood apparently ready to get chances to play every day in 2009.

But the team all winter has said it's not rebuilding. And as far as manager Ozzie Guillen is concerned, he said Tuesday he wants kids who can do more than just play.

"They have to play, and they have to show people they can play," Guillen said during his session at the winter meetings. "And not just play, but play and win in the big leagues. That's the thing."

The Sox still will have plenty of veterans in their lineup in 2009, but Guillen seemed to relish the challenge of mixing in some younger faces.

"I would rather be too young than too old," he said. "You can work with young kids. You can make them work the way you want to."

The question came up as to whether the Sox would be a "better" team than they were this year. Guillen said people seem to forget that the White Sox are the defending American League Central champions.

"Obviously having kids play, they have to show me they can do things, a lot of little things, to help the big boys around," he said. "I think it will be more fun. You have to be a better baseball team. I'm not talking about baseball players; I'm talking about a baseball team, the way they play and the way they should be playing and the way they should do stuff."

Big keys will be whether Josh Fields can play third base and whether Owens and Anderson can pick up the slack in the outfield. Both Fields and Owens battled injuries last year, but they seem to have backers in both Guillen and Williams.

"The fact of the matter is this: I have confidence in the players we're bringing back," Williams said. "Obviously, a couple have had some setbacks. But in my opinion, Josh Fields, Jerry Owens, you're talking about those two players in particular, it's very simple. They were battling injuries. I'm not going to hold that against them. I know the type of talent that they have. I think they're going to be assets to us.

"I believe in Brian Anderson. The talent in the ballplayer is there. Now he's got an attitude that's such that he gets it now. He's working hard. He had a great attitude last year. I think if he had a full season underneath him last year, he'd have hit you 25 home runs, and he had driven in 80-plus runs."

As far as getting started goes, Guillen seems eager. He has penciled in Owens as his leadoff man on Opening Day. Alexei Ramirez will move from second base to short, and the new second-base mix appears to include Jayson Nix, Chris Getz and Brent Lillibridge, just acquired from the Braves.

"The kids we have, they have been in the organization for a little while," Guillen said of the homegrown talent. "They know how I go about my business. I've known those guys for a little while, and you know, as a manager, you like to be involved in the game once in awhile.

"Those guys are going to give me the opportunity to see how good of a manager I am. I mean, I like to compete. I like to be involved with the game."

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