Guillen back at SoxFest; wants to 'help the organization'

Ozzie Guillen was back where he belongs Friday - with the White Sox.

A star shortstop for the Sox for 13 seasons and the manager of the 2005 World Series champion, Guillen was at SoxFest for the first time in eight years.

"I'm very excited," he said. "I'm very pleased. I'm very humbled because I'm back with my family, back with the people I grew up with, back with the people I've known for so many years."

While managing in the Venezuela Winter Leagues for the third straight season this year, Guillen contacted the Sox and spoke with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.

"I was in Venezuela doing a terrible job managing," Guillen said. "I said if we're not going to make the playoffs, I want to be back here. I want to be back. I want to be part of the White Sox organization."

General manager Rick Hahn said Guillen should be managing a major-league again. As for Guillen, he'd like to be involved in some role with the Sox.

"I can help," he said. "I know about baseball a little bit. I can help the organization in different ways. We have a manager (Rick Renteria) and I respect him. I'm not coming here to look for managerial job. That's the last thing I think about. I just want to help the organization the way I can."

No hard feelings:

He was good enough to join the White Sox last season, but service time issues are going to delay Eloy Jimenez's arrival until some point in April.

The 22-year-old outfielder is disappointed with the decision, but he understands the business side of the game.

"It's not my decision," Jimenez said. "If they made that decision, I'm going to accept it and I'm going to play hard when I get there."

Moncada motivated:

After leading the major leagues with 217 strikeouts last season while slashing .235/.315/.400, Yoan Moncada asked the Sox to let him work on his offensive game in Arizona in November.

The switch-hitting second baseman was obliged, and Moncada is feeling much better after spending time with hitting coach Todd Steverson.

"I went to Arizona because I wasn't completely happy with the results I got during the season," Moncada said through a translator. "I knew that I could do better. I was there for 2-3 weeks and I worked with (Steverson) on my offense, my hitting. We watched a lot of videos and I think I identified a lot of things I was doing wrong, and I've been working on that since that time. I think I'm in a much better spot with my offense."