The White Sox will unveil their aggressive new style Wednesday with the anticipation of only one opening on their 25-man roster.
“When it’s only one player like that, that means you feel confident and comfortable in a club in the off-season,” general manager Ken Williams said.
Williams’ reconstructed team makes its Cactus League debut against the Colorado Rockies at Tucson Electric Park.
“Ultimately, they have to play like you drew it up,” he said.
Williams, manager Ozzie Guillen and the coaches will decide who will land the final spot: a third catcher, a 12th pitcher or a utility player.
In the meantime, Guillen plans to manage aggressively from the start, even though the regular season is more than a month away.
“You’re going to see a lot of hit-and-run opportunities,” Guillen said. “We will be moving guys over early in the game. That’s the way we’ll dictate because if I wait too long to do those things, until the middle of the season, it changes the ballgame.
“We have to go out and expect to win. Create that here. Just don’t say it’s another game.”
It’s also a learning process for Scott Podsednik, the fulcrum of the new emphasis on speed and defense. Podsednik, who is likely to move from center field to left field, led the major leagues with 70 stolen bases last season with Milwaukee but doesn’t want to cheat his fellow hitters out of opportunities in fastball counts.
“The game dictates running situations,” Podsednik said. “You don’t want to run yourself into outs. You don’t want to take the bat out of guys’ hands if they’re swinging a hot bat. It’s a matter of playing smart baseball, knowing when to run, when not to run, knowing what counts to run on. I think this lineup is well-rounded.”
Guillen’s lineup Wednesday will feature second baseman Tadahito Iguchi batting second in an effort to put more speed at the top of the order.
“You cannot turn it on and off in one week,” Guillen said. “You have to go from the [get-go], and they have to show me what kind of team we’re going to see during the season.”
Guillen is encouraged that even his reserves aren’t content with backup roles, thus heightening the competition for the final spot.
The Sox plan to keep their five starters on a regular rotation even though they have two days off in the first nine days of the regular season. Williams acknowledged that could have an impact on their final decision, which could result in keeping 11 pitchers instead of 12.
But Jon Adkins, who is competing for a spot in the bullpen, isn’t discouraged.
“Whether I’m here with the team or in [Triple-A] Charlotte, I know they’re going to make this the best unit possible,” said Adkins, who had a 4.65 ERA in 50 relief appearances with the Sox last season but has minor-league options.
“Management deserves that, these guys deserve that and so does the city. If I’m in Charlotte, I’ll do whatever I can to get back here. I’ll try to force the issue or at least try to make this team.”
Outfielder Joe Borchard, a long shot to make the team despite getting a franchise-record $5.3 million signing bonus in 2000, says he is willing to make the best of a gloomy situation that could land him in another organization.
“No matter what, a number of opportunities will arise from this, and it gives you more incentive, as if you needed any more, to put your best effort out there,” Borchard said. “It could be a lot of fun here, and I’d certainly love to be a part of this.”
