The World Series sculpture outside U.S. Cellular Field has a raised image of Joe Crede, who returned Friday night as a member of the Twins after spending the rest of his career with the White Sox.
Crede called the pregame video tribute “a very nice touch” and said he “had a lot of good times in this stadium and with this team and a lot of the players.”
He added another good memory with a home run in his first at-bat.
But helping the Sox win their first World Series in 88 years was the highlight of a career that was limited the last two seasons because of chronic back pain.
“If I have any regrets it’s that I wish I had stayed healthy,” he said. “You just want to be out there as a player and playing every day. I wasn’t able to do that.
“The last two years have been very frustrating for me, especially [the Sox] going to the playoffs.”
Crede said his back, twice surgically repaired, is now healthy.
A piranha? The Twins, of course, are known as the “piranhas” to Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, which doesn’t fit Crede’s big-and-slow reputation.
“Joe is a big old shark that can’t even move,” Guillen joked. “He’s just waiting for little piranhas.”
Could Crede become a piranha, even steal some bases?
“You never know,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He might get involved. We’re not afraid to do anything.”
Rehab, Day 2: After Jose Contreras made it back Friday, it is Bartolo Colon’s turn Saturday to start a comeback, his from removal of bone chips in his elbow.
“We expect six good innings,” pitching coach Don Cooper said. “He probably won’t go more than six for a while. We needed every second [of spring training], but he is ready now and throwing strikes.”
Extra innings: First-round draft pick Gordon Beckham, while batting second and playing shortstop, went 4-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and a game-winning 11th-inning hit for Double-A Birmingham on Thursday. Third baseman Dayan Viciedo, making his pro debut, went 1-for-5 with an RBI. … Sunday’s game against the Twins will appear on CSN because NBC picked up the Blackhawks game. Guillen filmed a congratulatory TV spot for the Hawks, complete with the red Indian-logo sweater. “How about a Venezuelan guy with a hockey shirt on?” he said with a laugh.
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Big number
11: Number of RBIs for Joe Crede in 12 playoff games for the 2005 World Series champion White Sox.
