Ozzie: Twins better with Crede

It's all over You Tube on the Joe Crede video Tributes by White Sox fans to their World Series hero. They are disgruntled and upset that their former third baseman is now a member of the arch rival Twins fans. Just type in "Joe Crede" and read the banter back in forth from loyalists of each Central Division fan base.

"You better appreciate how good he is..."

Now, the White Sox players and managers are saying it. Read this from the Chicago Sun Times, and yes, you too will see the seller's remorse that is now the Twins potential benefit,

BY JOE COWLEY
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It took a few months, but with the rumors of Joe Crede signing with the Minnesota Twins a reality as of Saturday, Crede's former manager knows the team the White Sox faced in a one-game playoff to decide the division last year just got better.

''It's not pitching,'' Ozzie Guillen said of the Crede signing. ''He will make [the Twins'] pitching staff better because their defense will be a lot better. He will create double plays. He knows how to play the game. There is one player who didn't grow up with the Minnesota Twins organization, and he played like a Minnesota Twin. He's that type of player.

''They will help him, yes. They got better? If Crede is on the field, they're going to be better. I don't think they'll win the division because of one player. They always had a good club and always will be in the pennant race, and you have to handle it the way we always handle it and see what happens.''

Crede, 30, spent his entire career in the Sox organization, becoming a fixture at third base in 2003. While he made a career out of late-game dramatics at the plate, it was his defense that made him a pitcher's best friend.

''One of the greatest third basemen of all time, if you ask me,'' Sox starter Mark Buehrle said. ''What he did, like I said before, when he wasn't over there, there were balls he got to that you expect to be caught, and you turn around and they weren't caught.''

While his former teammates were wishing him the best, one question that was on all of their minds was how his chronic back problems the last three years will hold up on the Metrodome turf for an entire season.

Crede missed most of 2007 after back surgery, then played in 97 games last year before the injury forced the club to shut him down.

''I'm not a doctor,'' catcher A.J. Pierzynski said, ''but I know when I was there [with the Twins], I know we had a different turf, but we had guys all the time that had healthy backs who were complaining about the field. Joe says he's healthy, so we'll see.''

And see quickly.

Crede will make his return to the South Side on April 10. Considering the Sox' dugout is on the third-base side, he can expect more than a few comments made in his direction.

''I'm sure we'll be giving him [bleep] when we play at home,'' Pierzynski said. ''That's the way it goes. When I went to Minnesota, they were giving me [bleep] from their dugout, too, so that's the way it is -- especially when someone has been with an organization as long as Joe was.''