Mike Nadel: Naked truth about Ozzie and Sox hero Crede

Not that this will shock anybody familiar with both men, but Ozzie Guillen's normal differs substantially from Joe Crede's normal.

For Crede, the soft-spoken third baseman who could be traded by the Chicago White Sox any day now, normal means being able to swing a bat without experiencing excruciating pain.

"I probably haven't felt this good since the middle of 2005," said Crede, who last June underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. "It's a relief just to be able to stand here and have this conversation without being in pain."

For the bombastic Guillen, meanwhile, a return to normalcy means Ozzie being Ozzie. So hide the women and children, folks, because here we go again.

"You're gonna see the guy who was missing last year," Guillen said Saturday, when he opened his fifth spring training camp as Sox manager. "If we win this year, I might run naked on Michigan Avenue."

If you're worried that tourism in Chicago wouldn't survive such a hit, Ozzie was just kidding. I think.

"Hey, when you win, take advantage," he said. "Because when you lose, you're gonna take the blame."

Guillen has taken his share of blame for 2007, when the White Sox went from World Series champions to 90-loss laughingstocks in just two years time. He wasn't laid-back by most societal standards but was by his own.

"Everybody in a White Sox uniform should be embarrassed," he said. "I suffered a lot last year. I'm not gonna say we played the way we did because I was laid-back; we just played bad. But I have to be myself. I'm not gonna tell people what they (want) to hear, I'm gonna say what I feel."

This camp, Crede might not like everything Guillen says -- though the manager is in an almost impossible situation.

Despite his back problems, Crede was one of the team's heroes in 2005 and was the American League Silver Slugger winner the following year. Simply stated, he's one of the best third basemen in the majors. But he turns 30 in April; he's coming off of major surgery; and he'll be a free agent after the season. (His agent, Scott Boras, and Sox GM Ken Williams are not discussing a contract extension, with each side putting the onus on the other.)

Additionally, hot prospect Josh Fields had 23 homers and 67 RBIs in 373 at-bats after replacing Crede last season.

"I don't think anybody in baseball can play with two third basemen," Guillen said. "We tried last year. We put Josh Fields in left field, and it didn't work. I have a lot of outfielders, and I'm gonna put (Fields) where he should be. We have a month and a half to make a decision."

Williams is entertaining offers. And Crede, who has been in the organization since 1996, knows it.

"My family gets caught up in it more than I do; they're always telling me all the rumors going around and stuff," Crede said. "My dad probably takes it the hardest. He wants me to stay in Chicago and finish my career here."

The opposite of the prototypical prima donna athlete, Crede would be sorely missed.

Humble? To a fault. Here's what the Missourian said about the parade his hometown of Westphalia (population: 327) threw after the Sox won the Series:

"Almost 2,000 people showed up. It was overwhelming. It was pretty neat. They had two high school bands, firetrucks, a rally, everything. And I got the key to the city! It was a special time, not only in my life but for everybody back home. You never really know how much people pay attention until you go through something like that."

Pretty neat, indeed. Crede, who will make $5.1 million this season, hopes he doesn't get traded, but he knows the score.

"I love this organization; it's the only one I've known," he said. "But at the end of the day, I just want to play baseball. Doing this for a living is a true privilege."

As the White Sox apparently get ready to bid farewell to Crede, one can't help but note that he's the exact kind of ballplayer Guillen wants: hard-nosed, good in the clutch, an excellent teammate. It's no coincidence that the Sox went into the toilet without him last season.

Crede is his own man. So is Ozzie, who happens to define that concept a little differently.

"I don't believe in 'No comment,'" Guillen said. "That gets me in trouble, but I've got to live my life on and off the field and be who I am. I don't have an education. My English is broke. The only thing I know is the passion I have for this game, the love I have for baseball."

Great to have you back, Oz.

Mike Nadel (mikenadel@sbcglobal.net) is the Chicago sports columnist for GateHouse News Service. Read his blog, The Baldest Truth, at www.thebaldesttruth.com <http://www.thebaldesttruth.com> .