CHICAGO -- Rob Mackowiak counted the number of calls to his
mobile phone the night news broke last week of his trade from the
Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago White Sox for reliever Damaso Marte.
"It was 88," said Mackowiak, a Chicago-area native who grew up
rooting for the White Sox. "It's good to have that kind of
support."
Speaking Tuesday on a conference call after the deal for
left-hander Marte became official, Mackowiak also said that
he appreciates going from a perennial loser to the defending World
Series champions.
"That's what you dream of," Mackowiak said. "Being in
Pittsburgh, we haven't had an opportunity. We've had 13 losing
seasons in a row, so we haven't had a lot of opportunities to play
meaningful games. This is something you look forward to.
"I've only played in one series that actually meant something
for another team, which was [in 2003] when the Cubs beat us to clinch a playoff spot."
Mackowiak was something of a starting utilityman for the
Pirates, a role that White Sox general manager Ken Williams expects
him to continue in Chicago. A lefty, Mackowiak hit .272 last season
with nine homers in 463 at-bats, splitting time between third base
and the outfield. Mackowiak also plays second base.
"I've played so many [positions] for the last few years that
I'm almost to the point where I'm not sure what my strongest one
is," said Mackowiak, who turns 30 next June. "I feel more
comfortable in the outfield."
The White Sox are pleased with Joe Crede at third, but Crede's
back pain could be a recurring issue. So Williams, who re-signed
slugger Paul Konerko and added Jim Thome, bought in Mackowiak just
in case.
"When you talk about guys that play the game the right way,
gamers, the kind of grind-it-out type of guys that we have tried to
define ourselves with over the last couple of years, he's the
poster boy," Williams said. "People say that he's a super utility
type-of-guy, but those are the types of guys that end up in your
lineup more often than not."
Fine with Mackowiak.
"You try to make it a point to be a guy that fits in and
doesn't make any waves throughout the clubhouse," he said. "You
just mind your business and follow your team leaders and do your
job."
Marte's departure left Neal Cotts as the only lefty in the
bullpen. Wiilliams said his next moves probably will be to
negotiate extensions with pitchers Jon Garland and Jose Contreras,
who are eligible for free agency after next season.