Freddy Garcia back with White Sox

Mar 2, 2010 - 9:56 AM GLENDALE, Ariz.(AP) -- The Chicago White Sox still believe in Freddy Garcia, even though he's won just five games the past three seasons.

Garcia, who has made only 23 major league starts since the 2007 season began, is slated to be Chicago's fifth starter two years after surgery on his right throwing shoulder.

The 33-year-old showed the White Sox he still has some life in that arm, going 3-2 with a 3.66 earned run average over his last six outings of 2009. The veteran is back in 2010 hoping to reward the club with which he won a World Series ring in 2005.

"A lot has happened. Out of the last three years I spent almost a year out of the big leagues recovering from the operation," Garcia said. "It was a difficult time but who knows why these things happen? With health, brother, I'm trying to be here and have a good season and help the team."

"I feel good about my place here," he added. "Time has passed and I'm 100 percent."

The White Sox aren't likely to get the Garcia of 1999 to 2002, when made two All-Star Game appearances and led the Seattle Mariners to a pair of postseason appearances.

They may not even get the Garcia of 2005-2006, who went 31-11.

"I'm not 22 anymore, I'm 33," Garcia said. "It takes more time and I have to work harder, but I have more experience and I'm in control of more bad situations. I'm not that hyper kid I was before, and with time I feel much better on the mound."

The White Sox don't intend to pass over Garcia when his time to pitch in the rotation comes up, at least for now.

"We're not planning on skipping him. We're going to give everybody their day," pitching coach Don Cooper said. "We've got some off days (in April), but the weather can sometimes come into play and you lose days there. We believe in all five of them and we're going to let them go out there and have their day."

Garcia sometimes feels the wear and tear of more than a decade in the big leagues.

"It feels like I've played 30 years in the major leagues," Garcia added. "But I've done pretty well over the years. I've reached almost all of my goals. I've been in a World Series and won."

Garcia has also appeared in the World Baseball Classic, in 2006 with Venezuela. He has 121 career wins, the second-most for a Venezuelan-born pitcher in major-league history, and has thrown more innings than any Venezuelan-born pitcher in the majors, 1,772.

Garcia is one of five White Sox players remaining from the 2005 championship team, along with A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle and Bobby Jenks. He said he still wears his championship ring once in a while.

"I pitched eight years without a major injury," Garcia said. "The time came, but thanks to God it's in the past and here I am."

Notes: Left-hander John Danks will start the White Sox spring training opener Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels. Lefty Mark Buehrle gets the start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with veteran relievers Scott Linebrink and J.J. Putz also scheduled to pitch. ... Manager Ozzie Guillen said baserunning will be a major point of emphasis for his team during spring training, as he wants the team to be more aggressive.