What that means for Walker is doing things his way. What that means for his critics? Well, he really doesn't care.

"I took a step back (this winter) and, to be honest, being completely away from it, it has me re-energized," Walker told the Chicago Sun-Times recently.

"I've been very fortunate in baseball. (Board chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) and the organization have been great, but whatever happens this year, I'm going to be there for my players first every day. Fight for them and be there every day.

"We're pretty good at what we do. It's a players' game, and when they do well they get the credit. I'm fine with that, but I'm proud of what we did the past few years. If talk radio doesn't like it, I don't care. Critics, I don't care. I'm going to be the kind of hitting coach that puts his players first -- like I've done in the past -- and I don't give a you know what about what talk radio has to say about me.

"I'm going to do what a hitting coach does. I'm not going to coach and then let talk radio dictate how I feel about my job."

Which wasn't easy at times in 2008.

Walker grabbed headlines last season -- or make that the headlines grabbed him -- after Guillen's tirade following an early June loss in Tampa Bay in which the skipper called out his players and Walker.

While there was some tension between Walker and Guillen for several days following that outburst, it was quickly ironed out when the two friends had a heart-to-heart talk.

Enough so that Guillen insisted to the Sun-Times at the end of the season that he wanted the entire coaching staff back through 2009 -- when most of their contracts run out -- and beyond with probable contract extensions.

That's all well and fine with Walker, but priority No. 1 is turning the page on an inconsistent offense in 2008 to a versatile unit this season that doesn't have to rely on the long ball to manufacture runs.

"We've got a solid core, proven veterans," Walker said. "Then you add (Carlos) Quentin and Alexei (Ramirez), and you have to consider them solid players. There are six guys you can count on if they're healthy.

"We have question marks at some spots, but what I like about it is we have competition at those spots. There's nothing wrong with competition. Everyone needs to be pushed a little bit. The thing about it is you just never know, something special could happen."