--Manager Ozzie Guillen had high praise for the surprising Tampa Bay Rays, as his team was preparing for a four-game series there, starting Thursday. "They got a lot of speed," Guillen said. "They got a lot of talent. And it's about, I don't say it's about time, I say it's about pitching. Because the talent was there. They built the last couple years, they did a tremendous job turning around and doing what they're doing. I was there for 1 1/2 years, and with all the respect to the people running the club then, they were running the club a little wrong. They (didn't) know what to do. They were bringing high-paid guys to bring fans to the park. They were a little confused because I don't think they wanted to take a hit when they started. They started running before they start walking. Now I think (the) people (that) are running this club are doing a tremendous job."
--C Toby Hall was back on the bench for Wednesday's game with Cleveland. "Toby's always been a pretty good offensive player," manager Ozzie Guillen said of Hall, who is hitting .375. "Besides that, behind the plate, he got better. Unfortunately we got him hurt and he couldn't help us last year." Hall dislocated his shoulder at the end of spring camp and wasn't the same throughout the 2007 campaign. Now that he's healthy, he's been a huge factor in backing up A.J. Pierzynski. "He's doing a pretty good job and hopefully he keeps it up," Guillen said. "It's not easy to do what he does, to come off the bench and call the game the way he does and hits the way he hits. It's not easy to do that." --CF Dewayne Wise got the start in center field for the White Sox in Wednesday's series finale with Cleveland, allowing Nick Swisher to take the day off. It was Wise's first start since he was called up to replace an injured Juan Uribe. As far as Swisher, he was hitting .206 on the year, and he had just five hits in his last 30 at-bats (.167). He was expected back in the starting lineup Thursday.
--As far as the on-field argument between RHP Octavio Dotel and director of conditioning Allen Thomas on Tuesday, manager Ozzie Guillen said it was nothing. "A.T. has a job, Dotel got a job to follow," Guillen said. "I think everything went out of proportion. It's a not a big deal. I think everyone will be fine. Everyone has to respect everyone's job. We're not children here. Make sure everyone gets along on the field. But I don't put my nose there because they should resolve it like men."
--The Sox bullpen has not allowed an earned run in 24 consecutive innings over an eight-game span. That proved to be the big difference in the series with Cleveland, especially in Wednesday's win with Ozzie Guillen able to march out the likes of Octavio Dotel (3.32 ERA), Scott Linebrink (1.13 ERA) and then closer Bobby Jenks (1.61 ERA). "The bullpen did it once again," Guillen said.
BY THE NUMBERS: 14 -- The number of ejections manager Ozzie Guillen has been hit with in his four-plus years of being the Sox skipper.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You argue with the umpires, you aren't going to win it. You're not. We keep arguing, but it's not a winning situation. But you've got to let them know we're here." -- Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on his season-long battles with major-league umpires.
