There were reports of two occasions where Cabrera called up to the press box to get an error changed that was ruled against him. Cabrera and Jermaine Dye also had words in the dugout during a road game in Kansas City, and it was Cabrera who told MLB.com at the start of the final week of the 2008 season that the White Sox seemed to lose hope as soon as they got behind in a game.

Not exactly high praise for a team battling Minnesota for the division crown.

But as the White Sox get ready to take on Cabrera and his new ballclub at Oakland's Spring Training facility on Sunday afternoon, the current players' reaction to these past issues basically falls under the "so what" category. They respected Cabrera for what he did on the field during the White Sox run to the American League Central title.

"Cabrera played great for us and helped us win games," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Cabrera. "If Cabrera was not there, I don't think that we win the division."

"He came to play every day, and that's all you can ask out of a player," Dye said. "All you want from a teammate is to play hard and do whatever he can to help your team win."

There should be no arguments concerning Cabrera's on-field contributions. The veteran of 12 seasons played in 161 games and hit .281 with 93 runs scored. The White Sox did not have a true leadoff man, so Cabrera also stepped up from his customary two spot and successfully assumed the role at the top of the lineup.

With Alexei Ramirez already in the plans as the team's 2009 shortstop and its shortstop of the future, the White Sox made no attempt to re-sign the middle infielder, who was acquired from the Angels for Jon Garland. They did offer salary arbitration to the Type A free agent, which Cabrera declined, leading him to eventually sign a one-year, $4 million deal with the A's.

The loss of two Draft picks for the team signing Cabrera might have hampered his market in this tough economic climate. But the White Sox didn't express any bad sentiment from Cabrera's time with the organization, and Guillen believes Cabrera should feel the same way.

"I'm looking forward to seeing him," Guillen said.

"If you are asking me if he came back [to the White Sox], would I have had a problem? Absolutely not," said White Sox first baseman and team captain Paul Konerko. "He's a quiet guy, and not your typical guy who shows up a bunch of hours early and stays around after the game. He just went about his business and did a good job of getting himself ready to play."

While some of the tumultuous issues discussed last year involving Cabrera could have potentially been a distraction for the 2008 squad, some members of the 2009 team said nothing could be further from the truth. The mode of operation under Guillen is that you can pick your friends off the field, but everyone is part of the White Sox family when wearing the White Sox uniform.

Ultimately, Cabrera was a family member who contributed to the team's second division title in four years.

"In Chicago, little things are going to blow up more than people think," Guillen said. "Believe me, nobody cared about it in the clubhouse."

"Some guys had problems with him showing up late for certain stuff and not showing up as early as everyone else, but guys have their own routines," White Sox starter Mark Buehrle said. "I liked having the guy behind me. He came out and played hard, and that's all that matters on the field."

Konerko went as far as to say that every individual on a playoff team plays an integral part in the group's success.

"When you go to the playoffs, every single person on the team contributes to you making the playoffs," Konerko said. "I've only been on three playoff teams, and I can tell you every person on those teams and who did what. It's always a special mix when you have a playoff team. [Cabrera] was a part of that and should get credit."

"You can't get along with everyone, with all the different personalities in the clubhouse," Dye said. "As far as [Cabrera] helping us do what we did last year, he was a big part of it."