Durable Ramirez ready to get back on the field

PHILADELPHIA -- Alexei Ramirez left Thursday's victory over the Tigers in the sixth inning with severe cramping in his right leg, but he was back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Phillies that was postponed by rain.

"I feel really good today," said Ramirez through translator and White Sox coach Lino Diaz. "I've always said that a day I can't play is because I really can't play.

"That's how I felt yesterday. I'm ready. I feel like the treatment yesterday with cold water and some other things I did with [White Sox head athletic trainer] Herm [Schneider] helped out a lot."

Ramirez has played in all 89 games this season, after playing in 158 games during each of the last two seasons and 156 games in 2010. Playing all 162 games is not really a goal for the White Sox shortstop. It's simply the way he approaches the game, allowing the team to use its starting second baseman in Gordon Beckham as the backup to the dependable Ramirez.

"When I wake up every day, I'm ready to play. I want to play," Ramirez said. "That's what I was born for. I don't necessarily feel like it's one of my goals, but I want to play every day."