Chicago ? Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen announced his rotation for the ALCS that will begin Tuesday.

And then Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field, reflecting the loose atmosphere he has nurtured all season, picked up a bat and stepped into the box during a simulated game with young pitcher Brandon McCarthy on the mound. That he went 0-for-2 didn’t matter.

After sweeping the defending World Series champion Red Sox in the division series and taking a day off, the White Sox were hoping to stay sharp, not knowing or caring too much if their next opponent is the Yankees or the Angels.

“The day off, we needed it mentally and physically. We have played with so much intensity the last three weeks,” Guillen said.

The Angels-Yankees winner tonight will at least be air weary from flying from coast-to-coast and then back to the middle of the country.

“I don’t worry about stuff I can’t control. Whoever is coming is coming,” Guillen said. “We’ll do our part. Whatever happens on either side.”

Jose Contreras will start Game 1 Tuesday just as he pitched the opener against the Red Sox. And Mark Buehrle will again pitch Game 2 at U.S. Cellular Field.

But when the series shifts to either New York or Anaheim for the middle three games, Guillen will use 18-game winner Jon Garland in Game 3 with 12 days rest.

Freddy Garcia will work Game 4. The White Sox were 3-3 against New York and 4-6 against the Angels.

“Jose, we don’t want him to have too many days off,” Guillen said. “If we start Garland the first game, we hurt three guys. I know it’s not fair for Gar to have that much time off. … It’s not my fault we won in three games. It’s a good thing we did. This kid pitched his heart out for us.”

As a sinker ball pitcher, Garland acknowledged that some of his best stuff often comes with he’s a weary, rather than fresh.