Chicago ? Ozzie Guillen took the White Sox to a World Series championship two years ago. Now he’s trying to keep them from having the worst record in the major leagues.

Sounds like a strange time to give him a new contract, but that’s what the team did Tuesday when it announced Guillen had agreed to an extension through the 2012 season. Guillen’s previous deal ran through next year, with a club option for 2009.

General manager Ken Williams said he wanted the players, Guillen and the fans to know that the White Sox – who had 99- and 90-win seasons before this year’s debacle – would engage in an offseason plan to ensure there would not be a repeat of this year’s record.