White Sox must work harder to sell their show to fans.(Chicago Tribune)

CHICAGO _ White Sox manager Jerry Manuel usually spends a lot more time hovering around the refrigerator than the stove when he's in the kitchen of his south suburban home.

"But I can make a mean peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich," Manuel insisted Thursday afternoon in Bridgeport.

Manuel and several White Sox players spent a few hours Thursday serving PB&Js and snacks to children in the Kids Cafe, an after-school program run by the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The event was a prelude to the annual SoxFest, which takes place Friday through Sunday at the downtown Hyatt Regency.

Because of a scheduling problem with their downtown hotel, the Cubs bumped their annual convention to the same weekend as SoxFest this year, forcing the two teams to go head-to-head in winter for the first time.

While the Sox have sold out Saturday's schedule, tickets still remain for sessions on Friday and Sunday.

First baseman Paul Konerko said he believes Sox players have to work harder at selling the product than their counterparts on the North Side, but that it will pay off this summer at Comiskey Park.

"We're working hard to get the fans out by our play on the field and by what we do off the field," Konerko said. "Wrigley Field is a great place to watch a game and a great place to be, there's no denying that. But people will be surprised with the renovations we're making and the additions we've made to the team.