Over the past few years White Sox baseball has shown more of a prevalent concern about the "bottom line" instead of baseball or the fans- the reason why baseball is still in business and generates the funds that compose that oh so dear "bottom line". Kenny Williams has lost sight of what the game is about by not fighting hard enough to acquire big ticket talent. Instead he has focused on trying to construct a team that will not hurt the "bottom line". Kenny Williams needs to take into account that without the fans there is no team, so to continuously stir up issues with players the fans support and admire is an insult to the fans that support the team. If Williams is not willing to put the needs of the fans and the team ahead of his concern for the "bottom line" someone who understands these needs has to be brought in for preservation of the game as well as the traditions that come with being a fan of the Chicago White Sox.
Over the past few years White Sox baseball has shown more of a prevalent concern about the "bottom line" instead of baseball or the fans- the reason why baseball is still in business and generates the funds that compose that oh so dear "bottom line". Kenny Williams has lost sight of what the game is about by not fighting hard enough to acquire big ticket talent. Instead he has focused on trying to construct a team that will not hurt the "bottom line". Kenny Williams needs to take into account that without the fans there is no team, so to continuously stir up issues with players the fans support and admire is an insult to the fans that support the team. If Williams is not willing to put the needs of the fans and the team ahead of his concern for the "bottom line" someone who understands these needs has to be brought in for preservation of the game as well as the traditions that come with being a fan of the Chicago White Sox.
We the undersigned have felt that over the past few years White Sox baseball has shown more of a prevalent concern about the "bottom line"
instead of baseball or the fans- the reason why baseball is still in business and generates the funds that compose that oh so dear "bottom line". Kenny Williams has lost sight of what the game is about by not fighting hard enough to acquire big ticket talent. Instead he has focused on trying to construct a team that will not hurt the "bottom line". Kenny Williams needs to take into account that without the fans there is no team, so to continuously stir up issues with players the fans support and admire is an insult to the fans that support the team. If Williams is not willing to put the needs of the fans and the team ahead of his concern for the "bottom line" someone who understands these needs has to be brought in for preservation of the game as well as the traditions that come with being a fan of the Chicago White Sox.
By no means is this some kind of personal vendetta against Kenny Williams, but it is more about the connection the fans must have with the players and vise versa.
The following are some examples of Kenny Williams' actions over the past few seasons:
1. The failure to obtain big name talent following the 2006 season (Sox ended 2006 with a 72-90 record).
-Torii Hunter (signed with Angels - 5 Years / $90 MM)
-Andruw Jones (signed with LA Dodgers - 2 Years / $36 MM)
-Aaron Rowand (signed with SF Giants - 5 Years / $60 MM)
-Kosuke Fukudome (signed with Cubs - 4 Years / $48 MM)
-Miguel Cabrera (traded to Tigers for prospects)
2. The trading of players with known injuries
- The Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia knowing that he would most likely require shoulder reconstruction surgery, which led to the trade of second baseman Tadahito Iguchi in order to regain credibility in Major League Baseball after Philadelphia had to lose Garcia to shoulder issues.
3. The "Public Contract Negotiations" with Left Hander Mark Buehrle.
-Many White Sox faithful will recall the summer of 2007 and the Mark Buehrle Saga. While Buehrle tried to remain silent about the negotiations regarding a contract extension, Williams seemed to be taking part in daily interviews regarding the status of the deal. While a full no trade clause was the main sticking point for nearly a month, Kenny Williams was adamant Buehrle would receive no such clause added, even though the tenure rule would come into play a few seasons down the road. This would automatically grant the starter a no trade clause regardless. Shortly after a deal was signed, Williams was commenting that if Buehrle did not take the last offer he would no longer be wearing a White Sox uniform.
4. There is still the questionable Ken Griffey Jr. situation that quickly led many White Sox fans to scratch their heads, considering Griffey Jr's health being a major concern for the past few seasons and not being the same gold-glove winning center fielder from the past.
-It is on public record that Kenny Williams had tried acquiring Griffey since 2005, the year the White Sox won the World Series. With the Sox bullpen being a concern since the 2006 season, the trading of a long reliever for an aging center fielder did not make much sense. Following the Sox short lived play-off run in 2008, Griffey left the Sox to have knee surgery roughly a week after the season ended.
Williams has already thought about the possibility of getting fired from his position as General Manager:
"If I ever leave this job or if I ever get fired," Williams says, "I'm not coming back to the American League. I'm going to the National League. You've got a fighting chance over there."
