Does Kenny Williams deserve lots of credit?

[CubfaninCA]

I thought last year was a fluke, but they're the best team again this year. Last year it was chalked up to great pitching. This year they're 4th in runs.

 

Williams went out and got a couple guys who some thought were done, Dye & Thome. Both have ops over 1.000. Pierzynski was a shaky move, as he's not the best clubhouse presence, but he's produced. Also, he hung in there on Konerko, who really struggled a few years ago.

 

Altogether, got to give the guy lots of credit.

[Wild_Cubs04]

I thought last year was a fluke, but they're the best team again this year. Last year it was chalked up to great pitching. This year they're 4th in runs.

 

Williams went out and got a couple guys who some thought were done, Dye & Thome. Both have ops over 1.000. Pierzynski was a shaky move, as he's not the best clubhouse presence, but he's produced. Also, he hung in there on Konerko, who really struggled a few years ago.

 

Altogether, got to give the guy lots of credit.

 

Agreed, Thome is a monster so far.

[Monco]

Yes.He took many chances.failed and kept going to reach his goal.He gave up top prospects but managed to keep the right ones. He chose a great manager also.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I don't know how many people thought Thome was "done".

[Mark_R]

He's done a really good job. He's got that team ready to win for a few years down the road and I hate it so much.

[Shilzzz]

the man is an excellent planner. if you listen closely when he talks about moves he makes, williams always seems to have 4 or 5 back up plans if plan a or b don't work.

 

 

 

if only... :oops:

[Andy]

I don't know how many people thought Thome was "done".

I'm on record as thinking he was.

 

Williams's offseason in 2004 was pretty bad and he got lucky with many of his acquisitions. But this last offseason he did a really fantastic job.

[TB_11]

The best thing he's done is invest in durable above-average to good starting pitchers. As good as the Thome for Rowand deal was, the Sox would struggle without their starting pitching.

[BigbadB]

The best thing he's done is invest in durable above-average to good starting pitchers. As good as the Thome for Rowand deal was, the Sox would struggle without their starting pitching.

 

I can't agree with this. What Williams did was take a team that rode their way to a World Series via the starting pitching, and give the team another dynamic that doesn't force the starting pitching to carry the team again this year.

 

In other words, he took a team that was heavily pitching oriented, and gave them balance without weakening the pitching staff. For that, Williams definitely deserves credit.

[TB_11]

The best thing he's done is invest in durable above-average to good starting pitchers. As good as the Thome for Rowand deal was, the Sox would struggle without their starting pitching.

 

I can't agree with this. What Williams did was take a team that rode their way to a World Series via the starting pitching, and give the team another dynamic that doesn't force the starting pitching to carry the team again this year.

 

In other words, he took a team that was heavily pitching oriented, and gave them balance without weakening the pitching staff. For that, Williams definitely deserves credit.

 

If you're looking at only 2006, sure. But Williams became GM in 2001, and the only pitching carryovers are Buehrle and Garland. Vazquez, Garcia, Contreras were all added to the team since then, and Buehrle and Garland have resigned.

[Drew Doughty]

This last off-season was his best. he could have easily flopped last year, this team really doesn't have a significant weakness.

[stitchface]

I don't know how many people thought Thome was "done".

I'm on record as thinking he was.

 

Williams's offseason in 2004 was pretty bad and he got lucky with many of his acquisitions. But this last offseason he did a really fantastic job.

 

Thome may yet breakdown.

[BigSlick]

I thought last year was a fluke, but they're the best team again this year. Last year it was chalked up to great pitching. This year they're 4th in runs.

 

Williams went out and got a couple guys who some thought were done, Dye & Thome. Both have ops over 1.000. Pierzynski was a shaky move, as he's not the best clubhouse presence, but he's produced. Also, he hung in there on Konerko, who really struggled a few years ago.

 

Altogether, got to give the guy lots of credit.

 

Don't forget Javier Vasquez, who's pitching like a monster.

 

BTW, I am on record saying the Thome move was fantastic, my brother being the witness. I knew they got a steal with that one.

 

I also said he was gonna hit 100 home runs, so we'll see how that pan outs.

[CubfaninCA]

I thought last year was a fluke, but they're the best team again this year. Last year it was chalked up to great pitching. This year they're 4th in runs.

 

Williams went out and got a couple guys who some thought were done, Dye & Thome. Both have ops over 1.000. Pierzynski was a shaky move, as he's not the best clubhouse presence, but he's produced. Also, he hung in there on Konerko, who really struggled a few years ago.

 

Altogether, got to give the guy lots of credit.

 

Don't forget Javier Vasquez, who's pitching like a monster.

 

BTW, I am on record saying the Thome move was fantastic, my brother being the witness. I knew they got a steal with that one.

 

I also said he was gonna hit 100 home runs, so we'll see how that pan outs.

 

Good point about Vasquez.

 

I'm pretty sure there was a Thome thread here when the deal went down and many poo pooed that move.

[BigbadB]

I've always hated everything White Sox. Unfortunately, I can't hate Jim Thome. He's from my hometown and he's a likeable player.

 

So, outside of Thome, I hate everything White Sox. But, Kenny Williams has done an outstanding job putting together this team. I didn't like what he originally did with the team, and I don't think last year's team was really "that" good. But, they are "that" good now.

[BigbadB]

The best thing he's done is invest in durable above-average to good starting pitchers. As good as the Thome for Rowand deal was, the Sox would struggle without their starting pitching.

 

I can't agree with this. What Williams did was take a team that rode their way to a World Series via the starting pitching, and give the team another dynamic that doesn't force the starting pitching to carry the team again this year.

 

In other words, he took a team that was heavily pitching oriented, and gave them balance without weakening the pitching staff. For that, Williams definitely deserves credit.

 

If you're looking at only 2006, sure. But Williams became GM in 2001, and the only pitching carryovers are Buehrle and Garland. Vazquez, Garcia, Contreras were all added to the team since then, and Buehrle and Garland have resigned.

 

What GM can step right in and institute their philosophy of how a team should be put together and then make it happen within a year or two's time? I believe the going rate is approximately 5 to 6 years. If that's the case, Williams accomplished his mission within a normal time frame.

 

DePodesta got fired within a years time in LA. He got horrible results from his first year. Sometimes it takes a huge turnover to mold a team into what you believe will be a winning team. Everyone slams on DePodesta being a horrible GM, but in reality, he just wasn't given the necessary time to prove whether he would be a good GM or not.

 

Whoever takes over for Hendry once he's gone will have a mammoth undertaking if they they want to change the approach that Hendry took with building this team.

[SouthSideRyan]

Williams did a great job this offseason. This team is far superior to last year's team, but probably won't win 99 or the world series. Them's the breaks. This one has far more right to a title than last year's.

[RynoRules]

Hendry should take a cue from Kenny and build a lineup that isn't paper thin.

 

I think Williams understands that the Sox were fortunate to get what they did out of their pitching last year. Instead of resting on that and hoping lighting strikes twice, he brought back all the key players and added studs in the lineup and starting staff, giving him six solid to front-line SPs (including McCarthy) and a middle of the order that all of a sudden is the envy of baseball. Great foresight and great job.

[CubfaninCA]

The best thing he's done is invest in durable above-average to good starting pitchers. As good as the Thome for Rowand deal was, the Sox would struggle without their starting pitching.

 

I can't agree with this. What Williams did was take a team that rode their way to a World Series via the starting pitching, and give the team another dynamic that doesn't force the starting pitching to carry the team again this year.

 

In other words, he took a team that was heavily pitching oriented, and gave them balance without weakening the pitching staff. For that, Williams definitely deserves credit.

 

If you're looking at only 2006, sure. But Williams became GM in 2001, and the only pitching carryovers are Buehrle and Garland. Vazquez, Garcia, Contreras were all added to the team since then, and Buehrle and Garland have resigned.

 

What GM can step right in and institute their philosophy of how a team should be put together and then make it happen within a year or two's time? I believe the going rate is approximately 5 to 6 years. If that's the case, Williams accomplished his mission within a normal time frame.

 

DePodesta got fired within a years time in LA. He got horrible results from his first year. Sometimes it takes a huge turnover to mold a team into what you believe will be a winning team. Everyone slams on DePodesta being a horrible GM, but in reality, he just wasn't given the necessary time to prove whether he would be a good GM or not.

 

Whoever takes over for Hendry once he's gone will have a mammoth undertaking if they they want to change the approach that Hendry took with building this team.

 

Next year will be Hendry's 5th correct? World Series here we come! :D

[sweetpeteman]

The problem is that Hendry's "plan" seems to change every year, and even then is usually not that good. His plan seems to be copy whatever won the year before and hope it works.

[CubfaninCA]

The problem is that Hendry's "plan" seems to change every year, and even then is usually not that good. His plan seems to be copy whatever won the year before and hope it works.

 

they didn't copy boston's jamesball.

[Andy]

The problem is that Hendry's "plan" seems to change every year, and even then is usually not that good. His plan seems to be copy whatever won the year before and hope it works.

 

they didn't copy boston's jamesball.

They copied the "Idiot" clubhouse mentality by getting rid of all the malcontents (including the broadcasters)

[Derwood]

And they didn't copy the White Sox either. The White Sox won on the back of healthy starting pitching and hitting a ton of homers. The entire "small ball/speed and defense/guys who can catch" thing was almost entirely a fabrication of bad sportswriters. No, Soctt Podsednik wasn't the face of the Sox (much like Eckstein isn't the face of the Cardinals). The Sox won because they got 152 starts from their starting 5 pitchers and guys like Konerko, Dye and company went bonkers offensively.

[SouthSideRyan]

Fine he copied what he thought won the world series the previous year. Unfortunately he's too stupid to realize what actually won. Good players.

[Derwood]

Fine he copied what he thought won the world series the previous year. Unfortunately he's too stupid to realize what actually won. Good players.

 

correct. He watched too many episodes of Baseball Tonight and decided that he had to go get speedy, gutsy, crafty, gamers instead of, oh, guys who can hit, get on base or pitch