KW Article

[DBAHO]

That's contract wise, not cuff wise;

 

From Paul Ladweski of the Southtown (wasn't he the guy who really wanted Griffey and wasn't happy at KW for not getting him?)

Wanna know what the biggest mystery was at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday?

 

It wasn't the opponent that stood between the White Sox and the World Series — did I actually write that? — but the contract of general manager Ken Williams, the guy who did the most to get them there.

 

"I've never discussed my contract in public," Williams said hours before he learned the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim would be next. "It's personal. I don't want to get into what it is and what it isn't. All I can tell you is I don't plan to go anywhere anytime soon."

 

Never mind the Mystery of Al Capone's Vault. Geraldo needs to investigate The Mystery of Ken Williams' Future.

 

"When (board chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) feels like I'm no longer appropriate for the job, he'll come to me," Williams said. "If I feel that I no longer desire to do the job, then I'll go to him. Until then, neither one of us worries about status or money or anything like that."

 

Well, if Williams is reluctant to say it, I'll do it for him: It's time to announce publicly he has signed a multiyear contract that puts him on the short list of best-paid GMs around.

 

With the Sox just four victories away from the insanely impossible, the utterly unthinkable, there was no better time to do it than Monday, when the team had a morning workout at U.S. Cellular Field. Why? For one, Williams deserves it. There also is the matter of stability in the front office. Besides, can the Sox accentuate too many positives right now?

 

"As long as the White Sox will have me, I'll stay," said Williams, hardly the kind of talk one would except from a 102-game winner. "Even then, I'm not so sure I would seek employment in this position elsewhere. Believe me, I'm very fortunate to have this job, but there are a few things about it that are less then desirable."

 

Fast forward nine months. Let's say designated hitter Frank Thomas doesn't make it back from an ankle injury and Jose Contreras pitches like the Jose Contreras of old and closer Bobby Jenks turns out to be Shingo Takatsu on a Whopper diet and the Sox are a distant third at the All-Star break. Have the baseball gods guaranteed any or all of that can't happen?

 

In that case, you force Williams to needlessly fight off the media vultures that circle overhead. You also back him into a corner on the trade front, because other GMs are likely to increase their prices if they know the guy on the other side may not be long for the job.

 

Now suppose things get really out of hand? Do you fire the guy then?

 

Williams doesn't deserve any of that, not after the Brinks job he has pulled off the last 10 months.

 

It was two summers ago when manager Ozzie Guillen prodded Williams to change the personality of the team. The Sox were too home run-happy, too one-dimensional to become a legit contender, Oz reasoned. But if it was Guillen who had the vision for this team, then it was Williams who put his butt on the line to make it happen.

 

"When I asked Kenny to change the face of team and get more pitching and defense and see what happens, we stuck together," said Guillen, who signed a contract extension earlier this year. "When you trade (Carlos) Lee and don't re-sign (Magglio) Ordonez and bring in so many different guys, you take a chance that you will take a beating. But those guys played good baseball for us. Everything has worked for us this year."

 

What Williams has done since last December is a felony in 48 states.

 

Signed free-agent pitcher Dustin Hermanson? Win. Signed free-agent outfielder Jermaine Dye? Win. Traded Lee to the Milwaukee Brewers in return for outfielder Scott Podsednik and reliever Luis Vizcaino? Win-win for both sides. Claimed Jenks on waivers? Steal. Signed free-agent pitcher Orlando Hernandez? Win. Signed free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski? Steal.

 

Signed free-agent infielder Pablo Ozuna and catcher Chris Widger? Not bad. Signed free-agent second baseman Tadahito Iguchi? (How do you say "steal" in Japanese?)

 

Personally, I preferred veteran infielder Tony Graffanino over Geoff Blum before the trade deadline, but after what happened in Game 2 of the ALDS last week, even that couldn't have turned out better.

 

"Kenny and I are on the same page," said Guillen, who also played with Williams for three seasons. "He's my boss, but he's my friend, too. Sometimes we disagree like everybody else does. But when the manager and the general manager are on the same page and can agree on what the team needs, it makes it a lot easier for both."

 

Still, I wonder if we'll ever see the best of Williams here. As one of the brightest, most articulate guys around — almost too bright and too articulate to be a baseball exec — Williams should be front and center more often. Give him the kind of job security he deserves and I bet he is more prone to show a side that can only help the image of the franchise.

 

As for Williams the GM, we may have only seen a glimpse of his potential. If the Sox were to somehow advance to the World Series in a few days, their season-ticket base could nearly double. In that case, team investors would have no excuse but to give Williams that much more money to work with next season.

 

If Williams is able to get this far on $74 million, then one only wonders what he can do with, say, $90 mil. Acquire outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. perhaps? Up the ante for Oakland Athletics All-Star third baseman Eric Chavez, another proven left-handed power hitter? Combine either one with Thomas and potential stars Jenks, outfielder Brian Anderson and pitcher Brandon McCarthy, and the South Side could be a happenin' place again next season.

 

Until then, the Sox finally appear to have the kind of leadership necessary to take them there. Together, Guillen and Williams have the potential to be the best manager-general manager combo since Tony La Russa and Roland Hemond two decades ago.

 

Or maybe it was Frank Chance and ... who was the general manager of the 1908 Cubs, anyway?

 

"Every day Kenny and I talk in my office about what we need to get done and how we're going to do it," Oz said. "One of the reasons I signed a long-term contract was because of the way we work and talk together. I want to work with Kenny for a long time here."

 

It's time somebody Up There makes sure that it happens.

[southsider2k5]

That article is all crap. The entire world knows that Jerry takes care of his guys. Kenny will get his extension after the season is over, unless he doesn't want the job anymore.

[fathom]

Oh boy.....not more Chavez rumors!

[Steff]

Good grief... nothing better at all to write about..?

 

:sleep

[DBAHO]

Good grief... nothing better at all to write about..?

 

:sleep

Seeing Ladewski's opinion pieces this season make me wonder how he has a job with them at all.

 

But again, we're at a point where we haven't been for so long, and people in the media have to bring up stuff like this, about JR not locking up his people. But hey, whatever brings him attention I guess, good or bad.

[Steff]

Seeing Ladewski's opinion pieces this season make me wonder how he has a job with them at all.

 

But again, we're at a point where we haven't been for so long, and people in the media have to bring up stuff like this, about JR not locking up his people. But hey, whatever brings him attention I guess, good or bad.

 

 

It just baffles me that.. hello... there is a Chicago team in the effing ALCS and they can't find ANYTHING about THAT to write about..? Hell.. I'd even take a bashing article over this s***.

 

One thing though.. I think it's hysterical that Ken doesn't talk about his personal s***.. but that dope is fast to give up the goods on the likes of Frank's personal business/conversations. :rolly

[YASNY]

You'd think that with the Sox in the ALCS, Ledewski would be able to write a meaningful column. This is garbage.