The frosting

 

Given his vision for this year's team, when was Williams comfortable that he had obtained the final piece?

 

On a frigid day roughly three weeks before the opening of spring camp, a day that concluded one of the more bizarre processes in Williams' five seasons as GM.

 

"Iguchi," he said, referring to Japanese second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who signed a two-year, $4.95 million deal with a club option for 2007.

 

Essentially, according to Williams' recollection, this is how the GM's conversation with Reinsdorf went leading into the deal:

 

"Hey, I've got a guy," Williams told Reinsdorf. "I know I'm at the budget, but I've got a guy who will fit into the two hole and play second base and it will really round out the club. And, oh, by the way, I haven't seen this guy play live. But I've got a bunch of video. I'm dizzy from breaking it down over the past two weeks."

 

"You've never seen him play?!" Reinsdorf replied.

 

"No. But I've watched the videos. It's an old football thing with me."

 

"Did any of our scouts see him?"

 

"Uh, no. But I know what I see. I know what I know."

 

Go get him, Reinsdorf said.

 

Iguchi wound up batting .278 with 25 doubles, 15 homers and 71 RBI in his debut season in the majors.

 

"He started out slow this spring, but I had to remind everybody that he was playing at 3 o'clock in the morning (Japan time)," Williams said. "It was spring training. Let his body get used to it. You could see he was preparing for the season and not trying to impress everyone off the bat. I got a few looks out of the side of people's eyes.

 

"But he's been great. He's fit right in. He's one of the guys who has come up big for us."

 

 

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9009524/3

Taking a shot at the Cubs later in the same article

 

================

 

Williams prefers that his teams have an edge, "a little nastiness."

 

"The guys call it 'Pulling an A.J.,'" Williams said. "Occasionally, you've got to pull an A.J. and let people know where you stand."

 

Cuddly, they're not. These White Sox are the perfect South Side team, hardscrabble and rough around the edges

 

"Half of our bullpen drives pickup trucks," Williams said. "They go hunting. They don't go to South Beach on their off days."

The day the White Sox signed Iguchi I knew they were for real this season.

 

It was not a 15mil free agent, but it was the necessary piece.

 

SB

Kenny taking a dig at the sabermetric guru Billy Beane?

 

"People who think they have all of the answers in this game, those are the people I try to stay away as far away from as I can," Williams said. "If you ever think you know it all, it's probably time to go and do something else."

Kenny taking a dig at the sabermetric guru Billy Beane?

 

"People who think they have all of the answers in this game, those are the people I try to stay away as far away from as I can," Williams said. "If you ever think you know it all, it's probably time to go and do something else."

 

I don't think so. I think you are overreading. That said, KW can't be happy with the portrayal of him in Moneyball. While Beane obviously didn't write the book, you must assume that a characterization of Williams would have come from things Beane said about him.

I don't think so. I think you are overreading. That said, KW can't be happy with the portrayal of him in Moneyball. While Beane obviously didn't write the book, you must assume that a characterization of Williams would have come from things Beane said about him.

KW>Beane. That is all.

JR gave Kenny a little more money and Kenny spent it very well.

THAT is Moneyball.

When.....sorry, IF.....Beane ever fields a World Championship team, this debate can be resumed. Until that day, Kenny Williams > Billy Beane.

JR gave Kenny a little more money and Kenny spent it very well.

THAT is Moneyball.

When.....sorry, IF.....Beane ever fields a World Championship team, this debate can be resumed. Until that day, Kenny Williams > Billy Beane.

 

"this debate" ? Didn't realize we were in one

"this debate" ? Didn't realize we were in one

People keep bringing up Beane because of how KW was portrayed, or seen to be portrayed, in Moneyball.

That is the "debate" in question. All I'm saying is, a WS title = "I'm better than you".

The thing that I've always wondered about "Moneyball" is its effect on the fans. While I don't thoroughly understand it, it seems like flat out saying that you aren't going to spend money or retain many players that might have become favorites on the team would be a very alienating thing to the fans. It has to be really weird being an Athletics fan.

Kenny=genius

In a way, Kenny did take a moneyball approach. The main gist of the Moneyball philosophy is going after players who have a skill that is undervalued in the market. With Beane's As, it as OBP. With Kenny's White Sox, it was run prevention (defense, pitching).

In a way, Kenny did take a moneyball approach.  The main gist of the Moneyball philosophy is going after players who have a skill that is undervalued in the market.  With Beane's As, it as OBP.  With Kenny's White Sox, it was run prevention (defense, pitching).

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In a way, Kenny did take a moneyball approach.  The main gist of the Moneyball philosophy is going after players who have a skill that is undervalued in the market.  With Beane's As, it as OBP.  With Kenny's White Sox, it was run prevention (defense, pitching).

See this is where I disagree, if that's true then everyone uses the moneyball theory. GM's are always looking for players who are undervalued in the market, diamonds in the rough if you will. Anyways, f*** this argument, it's been beaten to death. WORLD CHAMPS!!!!!!!!

See this is where I disagree, if that's true then everyone uses the moneyball theory.  GM's are always looking for players who are undervalued in the market, diamonds in the rough if you will.  Anyways, f*** this argument, it's been beaten to death.  WORLD CHAMPS!!!!!!!!

 

Well I would disagree that pitching is undervalued. Its expensive and important (for the most part). You are on to something with defense though.

Well I would disagree that pitching is undervalued. Its expensive and important (for the most part).  You are on to something with defense though.

 

I guess its the type of pitching that matters 2.... you take the Buehrle type who you know will be good but not dominant... or the Burnett who has the dominant stuff but hasnt been consistently good.

Well I would disagree that pitching is undervalued. Its expensive and important (for the most part).  You are on to something with defense though.

 

Defense is certainly undervalued around here.