The first thing I thought when I saw the new hire by the White Sox is probably the same thought that crossed a lot of people's minds, "Wha?!?"
Full disclosure, I'm a Cubs fan. Before all you South-Siders close this window let me say, I'm not a Sox hater. Not in the least. Any time a Chicago team does well, it's great for the city. The sky seems bluer, the people cheerier, and the bars are more exciting.
That said, I don't like the new hire by the White Sox. I don't think Sox fans should like it either. BUT, I understand it. It makes sense. Let me break it down:
Kenny Williams has been with the Sox organization for almost 2 decades in a variety of capacities. This is now his chance to make the most impact on the team. Since 2003, the White Sox ship has been guided by Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen. It's no secret that Ozzie and Kenny have butted heads for a lot of that time and it's also no surprise that after another disappointing season, something had to give. With Ozzie out of the picture, Kenny had a big decision to make. Perhaps the biggest of his GM career. He could go with an obvious move and get a big name (Francona), get the interesting new guy with experience on the bench with a successful team (Martinez), or gamble on someone who no one suspected and has no experience. Guess what he did?
Yes, Ventura was a fan favorite as a player. His name attracts attention from lifelong fans. But that's not why he was hired. The Sox have long known that the only thing that brings people to the park are wins. No, the reason he was hired was because he won't get in the way of Kenny. He's not going to make flamboyant statements that attract media attention and he's not going to pick fights with the mucky mucks. This is Kenny's team now, make no mistake. If they do well and win another championship, Kenny will have established his legacy as the man who brought multiple titles to the White Sox and one of the top GMs in the game. If they do not do well (and they have to show promise quickly) he will be relieved of his duties and treated as a one-hit wonder. Sox fans had great highs and some bad lows with Ozzie-ball. Now, welcome to Kenny-ball.
Whoa Bobby! That is quite a statement. I am a Twins fan (which is well documented), and I also think it was a great hire - but for different reasons. I think it will cause more losses because you have a guy who is really green.
ReplyDeleteAlso - do you think getting out of the way of Kenny Williams is a good thing? Kenny is the problem and needs to be kept in check.
I have a feeling we will touch on this in Episode 53 of the show!
J.D.