Sox GM Ken Williams is disappointed his midseason deals weren't difference-makers.
Ken Williams gave his annual end-of-season State of the Sox assessment Wednesday, and the straight-talking GM was blunt in his conviction that this team didn't reach its potential. "They are underachievers," Williams told reporters at the Cell. "We're not playing up to our capabilities. Period."
Maybe -- or maybe the 2009 Sox just never were that good. Despite Williams' lofty playoff hopes after the late-season acquisitions of Jake Peavy and Alex Rios, this team suffered from serious flaws, was too young at key positions and got too old too quickly at others.
So the question for Sox fans is: Do you agree with Williams that the team underachieved, or do you think the expectations were unrealistically high?
Thanks mainly to the weakness of the AL Central, the Sox stayed in the pennant race far longer than they should have. In retrospect, Williams was delusional when he told the Sun-Times' Joe Cowley in August that this would be his most diasppointing season if the Sox failed to not only make the playoffs, but go deep in them.
True, the Sox played well at home against quality opponents such as the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels, but they weren't consistently competitive on the road and were much too mediocre against lesser teams, losing costly late-season series to the likes of the Orioles and Royals.
Early in the season, manager Ozzie Guillen repeatedly said that if the Sox needed to promote young Gordon Beckham to the big leagues, they were in trouble. In a way, Ozzie was right. Beckham came up and immediately proved he belonged; in fact, he wound up being their best overall player. But by doing so, he proved Ozzie right: The Sox were full of holes, and any team that needs an early-season call-up to carry them probably isn't playoff timber.
"It's the players that make you look smart or dumb," Williams said, "and right now we're all not looking too smart."
Williams' glass remains half-full: He expects big things from Peavy and is confident that Rios will regain his batting stroke next spring. He wouldn't say much about offseason plans or how much money might be available to spend. But you can be certain that Williams won't rest until the Sox are once again a World Series contender.
As for 2009, though, did the Sox truly underachieve, or were expectations too high?
Both.
I like Kenny but the spin he gave Deluca this morning was icredible...
''We tried to transition, we tried to go with a little more youth, a little more speed here,'' he said, ''which also sometimes unfortunately has resulted in some miscues here and there.''
UHHH...WHAT???
He decided to go with veterans and completely neglected 3B, CF and put an unproven player at SS. He also gambled on another year of aging veteran softball hitters with Konerko, Dye and Thome.
This wreck had little to do with youth - had everything to do with a groups of veterans (Dye, Konerko, Rios, Buehrle, Linebrink, Jenks) who slid big time in the 2H. Couple that with the disastrous decision to stick with Contreras for 4 starts too many. Don't even start with the Colon decision...
Kenny-spin at its best...just like his sit down with the writers 3 weeks ago saying how he didn't give up on the year...which happened a week after sending an email to all GMs offering up several players.
Underachieved.
While no one was expecting them to win 100 games or the division by 10 they certainly had the talent to win this division.
The series in Boston was the beginning of the end and they just rolled over right in the middle of a pennant race. You could see it unfolding and that is unacceptable.
The fans have shown over the years that they are not going to pay to see that.
They completely quit about two weeks ago even though they were still in it with 6 games against the Tigers and 3 against the Twins still in front of them.
It seems that they kind of exhaled after Buehrle's perfect game and they never looked the same after that.
Yes they played some tough teams in September but they proved that they could beat these very same teams all year so there is no excuse.
If you can’t beat them in September then how are you going to beat them in October?
I don’t blame Ozzie.
The young players did their part but the veterans gagged and there is only so much a manager can do to get them to play.
He changed the line-ups, tried different pitchers, called them out when they looked half asleep, supported them when they did their job…… what else is there for him?
I don’t blame Williams either.
He tried to give them the best players that he could and it either was not enough or they did not respond as players. I would say it was a little of both.
They have already started to move in a younger direction and I would think that Dye will be gone after this season. They had to make that move with players like Thome and Contraes on the team. Too old, too slow and too inconsistent.
They also had Carlos Quentin disappear all year and now you have to wonder if he was just a flash in the pan.
If he does not produce next year then he is a bust.
Is Jenks going to be here next year? If not then they need a closer and I mean a real closer. Not a group of guys who could not make it as starters.
Go after Figgens and hope that Rios plays up to his talent in 2010.
Underachieved, but with a curious asterisk.
If someone told me back in March that they would finish approximately 10 games or closer to .500 by season's end, I wouldn't have been pleased by any stretch, but I certainly would have thought, "yeah, that could be o.k...as long as some of the young guys grow significantly throughout the season...I could live with that."
It was the WAY they lost a plethora of games this year that has me unglued and I never would have expected back in March that Pods would return and a have such an nice offensive season. It's hard to look past the games lost, bad managing (sorry Ozzie, but I got tired of the patting the other team on the back time after time and not having answers for your team), bad hitting coaching which includes goddawful situational hitting in late-inning situations particulary, bad hitting period, power drain, defensive disasters even apart from the official errors, poor relief pitching, etc. For me, only the chronically bad hitting coaching was totally expected.
After resting from them this winter, I'll get my silver and black glasses back on and look forward to a brand new type of club that, despite everything this year, should take the division next year.
The White Sox clearly underachieved. Even the die hard Sox fans didn't expect World Series rings when the season started, but the team had enough talent and experience to contend. This one is all on the players, especially the vets like Dye, Konerko, Thome and even Buehrle down the stretch, but you can't pin this on Ozzie or Kenny at all. Phil pretty much nailed it with his post, not much more I can add or else it becomes redundant. I doubt Jenks & Dye will be back and not sure if they'll be able to acquire Figgins, especially with sneaky Reinsdorf trying to stay quiet from the media lately but he already has whined about attendance numbers at the Cell for him to unload more $'s at Figgins. Ozzie's gonna have to figure out a way to get to Rios' head over the Winter and just get him to play ball.
I agree with Phil. Except about Jenks. Still one of the best.
Alexie Ramirez did what Geovany Soto did to the Cubs. He was a shadow of himself. Quinton got hurt again. That made folks like Anderson and Josh Fields stand out like sore thumbs. But I fault the middle of the lineup and the Pen for this entire season. Kornerko, Thome and Dye. Even though PK has been good this season, he has not been clutch. If it wasnt for Podsenik, Beckham, Getz, Nix and Wise, this season would have been over at the half mark.
Ozzie did the best with what he had. He played small when he got the players.
Kenny did exactly as he said he did. He tried waiting on the big boppers. Then he added youth. Then he added Podsednik. Then he added Peavy and Rios. Kenny was wheeeling and dealing. He is right, the players let him down. I tip my hat to the Tigers and Twinkies, but the Sox are flat out better from top to bottom. ASK THE YANKEES!!!!
Kenny and Hendry should try it all again next year. But Kenny needs to unload Dye or Kornerko. Consensus says Dye, but I would move Kornerko. PK has consistently slumped for YEARS. And Dye is faster and an MVP candidate when right. Not just a good player, but phenomenal. Kotsay can play first.
I think they achieved as much as could be expected.I also think that there are likely to be some solid improvements on next year's team. I do not agree with Philtration that they underachieved, but the rest of the points he made are good ones.
Kenny did a great job.
I forgot to mention Ramirez Keith. He was major disappointment.
You may be right about Jerry not wanting to go after Figgens Edgar.
Kenny talked him into spending some money and the team just died down the stretch.
Even if the Rios and Peavy moves were more for next year it will be hard for Kenny to talk Reinsdorf into a free agent signing.
He probably feels that he has already spent his 2010 money even if they do not bring back Dye and with Konerko going into the last year of his contract.
They are going to get younger one way or the other over the next year or two.
Kenny has wanted Figgens for a while now and they should have worked out a trade for him 2 years ago. You could have redone his contract then.
I really wish that Jerry would sell the Sox and the Bulls and move on already.
Not that I am blaming him for this season but you can blame him for others on both teams and the future would probably look brighter with out his “I am going to regret this” act.
It would be nice if the White Sox were able to be a real player in the free agent market and stop running things like a small market team.
I agree with someone here who recently said that it is the Cubs popularity that keeps Reinsdorf honest with the White Sox.
I know that Jerry is cheap but I also believe that he has an inferiority complex over the Cubs even though the Sox won the World Series.
The fans don’t feel that way and neither does the G.M. but I think that Jerry lets it bother him.
He would love for the Sox to pack the place year after year even when the team is out of contention like the Cubs do. All team owners would love that but they don’t have to deal with the Cubs playing 8 miles from their own park.
The Sox fans will come but you have to convince them that you are in it to win instead of offering them a team on the cheap. That is just the way they are.
They are more skeptical and they don’t like being played for a fool and Jerry has produced some hard feelings in this town.
One more thing...any team that trots out Pods as the CF has no interest in playing good D.
Tommy says:
One more thing...any team that trots out Pods as the CF has no interest in playing good D.
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And a team that trots out Kosuke Fukudome as their Center Fielder?
Fukudome Bating Average .256 2009 salary: $12,500,000.
Podsednik Batting Average .303 2009 salary:$500,000.
Do you still find this funny?
Phil - nobody brings their point home like you do. I am really glad you are still posting here. Pods did more damage in his short stint this year than a F3 hurricane. He's been better than any baseball player in town. I am having a tough time finding a guy who was better. Beckham??? If everyone played with his effectiveness we would be getting ready for the subway series and I am not talking about samiches. Kenny should be getting the Lex Luthor Award just for signing him. When I saw Peavy at that press conference I was just about done. Was like a supermodel that threw a drink in your face and 30 minutes later was in your bed. Now those are "skillz". He didnt even wait til the end of the season!
I have enough problems understanding what the Sox are doing...I have no clue how or what the Cubs are doing.
I agree with Phil with the exception of underachieved, this team was way over-estimated. Any time you need a rookie as early as the Sox did and when you have to bring back retread Pods, depend on Colon and Contreas for the back end of your rotation you are in trouble. KW and the promotions dept. did a great job selling this too young and getting old fast bill of goods as a contender. It never was. What should have happened was to get a heart of the order transplant. Thome was a great guy but his skills were clearly diminishing as well as Dye and Konerko. Fields was a bust and Quentin is a injury waiting to happen. This was the perfect time to back up the truck and start over. August would have been great to see Restovich for Quentin, Danks for Dye,Viciendo for Konerko Whisler and Hudson for Colon and Contreas, let's see what Link has as a closer Jenks could bring prospects and maybe some bullpen help. KW please stay off the Figgins bandwagon we will be starting the down-side of his career also. Let's start fresh go back to the kids can play theme and rebuild.
While Paul Konerko set new standards for falling into 0-2 counts as if that's what Ted Williams always set out to do, I don't think he's finished. He was battling that blasted thumb issue. Yes, he's as slow as a Mt. Kilauea lava flow, but I believe he can still hit and hit in the clutch while be one of the silent leaders. Sometimes, guys just have bad seasons. Yes, they need to bear the brunt of it from fans, but I still believe he has something left. He's not that old either. Moreover, his numbers were decent if you can overlook the lack of clutch production this year.
I've always been a huge Chone Figgins fan. Not only do you get his choice lead off stats, but also his versatility afield as well as a consummate Mike Scioscia-type player. We need those kinds of guys.
However, nobody is mentioning how we'll sorely be needing a lefthanded power bat for the middle of the order. There really isn't one to found the last time I checked the upcoming free agent list. Hideki Matsui was about the best of that ilk available and that doesn't excite me. It would likely have to come through a trade.
Keith I don't get all the gushing about Pods. Yes - he was a fire-starter at times, but also a very stupid baserunner at times. And the model you spoke about? She was wearing a bag over her head.
So many problems with this team - old cold bats, young cold bats, really bad defense, and the gambles on Contreras and Colon, both of which were huge mistakes. Contrary to the Trib article this morning, I don't think Swisher and Vasquez could have helped this team. You can't shine s%&t.
I think deputydawg has a lot of things right in his comments. The only thing left unsaid is that my heart was broken by this team. They quit on themselves, on Ozzie, and on us.
BTW Stu, It would be nice to read a Cowley article that didn't drip with contempt for the Sox.
Stu responds: It has been a looong season, Bubba's Mom. Joe writes with passion and it's true that his tone sometimes is a barometer for how the Sox are trending. Maybe Joe is just sharing some of what you're feeling about this team.
Bubba's Mom, I am cracking up! Pods was duct-tape, but he was serviceable and definitely worth every plug nickle we paid for him. I remember his base-running errors, but I also remember life before he arrived. Not good. And that Model I spoke of - was pitching tonight. I think Kenny is going to smoke a cigarette every time she takes the mound - especially next year!
Yes there were a bunch of problems, but I think Kenny found a way to put us in the best possible position to win - this year, while planning for next. You are right - the players let us down - big time. It was there for the taking. But Kenny - didn't rip our hearts out this year - he stuck with it when he had every reason to fold the tent and look to next year after he traded Thome. Writing was on the wall after that Boston series.
Gig - I love PK. Loved Rowand and Crede. I will never forget 05! But its time to move PK for all the reasons you said. Still young enough to fetch something for him. Like Thome - we paid him to produce and he has been in mind-numbing slumps almost every season for about 4 years straight. Thome is a reminder of our Center field problem right now. We gave up speed and defense for slugging. And PK is a reminder that the Thome era is over. Time to move the OTHER sluggish slugger and return to speed and defense. I almost hate to see PK on base. If he is not trotting around the bases, he is no good offensively. Time to turn the page.
Deputy Dawg might be right.
Thank you my fellow fans for all the kind words, don't get me wrong I bleed silver and black and this was a disappointing way to go since August but KW waited too long we could have gotten a good gauge on the players I mentioned by playing them while the Twins and the Tigers are in contention with nothing to lose and a lot to gain and seen what we have so this winter we are not shopping blind. I respectfully disagree with Gig I think Figgins is starting the down-side of his career and though versitile would muddy the waters for the home growns like Jordan Danks, Micheal Restovich and Viciendo Dayan. Figgins is a 2-3 yr fix for a lot of money and too much risk of the quick fades we have been seeing, Nix has a better upside with a mix of power, speed and versitility. I believe Ramirez will get better defensively as well as Beckham, we need to find out if Quentin was a one year wonder or if he is for real. KW should only be focusing on fixing the bridge to the closer Thornton had a solid season but one from the right side is needed Link could be that man with a eye on being the eventual closer. It's time to re-build and take a new direction. Build a team with a mix of speed and power with a real push for fundamentals and we will return to the post season for years to come
Time to make the deputy a full blown Sherriff!
Thank you sir I am flattered. I believe KW is apprehensive about the idea I suggested I think he believes it will hurt him at the box office. This is far from true, if you put a young fundamentally sound exciting product out there I believe the fans will show up. The nucleus or Beckham, Nix and Getz makes for young veterans with Pierzynski still around youth like Restovich, Danks and Shelby could bring speed, OPS%, defense and a solid front four pitching staff dumping the dead weight Dotel, Linebrink, Williams and maybe trading Jenks for a front line pitcher and a prospect while grooming Link have Thornton be your closer until the kid is ready who knows Hudson, Marquez, Whisler or Nunez could be one of those bridge guys along with Carrasco. There is a bright future and fans would come to see it. THINK ABOUT IT!!!
Over-Hyped team that lacks speed and defense.
They'll be better with a healthy Peavy and also need to add some speed - both in the batting order and in the field.
They also have to start considering "Fats" Jenks as his weight will shorten his career.
Sox Faithful - that is just the thing that makes Kenny such a great GM. He held on to Thome, PK and Dye because he hoped their hitting would awaken and give us the chance to win it all - THIS YEAR. That is what Freddy, Colon, Rios, Peavy and Podsednik were all about this year. If they would have played to their career averages, then the Whitesox win the World Series this year. And I don't have a doubt in my body about that. Kenny gave us all a gift.
Deputy Dawg knows that it was more prudent to blow it all up. Kenny knew that as well. But he didn't want us fans to have to wait and watch AAA baseball. THIS IS CHICAGO, and he treated us to a team that could win this year. You have to be thankful for that. And even next year, he is going to mix in more youth, speed, defense, but with a balance of players that can catch fire in the post season. Beckham was an abboration not the norm. Usually youth gives us players like Josh Fields.
Bubba's Mom is right - our players let us down - not management. And that is why Thome and Anderson are gone. And its time for JD or PK to hit the bricks also.
Ralph - Jenks is not Linebrinks or Colon. His overall body of work is worth investment in the time and effort. I wouldn't move him except for some great cant miss talent. Somebody would have to pay dearly for him.
SoxFaithful - you better believe we under achieved. This weekend was a glimpse of the near future. Beurhle, Peavey, Danks, Floyd, Garcia - should get us 90 wins and the division.
Keith, I fully agree!