RKMeibalane
10-08-2002, 10:00 PM
If Jerry Reinsdorf has any self-respect, then he will fire Ken Williams before the end of this month. I realize the media aren't exactly the most trustworthy people on this planet, but after reading the article written by Joe Crowley, I think it's safe to say that Williams has to go.
As Frank Thomas put it, things have changed since 2000. The Sox began their downward spiral right after they were eliminated from the playoffs. Williams replaced Scheuler as general manager, and the rest is history.
Williams has made the following "bonehead" moves since assuming his duties as general manager:
1. Traded for Royce Clayton.
This was a disaster. Clayton should have been released when he was hitting .099 on May 23, 2001. His release came sixteen months too late.
2. Traded Kip Wells, Josh Fogg, and Sean Lowe for Todd Ritchie and Damaso Marte.
The jury is still out on this one, but all signs point to another stupid trade. Ritchie was the worst pitcher in baseball this season. Wells and Fogg had solid seasons in Pittsburgh, and the Sox were made fun of in a Sports Illustrated article. Williams says he deserves credit for accquiring Marte. Give me a break. That's no different than if someone blows up a building, but wants to take credit for knowing exactly how large the blast radius would be. Basically, Williams proved he's incompetent.
3. Traded for Willie Harris.
Again, time will determine the success of this move, but indications are that Harris has replaced Royce Clayton as the new Choice. The only difference is that he prefers a different flavor of ice cream.
4. Interfered in clubhouse affairs.
When Paul Konerko called out Frank Thomas in front of the media, Williams decided to "stick his nose" into the altercation, instead of allowing Manuel to handle the problem himself.
5. Thrown tantrums in the clubhouse.
This refers, of course, to the tirade in which Williams screamed at players, calling them b*tches and motherf*ckers while tipping over the buffet table.
6. Hired Gary Ward and Gary Pettis.
The irony of this situation is laughable. Von Joshua was fired because the players weren't listening to him. I don't know what happened to Joshua, but if he's still living in the Chicago area, I'm sure he enjoys reading the morning paper. The players don't listen to Gary Ward either. No one likes his "hitting meetings," and several players think he's a joke.
Pettis never had a clue what he was doing. He was the man most directly responsible for the Sox numerous base-running problems, yet Wallace Johnson was fired, and the incidents involving Frank Thomas being thrown at home were cited as the reason for his dismisal. Johnson was responsible for some of Thomas' base-running struggles, but he was nowhere near as bad as Pettis.
As Frank Thomas put it, things have changed since 2000. The Sox began their downward spiral right after they were eliminated from the playoffs. Williams replaced Scheuler as general manager, and the rest is history.
Williams has made the following "bonehead" moves since assuming his duties as general manager:
1. Traded for Royce Clayton.
This was a disaster. Clayton should have been released when he was hitting .099 on May 23, 2001. His release came sixteen months too late.
2. Traded Kip Wells, Josh Fogg, and Sean Lowe for Todd Ritchie and Damaso Marte.
The jury is still out on this one, but all signs point to another stupid trade. Ritchie was the worst pitcher in baseball this season. Wells and Fogg had solid seasons in Pittsburgh, and the Sox were made fun of in a Sports Illustrated article. Williams says he deserves credit for accquiring Marte. Give me a break. That's no different than if someone blows up a building, but wants to take credit for knowing exactly how large the blast radius would be. Basically, Williams proved he's incompetent.
3. Traded for Willie Harris.
Again, time will determine the success of this move, but indications are that Harris has replaced Royce Clayton as the new Choice. The only difference is that he prefers a different flavor of ice cream.
4. Interfered in clubhouse affairs.
When Paul Konerko called out Frank Thomas in front of the media, Williams decided to "stick his nose" into the altercation, instead of allowing Manuel to handle the problem himself.
5. Thrown tantrums in the clubhouse.
This refers, of course, to the tirade in which Williams screamed at players, calling them b*tches and motherf*ckers while tipping over the buffet table.
6. Hired Gary Ward and Gary Pettis.
The irony of this situation is laughable. Von Joshua was fired because the players weren't listening to him. I don't know what happened to Joshua, but if he's still living in the Chicago area, I'm sure he enjoys reading the morning paper. The players don't listen to Gary Ward either. No one likes his "hitting meetings," and several players think he's a joke.
Pettis never had a clue what he was doing. He was the man most directly responsible for the Sox numerous base-running problems, yet Wallace Johnson was fired, and the incidents involving Frank Thomas being thrown at home were cited as the reason for his dismisal. Johnson was responsible for some of Thomas' base-running struggles, but he was nowhere near as bad as Pettis.