White Sox general manager Ken Williams planned to spend this week beating the bushes.
In his quest to keep tabs on three of his minor-league teams, Williams was set to observe games in Winston-Salem, Kannapolis and Carolina, where the Sox’s Double-A Birmingham team will play this weekend.
So much for that.
After reading about Sunday’s oral sparring between manager Jerry Manuel and Frank Thomas, Williams decided to fly back to Chicago for Tuesday’s game against Baltimore.
Williams will try to ease tensions stemming from Manuel’s comment that the Sox’s slumping hitters “need to start taking some responsibility” and Thomas’ reply: “You go up there and face what I get every day and see how good you do at the plate.”
Williams said he wished Manuel and Thomas had not gone public with their thoughts.
“Those are all things that should have been left in the clubhouse,” he said. “[Manuel] is in a difficult position, one I can certainly relate to. Part of his responsibility is to articulate his thoughts to the media, so you have to allow him some latitude, particularly when frustration enters the picture.
“I don’t believe either person should, for lack of a better word, be reprimanded for having their frustrations spill over. Maybe it’s something we can use as a positive.”
That would be about the only positive stemming from a 2-4 West Coast swing that dropped the Sox to 17-20, six games behind first-place Kansas City in the American League Central.
While it was reported last week that Williams had given Manuel a vote of confidence, the third-year general manager offered a reminder Monday that no one–himself included–can expect to be spared if the Sox’s losing ways continue.
“What I expressed was a belief in the talent we have assembled,” he said. “I think ultimately if we can stay together and focused, that talent will rise to a level where it’s supposed to be.
“This is professional sports, and we are all subject to the scrutiny and the bottom line–and the bottom line is winning. Whether it be players, coaches, the manager or the general manager, we all come into this business with the understanding that if the bottom-line goals aren’t met, changes are made.”
Manuel has changed his lineup five consecutive times to try to spark his team. It did little good.
The Sox scored just 22 runs over the six games at Oakland and Seattle. Their team average of .246 ranks third worst in the league.
A question on Sunday about whether the Sox should bring in another instructor to complement hitting coach Gary Ward prompted Manuel to call for the players to take responsibility.
“They can’t keep looking for a coach here or manager there,” he said. “They have to own up to their careers and what they’re about.
“It’s not like it’s a bunch of kids we’re dealing with. We’re dealing with men. It comes a time where they have to say: This is something we have to do.”
Asked about Joe Crede, who looked helpless Sunday against veteran lefty Jamie Moyer, Manuel said it was normal for young players to struggle.
“I can’t let guys like Crede and [Willie] Harris take the brunt,” Manuel said. “Crede is our seventh or eighth hitter. He’s not our fifth hitter or fourth hitter or third hitter. It’s the middle guys that have to get it done–the [Carlos] Lees, the [Paul] Konerkos, the [Frank] Thomases.
“No matter what Crede does, those are the guys who, if they’re sitting in the middle of the lineup, have to do the damage. It’s that simple.”
Williams said the Sox need to work together to end their slump.
“No one person can carry the burden on his shoulders,” he said. “This is something we will snap out of with singles up the middle and line drives in the gaps, where we put up multiple-hit innings and run smartly and aggressively.
“It won’t be as glamorous as a three-run homer, but that’s how it works.”
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Collective slump
Only a handful of White Sox regulars–D’Angelo Jimenez, Magglio Ordonez and Jose Valentin–are producing near their expected levels. The rest are struggling to stay afloat.
2002 STATS 2003
PLAYER (Avg-HR-RBI) PROJECTED JUST PLAIN UGLY
Paul Konerko .304 27 104 .223 9 43 Only 3 RBIs in last 14 games
Frank Thomas .252 28 92 .243 30 57 .160 w/runners in scoring position
Joe Crede .285 12 35* .240 9 66 .271 on-base percentage
Carlos Lee .264 26 80 .244 30 105 .290 on-base percentage
Sandy Alomar .279 7 37 .250 4 31 .154 average at home
* 53 games Through Monday
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