“Win fast, White Sox.”
That’s what I wrote on the day the White Sox traded Freddy Garcia to the Philadelphia Phillies, receiving two players who didn’t seem likely to help what ailed Ozzie Guillen’s team so soon after the World Series parade.
In that column, I also referred to Williams’ thinking as “arrogant,” specifically how he thought he could rebuild another championship rotation rather than persuading Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to hold onto Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland for the long haul.
When I saw the fellows the next day, it’s fair to say they weren’t exactly congratulating me for my insight. It reminded me of the reaction I got from the Cubs a year earlier.
That time I pointed out how it was crazy to send three young pitchers to the Florida Marlins for a one-year rental on the overrated Juan Pierre, as well as how Jim Hendry did Jacque Jones a favor by giving him a three-year contract–a move that also cost the Cubs a high pick in the 2006 draft.
So here the Cubs are, less than a year and a half into the Jones debacle, on the verge of releasing him (he appeared for one half-inning in the weekend sweep, pinch-running for the designated hitter in the ninth on Friday) while Williams shops Buehrle for a punch-in-the-gut trade. I’ll admit I wish I had been wrong when I wrote those things.
Back in 2004 and ’05, the Cubs and White Sox were both over .500 for three of the four renewals of the City Series. This year’s blahfests at U.S. Cellular and Wrigley Field make those years seem a long time ago.
When even China doll Scott Podsednik is pointing out the lack of “intensity” and “energy” at U.S. Cellular Field, something has gone dreadfully wrong. There are no easy answers in sight for either of Chicago’s teams, as the soft portion of both their schedules ended Sunday. They no longer get to face each other.
The success of major-league teams, or lack thereof, depends more on the general manager and the front office than the guy making the decisions in the dugout. Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella shouldn’t be held accountable for these disappointing seasons.
The responsibility lies with Williams and Hendry, even if it’s only Hendry who is in danger of losing his job. Williams, like a dice shooter on a hot roll, made a flurry of moves, big and small, that resulted in that 11-1 run through the 2005 playoffs. He works for a loyal boss, whom he declines to challenge on matters like the Buehrle and Garland contracts, so he doesn’t have to worry about security. Jerry Krause ran the Bulls into the ground for five years after the last of the six titles.
But Williams’ failings in a variety of areas have contributed to the Sox having fallen 22 games under .500 since July 7, 2006, as long a run of bad baseball as they have had since 1989.
For instance:
– Trading Garcia (for pitchers Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez) and 23-yearold Brandon McCarthy (for pitchers John Danks, Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner) without addressing the three spots in the lineup that left them out of the running in 2006. That’s left field, center field and shortstop. Those spots have under-produced again this season, and the 3-4-5 hitters are no longer the best middle of the order in baseball. The simultaneous occurrence of these events has created a scoring drought.
– You can’t quantify this one, but by signing the two most easily signed starters, Jose Contreras and “Hang With ‘Em” Javier Vazquez, the White Sox might have become the first team in history to build around the back end of their starting rotation. Despite 52 sellouts and record broadcast ratings a year ago, they made only token efforts to lock up Buehrle and Jermaine Dye, without whom they would not have won the ’05 Series. Sox players seldom publicly criticize Reinsdorf or Williams, but the callous handling of Buehrle has taken a toll.
– Not having the guts to offer Magglio Ordonez salary arbitration when they were feuding with him over the severity of his knee injury. Somebody was going to sign Ordonez, who didn’t want to stick with an organization that had been smearing him, but the White Sox didn’t vest themselves for two compensation picks in the draft. Among the prospects selected in either the compensation round or the second round in 2005: Oakland outfielder Travis Buck, Atlanta infielder Yunel Escobar, Minnesota right-hander Kevin Slowey and right-hander Mike Bowden, who has climbed into Double A at age 20 for Boston and is now coveted by the White Sox in Buehrle trade talks.
– Failing to trade Joe Crede to the Angels, Phillies or someone else last winter, when he and the talented Josh Fields gave the organization a thirdbase surplus. Given Crede’s recent back surgery, the guess here is that Williams will non-tender him next season, not exactly the way a World Series hero should go out.
– Taking a flier on Andrew Sisco. The guy had a 7.10 ERA in 65 games for Kansas City, and Williams thought he could help a good team? While keeping such fringe players on his 40-man roster (not to mention the redoubtable Eduardo Sierra and Paulino Reynoso), he has lost homegrown left-handers Jay Marshall and Fabio Castro in the Rule 5 draft the last two seasons.
– Creating a disconnect with the amateur and pro scouts who had worked well with his predecessor, Ron Schueler, in building the strong farm system that Williams once oversaw. Follow Williams around the winter meetings and he is never far from assistant GM Rick Hahn and his stats guy, Dan Fabian; somehow I?d feel better if he was spending time with the guys who have gristle, like Dave Yoakum and Doug Laumann. The sacking of Duane Shaffer was a long time coming as he felt Williams tuned him out, seeking players he could take credit for getting.
– Taking a bite of Vazquez’s apple. When Arizona offered Williams a chance to get rid of two signed veterans he wanted to move (Orlando Hernandez and Luis Vizcaino) while getting a starter with upside in return, the White Sox couldn?t say no. But if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Williams knew he was giving up a solid prospect in center fielder Chris Young; he didn’t know his three other young outfielders (Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney and Jerry Owens) would pale in comparison. Boy, talk about a losing streak.
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progers@tribune.com
