Re: Deer Big (Always) Hurt

mianderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Jon Enslin wrote:
mianderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Jon Enslin wrote:
Goro wrote:
I donut think Kenny Williams likes you so good.

-goro-

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/baseball/mlb/oakland_athletics/13972310.htm

PHOENIX - The ill will between A's slugger Frank Thomas and his
former Chicago White Sox general manager, Kenny Williams,
escalated Sunday when Williams called Thomas ``an idiot.''

Williams was speaking to Chicago reporters at the team's spring
training site in Tucson in response to comments Thomas made to The
Daily Southtown, a Chicago-area newspaper, in which he reiterated
his disappointment over the manner in which he was released after
16 years with the White Sox.

``He's an idiot,'' Williams said. ``He's selfish. That's why we
don't miss him. And we've held it in for far too long.

``But I've got something to say directly to him. And I'm holding
back as much as I can because, unlike him, I'll say it man-to-man,
face-to-face.''

Thomas told the newspaper that Williams never called him to let
him know the team was not going to retain him after it exercised
the $3.5 million buyout in his contract. Thomas appeared in just
108 games the past two seasons because of left-foot problems. He
also said he should have been traded after the 2000 season and
criticized the multiyear deals given during the off-season to
Paul Konerko and Jon Garland.


Listening to a great deal of Chicago sports radio, I can say that
no one there has given a damn about what Frank Thomas says for
about five years now. Also, Kenny Williams, while being prickly
and a bit of a hot head, clearly knows what he is doing.

see I don't think he knows what he is going in general(although
thomas is probably done). They had a great year last year and won
a world series. Great. But his tenure before that(and it wasn't
exactly brief) had been a disaster. A lot of his fa signings and
trades have quite frankly sucked.

He's been there six years. For baseball general managers, that isn't
that long of a time frame. Since that time he basically built up the
farm system and made some pretty good trade to get players that many
thought were washed up. (Contreras, El Duque)

acquiring players like that generally isn't a good idea. It
occasionally works, but that's the nature of life. Just like my rate
of return on buying a scratch off lotto ticket is only going to be
.6x, it's possibly to spend $5 on scratch offs and hit a $50 winner.
Doesn't mean it was a good idea....just means it worked out this time.



Also, Ozzie was a great, great hire for manager.

You can't complain about the results - it wasn't though the White Sox
back doored it or anything.

yeah I know, but we'll just have to see how things turn out down the
road. I wouldn't be surprised if things just came together right this
year with some luck and through more bad kennyW moves they go
downhill.







As for thomas, he may be an ***. He may be over the hill and
finished. But his offensive production when he was healthy earlier
in his career was something special. Anytime you can put up
.335/.465/.640 type lines for several consecutive years.....well
that's special.

Yeah...early in his career...

yeah of course. But my point is he did it for a good number of years
early in his career. He's a hall of famer imo simply because the
other bunch of 1st baseman/dh types in his peer group(bagwell,
palmeiro, mcgriff, etc) just don't have the peak value. His peak
value(best 7 years) is just enormous.


His numbers say if he retired today he is a Hall of Famer. That said I
believe ultimately the way this era will work out is simply guys that were
proven to have used roids etc will be rejected. Those that weren't and had
numbers will get in. Rafy is not getting in.

--
v/r Dread Pirate Rackham

"You know one things that's wrong with this country? Everybody gets a
chance to have their fair say." - President Clinton 28 May 1993

"There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending
that you can love your country but despise your government." -
President Clinton 5 May 1995


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