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HENDRY, WILLIAMS DESERVE POSTSEASON HONORS

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Regardless of the season turns out for the Cubs and Sox, the AL and NL Executive of the Year awards should both reside here in Chicago.

Run your eyes up and down the MLB standings and try to find clubs with GMs that have done more to improve this season than both the Cubs and Sox. I don’t think you can.

Let’s start with Ken Williams. I could begin and end with Carlos Quentin. To be sure, not even Williams could have believed that Quentin would turn out an MVP-like season. But he obviously wanted Quentin on the Sox. Quentin leads all of MLB in homers, drove in his 100th run on Tuesday and is hitting .292/.398/.582 for the season.

Other moves by Williams:

  • Garland for Cabrera. Garland has been rather pedestrian for the Halos. Cabrera has struggled offensively, but has been solid in the field as expected. The thing that is most telling about this move is that Williams so believed in Danks and Floyd that he could trade Garland for a proven SS.
  • Signing Linebrink and Dotel. I still don’t like these deals for the long haul–especially considering Linebrink’s injury. But it’s safe to say that without these 2 signings the Sox aren’t sniffing 1st place.
  • Trading for Nick Swisher. We can debate chemistry until the cows come home, but if there was ever a clubhouse that needed an injection of energy it was the Sox. Swisher also kept Jerry Owens in AAA and his 20+ homers and 75 walks. Without Swisher the Sox do not lead the Central in runs scored like they do now.
  • Signing Alexei Ramirez. With the exception of Quentin, Ramirez may be the most exciting player on the White Sox. After a rough April, Ramirez has turned it on, won a starting job and leads the Sox in hitting. He could end up with 20 homers and an average of .300. The only question that remains is whether he will start at 2nd or Short next year.

The Sox lead the Central in runs scored and have also allowed the least runs. Not many, including this observer, thought Williams did enough to improve his club in the offseason. Williams likely doesn’t care about that and probably won’t be pleased unless the Sox win their 2nd World Series in 4 years. But he definitely deserves to be the AL Executive of the Year.

Up next…Jim Hendry.

[tags]Chicago White Sox, Ken Williams, Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, Nick Swisher[/tags]

Posted by admin on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 7:49 am 
Filed under White Sox · Tagged with

  • dhaab

    Not to discount what Hendry has done, but it makes it a lot easier when you have pretty much and open check book to acquire any player you want.

  • http://zonersports.com The Zoner

    Edmonds and Johnson were plucked of the trash heap.

  • dhaab

    No doubt. But he was incredibly lucky with Edmonds. He’s much healthier this year than he’s been in a long time and a bunch more of those long fly balls he hits are homers in Wrigley. Most of them were outs in SD and St. Louis.

    But the big reason those two guys are putting up solid #’s is the vast talent around them. Ramirez, Soriano, Lee and Soto make them much better.

  • IVSPORT

    I think the D-Backs GM deserves to be considered too. Getting Haren in the offseason was a huge move that really separated AZ from the rest of the mediocre NL West. Then when the bullpen was a problem, they traded for one of the best relievers, who was closing in Washington, but is now setting up for Lyon until he can’t get the job done anymore. Finally, even though they were holding on to first place in the West, the D-Backs knew they needed another bat to make any progress in the postseason, so they got Adam Dunn, a slugger that fits perfectly in their lineup with Conor Jackson, Chad Tracy and Mark Reynolds.

  • http://zonersports.com The Zoner

    I don’t disagree that those are all good moves. But the D-Backs should have blown away the West and yet they are only 3 over .500.

  • PB

    No love for the Rays, Zoner? That entire front office deserves the nod as EOTY. I’d love to see Hendry/Williams match what TB has done with a 48 million dollar payroll. FIRE MILLEN MANG!

  • http://zonersports.com The Zoner

    Plenty of love for the Rays. But they are mostly reaping the benefits of their farm system.

  • http://puppetgov.com dhaab

    So the GM doesn’t get credit for a good farm system?

  • http://zonersports.com The Zoner

    Of course he does. But the award is for executive of the year.

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