IlliniKrush Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Got this from the mailing list, and found it pretty cool. THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX All-Star Break Report July 15, 2004 ================================================================= THE STATE OF THE SOX Dear White Sox fans, season ticket holders and sponsors, As we begin the second half of the baseball season, this is a great time to evaluate our season to date and pass along my expectations for the final two months. First off, I want to thank every White Sox fan for your tremendous energy and enthusiasm which are pushing our team to an even higher level of play. Everyone with the White Sox organization - our front office, coaching staff and players - appreciates your support. We have played exciting baseball so far this summer - even if sometimes games are a little too exciting. Ozzie Guillen and his coaching staff deserve much of the credit for the character our team has shown this season. One of the reasons I hired Ozzie as manager was his passion for the White Sox. I wanted someone who cared - someone who took the wins and losses to heart just as much as our fans. I think Ozzie has delivered that intensity and more. I could not be happier with the attitude and approach of our players. We have become a team that does not give up, a team that battles to the very end. We have won several ballgames this season in dramatic fashion that we easily could have lost. I attribute this not just to Ozzie, his coaches and our players, but to you as well. Many times already this season, whether it was your reception of Shingo Takatsu, your welcoming of Freddy Garcia to Chicago or your overwhelming response when Magglio Ordoñez returned, your energy and enthusiasm have given me chills. Even without an injured Magglio for much of the first half, our offense has been dominating at times - scoring 10 or more runs a Major-League leading 15 times. Our club's on-base percentage has hovered around .350, our best since the 2000 division-winning team. Paul Konerko had a great first half, Frank Thomas again ranked among the league leaders in walks and on-base percentage, and Carlos Lee set a club record with a 28-game hitting streak. Jose Valentín has given us left-handed punch in our lineup and quietly has played a very solid shortstop for the last two seasons. Juan Uribe, Willie Harris and Aaron Rowand get after it in the traditional Chicago fashion: they work hard and grind out victories. And where would we be without Timo Perez and Ross Gload coming through in the clutch? As every Sox fan is aware, we need to find a way to survive those stretches when our offense falters. We need to win games 3-2 in the second half as often as we win games by the score of 10-4. We were able to post two low-scoring, one-run wins over Seattle just before the All-Star Break, and we will need to win even more games like that during this second half. We still believe baseball games are won - especially in the playoffs - with quality pitching. We need to rely on more than our offensive outbursts to win games, which is why we traded for right-hander Freddy Garcia at the end of June. Rather than wait until closer to the trading deadline, I felt it was important to make the move quickly because we believed Freddy would be the top pitcher available this summer. Now that we have signed him to a $27 million, three-year contract extension, we look forward to having Freddy and Mark Buehrle together in our starting rotation potentially through 2007. With two-time All-Star Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland and Scott Schoeneweis, we have five pitchers in our starting rotation who can compete with anyone in the American League. I think our bullpen has been underrated. The emergence of Shingo, who quickly became a fan favorite, as our closer has helped solidify what I think is a very good bullpen. Damaso Marte and Cliff Politte have settled in as our set-up men, and Neal Cotts and Jon Adkins continue to impress with live arms. Mike Jackson will get big outs for us as we head down the stretch. You probably will continue to read and hear about Magglio's contract situation as we near the end of the season. We have continued to speak with him and his representatives about a multiyear contract extension. We want Magglio to remain with this team, and the White Sox will not close any doors to keeping him here beyond 2004. That said, we do believe that over the next two months, the focus of our manager, the coaches and all of our players needs to be on one thing - winning baseball games. The second half of this season features 52 games within our division with several crucial series in September. We play the Twins nine more times, including six at home, and we end the year by playing 20 consecutive games against the Twins, Tigers and Royals. We continue to need your support during the "Dog Days" of August and into September. Believe me, when the ballpark is full and the fans are fired up, our players respond to your energy. When our team sees U.S. Cellular Field filled with Sox colors like it was last weekend, it raises their level of intensity. You are our home-field advantage. The White Sox are in this to win. Although it is my responsibility to plan for the 2005 season and beyond, I am much more concerned about right now, and I assure you that we will continue to be aggressive and look for ways to improve this club over the next two months. I am willing to consider anything we believe will make our team better in 2004. I want to win, and I want to win now. We know - and our fans certainly understand - that our last World Championship in 1917 was a long, long time ago. Our fans, season ticket holders and sponsors are the lifeblood of this organization. I personally appreciate all the passion and pride you have demonstrated for this team and want to thank you on behalf of everyone in the White Sox organization. Let's enjoy a great second half together. Go Sox, Ken Williams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJSoxSOxSox Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Love ya KW!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loaiza21 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 It's great to know that Kenny's going all out this season. Makes me excited, knowing we'll get somebody here before the TD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnB Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 in my best hawk voice, "I love kenny...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buehrle>Wood Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Mike Jackson will get big outs for us as we head down the stretch. Isn't sarcasm supposed to be in green? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winninguglyin83 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 let's do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Isn't sarcasm supposed to be in green? He didn't have anything good to say about the guy so he tried to make something up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted July 15, 2004 Author Share Posted July 15, 2004 Isn't sarcasm supposed to be in green? I think to Kenny, every out is a big out. Say, if we are up 6+ or down 6+, those outs are big. In that case, i agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlizzardOfOzzie Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Wow - that was awesome. It's not too often that a member of upper management takes the time to address the season ticket holders and the fans DIRECTLY. Great move, KW. Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Man I seriously think this will be the year!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 If he gets us Randy Johnson than I will worship Kenny Williams as a God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox It To Em Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 If he gets us Randy Johnson than I will worship Kenny Williams as a God Same here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcirish85 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 "With two-time All-Star Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland and Scott Schoeneweis, we have five pitchers in our starting rotation who can compete with anyone in the American League. " Does that mean anything, like no RJ? I hope not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonkeyKongerko Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I just love how Kenny has put the Sox back in the thick of baseball talk. Whenever someone is available whether its Nomar, Freddy, or Unit it seems like the Sox are mentioned as a possible trading partner. Between White Flag and maybe 2002, the Sox always were off the radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan1 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Kudows to KW like always. Aggressiveness always beats passiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NO!!MARY!!! Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 BAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 "With two-time All-Star Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland and Scott Schoeneweis, we have five pitchers in our starting rotation who can compete with anyone in the American League. " Does that mean anything, like no RJ? I hope not. No. Don't read too much into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I don't want to be a naysayer, but my opinion of our team is not as great as Kenny's. What are we, 6-7 over .500? I guess adding Randy and Beltran would make us great. Would those 2 guys make us automatic AL champs? Maybe. If not, we've mortgaged the future. I guess it might be worth the risk. Randy and Beltran are pretty good, but get ready for crowds of 9,000 all next year once we lose Beltran to free agency and Randy retires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSF Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I don't want to be a naysayer, but my opinion of our team is not as great as Kenny's. What are we, 6-7 over .500? I guess adding Randy and Beltran would make us great. Would those 2 guys make us automatic AL champs? Maybe. If not, we've mortgaged the future. I guess it might be worth the risk. Randy and Beltran are pretty good, but get ready for crowds of 9,000 all next year once we lose Beltran to free agency and Randy retires. Well the way I see it, Cleveland is re-loading for another run that was supposed to start next year. Detroit has already (or will shortly) match their entire win total from 2003 in the early 2nd half and also has good, young talent, and KC, despite a setback with some of their arms this year, should also be a little better next year. I think KW might see this as a final shot to go for it all. If it comes up empty, then the re-building process will begin. I say enjoy the ride and let the chips fall where they may. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 We all know that there are no sure things. Johnson, Beltran, whoever doesn't assure the Sox win it all. But I am sure of this. I'm tired of being "competitive". We've been "competitive", for the most part, since the early 90's. Screw that. I want a team that has a good chance of bringing home the whole enchilada. KW is attempting to do that. Naysayers aside, I'm in 100% agreement with KW's philosophy and will live with the results, whatever they may be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Would those 2 guys make us automatic AL champs? No. We only need Johnson to be put over the top. We do not need Beltran(though he would definately help). I say get Randall Simon and/or Carl Everett. Then we're good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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