KW email to season ticket holders

[iamkoza]

Not sure if you guys get the season ticket emails from the whitesox... but here is an interesting one sent by KW

October 5, 2004

Dear White Sox fans and season ticket holders,
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It is still pretty difficult, even painful in a way, to recap the 2004 Chicago White Sox season. When I hired Ozzie Guillen as manager, one of my reasons was that I wanted someone who took the losses just as hard as I did and just as hard as our fans do.
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While our 2004 season had its bright spots — the 40-plus home run performance of Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee's club-record, 28-game hitting streak and Shingo Takatsu's grand entrance onto the Chicago baseball stage — the overall emotion we are feeling right now is disappointment. Yes, we certainly battled injuries, and not many teams lose their three and four hitters in June and still win, but those are excuses. We were in first place on July 24 and just did not get it done.
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[iamkoza]

But rather than re-live the past six months (I do that enough in the middle of the night when I would rather be asleep), I am focused on this offseason and what we need to accomplish to make our team better in 2005. I cannot stress strongly enough my commitment to improving the 2005 White Sox. This organization's goal remains consistent — to win a World Series championship for White Sox fans and the city of Chicago.
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It is my responsibility to build a team that has a chance to win its division each season, and we began that project for 2005 well before this season ended. It is our responsibility to bring all of our energy, intellect and effort to improving this team. I promise you everyone on my staff, and everyone in the front office, is focused on this mission.
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We hope to have a team built around our pitching staff. But anyone who watched us play in 2004 realizes that we need to be more athletic, better defensively and quicker on the bases. Slugging it out night after night is just too inconsistent. You need thunder in the middle of your lineup, especially in the American League, but at the top and at the bottom we need guys who can get on base, run, move runners along and handle the bat. I want to give Ozzie a team he can play with and really manage during games.
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Our first focus entering this offseason is pitching. We feel very confident in our top four starters, Freddy Garcia, Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Jon Garland, and believe each one has the potential to win 15 games and give us 200 innings. Jason Grilli showed signs he could fill the fifth starter's role, or we may decide to look toward free agency to round out our rotation.
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[iamkoza]

We also want to build our bullpen from the back forward. In Shingo and Damaso Marte, we are comfortable that we have at least two pitchers who can close out games. Cliff Politte was impressive at times this year and has a role in a dominant bullpen. Another positive for our club was how Jon Adkins and Neal Cotts matured as major league pitchers during the season. We need to add to this mix and make it even better and deeper in 2005.
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We will see what players are available on the free agent market to fit our needs, and I also am willing to pull the trigger on a trade if I believe it will make our team better. We have been criticized for our willingness to trade young players for the chance to win now. I will never apologize for trying to win. It has been way too long since White Sox fans celebrated in October. On the wall of our board room is a chart showing our team's projected roster over the next three years. Miguel Olivo is the only player we have traded away who is on that chart from 2004 to 2007. I hated to give him up, but I felt that getting a pitcher like Freddy Garcia through 2007 was more important for this organization.

Despite his season-ending injury, we still are optimistic about re-signing Magglio Ordoñez for 2005. Of course, a lot depends upon his recovery and health. At one point in the season, we offered Magglio the largest contract ever for a White Sox player. We still hope to discuss a possible new contract with Maggs over the coming months.
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[iamkoza]

One player I truly need to commend for his 2004 season is Paul Konerko. He grabbed all kinds of deserving headlines with his 40-plus home runs, but he proves his value as a player and teammate each and every day by how he approaches the game. I am convinced that if Paul came into the last at-bat of the season with the chance for either the home run crown or the opportunity to win the game, he would willingly sacrifice his own success for the team. He is as unselfish a player as we have. I love his winning attitude. Paul cares about winning, but even more importantly, he cares about winning here in Chicago.
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It's way too early to map out our exact plans for 2005 and how this offseason will ultimately unfold, but I did want this letter to give you some of our thoughts on the 2004 season, but more importantly, to outline our early thinking as we prepare for 2005.
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Everyone in a White Sox uniform and in our front office appreciates our fans. You are there on the cold nights in April, during winning and losing streaks in June, July and August, and are there to celebrate the game-winning home runs and suffer the painful defeats. You feel it in your gut right along with us. As we finish the 2004 season, we want to say "Thank You" for your undying support and for your pride in being a White Sox fan.
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Sincerely,
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Ken Williams


I disagree with KW confidence in Garland... i also dont buy the fact that jeremy reed wasn't penciled in as a starter for next year.

[iamkoza]

that was one big pain in the ass to post... lol.. sorry but it wouldnt let me post the whole thing in one post

[BEARSFAN1 DaPIMP]

very interesting read

[moochpuppy]

One player I truly need to commend for his 2004 season is Paul Konerko. He grabbed all kinds of deserving headlines with his 40-plus home runs, but he proves his value as a player and teammate each and every day by how he approaches the game. I am convinced that if Paul came into the last at-bat of the season with the chance for either the home run crown or the opportunity to win the game, he would willingly sacrifice his own success for the team. He is as unselfish a player as we have. I love his winning attitude. Paul cares about winning, but even more importantly, he cares about winning here in Chicago.
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Sounds like an advertising pitch to me.