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Damn, Kenny's really letting it fly...
February 26, 2006, 4:24 PM CST
White Sox general manager Ken Williams finally broke his silence Sunday morning and fired back after the latest shot by departed slugger Frank Thomas.
"He's an idiot," Williams said in a 6 1/2-minute, profanity-laced interview. "He's selfish. That's why we don't miss him. And we've held it in for far too long. And if you go out there and look long and hard enough, you'll find particulars. 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."
Williams was angered by a recent story in the Daily Southtown in which Thomas reiterated his disappointment in the Sox for the way his departure this off-season was handled, suggested he should have been traded after the 2000 season and questioned long-term deals given this off-season to Paul Konerko and Jon Garland because they didn't have the longevity of other Sox stars who were later dealt.
"More upsetting to me than his comments directed at me are the comments at the organization and at (Chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf," Williams said.
"Jerry doesn't deserve that, especially in regards to Frank. Jerry has done everything over the course of 16 years to protect that man, to make accommodations for him, concessions for him, loaned him money at times when he needed money. And for him to forget that, for him to turn his back on that, is a crying shame.
"Believe me, it's not easy to deal with an idiot. And this man, over the course of the years, has tried my patience and tried it and tried it, and if he were any kind of a man, would quit talking about things in the paper and return a phone call or come knock on somebody's door. If I had the kind of problems he has evidently with me, I'd go knock on his [expletive] door."
Williams admitted he has grown weary of Thomas' incessant bitterness over his departure after the Sox acquired slugger Jim Thome this winter.
"Let me tell you something-there are a lot of guys around here who have been with the White Sox organization," Williams said. "I'm one, all my coaches, for 20-some-odd years. And Jerry's almost, well he is, like a second father to a lot of us. For these backhanded comments … I guess they're not even backhanded any more; they're full frontal smashes right in our face. For these to keep coming, and again, for him to turn his back on all the things that Jerry has done and this guy-this guy-of all people.…"
And being reminded that he left a phone message after the Thome trade and that Thomas had a chance to express his feelings at a boxing match in Las Vegas only raised Williams' anger.
"He's not going to do that, and we don't miss him, by the way," Williams said. "And if you go out there and ask any one of my players or staff members, we don't miss him. We don't miss the attitude; we don't miss the whining. We don't miss it. Good riddance. See you later."
That was just the start.
"And again, the most [disheartening] thing about this is that he's turned his back on some people that really, I can't tell you how many times me and Ozzie [Guillen], over the last couple of years … have covered his [rear].
"He wasn't scheduled to talk at the [World Series] parade. I gave him the trophy out of respect so he can address his fans and the crowd. We gave him the first pitch during the playoffs. Again, that was another acknowledgment. How many times do you have to kiss somebody's [rear]?"
Guillen said he was glad he wasn't cited by Thomas and that Williams protected the organization.
"I got to tell Kenny what he's always told me-'no comment,'." Guillen laughed. "I don't put my nose in something that doesn't involve me."
A few players read Thomas' comments in the daily clippings. First baseman Paul Konerko, whose five-year, $60 million contract was questioned by Thomas, took the high road.
"Frank is his own man and can speak for himself," Konerko said.
But more than an hour after his rebuttal, Williams had his arms folded in anger as he spit sunflower seeds out of his mouth like a machine gun while watching his team's workout.
"He'd better stay out of our business," Williams said. "He'd better stay out of White Sox business. As a matter of fact … I'll say what I have to say to him direct."
The Sox play Oakland in an exhibition game March 7 at Tucson Electric Park and on March 13 in Phoenix, but Thomas still is recovering from a fractured bone in his left foot that is likely to relegate him to minor-league games this spring.
If healthy, Thomas is scheduled to play his first regular-season game against the White Sox on May 22 at U.S. Cellular Field.
"Maybe sooner rather than later," Williams said of a possible face-to-face meeting. "It's a difficult thing. I'm a general manager. I'm supposed to be above things. But when is enough enough? How long are you going to sit here and be above it? He's brought us to this point. OK, you want to play this game? You got it.
"He's an Oakland A's problem. He needs to be concern about Oakland. I don't even know why I'm talking about [the] guy. Play two or three games in a row first before you start popping off."
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"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."
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