Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has no doubt been heavily scrutinized during his 11 years on the South side, but if you ask him he will probably tell you that it just comes with the territory.
Williams has never been one to shy away from his critics—or the spotlight, for that matter.
He seems to thrive on the attention he draws as GM, whether it’s good or bad.
Williams has always been known as one of the more active general managers in baseball and one who is going to take chances—and just like anything else, some moves have worked and some have not.
However, despite his many critics, the fact remains that Williams has arguably been one of the—if not the best—GMs in White Sox history. Now some may argue that really isn’t saying much based on the team’s history, but during his tenure the White Sox have been pretty successful.
The Sox have finished above the .500 mark in eight of his 11 seasons, which includes a world series title, two division titles and four second place finishes.
In other words, the White Sox have been in contention more often than not during William’s tenure.
Recently he has taken a lot of heat for the highly publicized departure of Ozzie Guillen as White Sox manager and the hiring of the inexperienced Robin Ventura to take his place.
He also faces one of his more challenging off seasons this year as the White Sox appear to be a team in flux with a new manager and possibly several changes to the roster.
Most critics are not expecting Williams to do much in terms of signing any big names this offseason because of the contracts that he is already committed to—if anything, most are expecting the Sox to lose more than they gain before next season begins.
With that said, Williams has had a knack for pulling off surprises over the years so it remains to be seen what he has up his sleeve.
Like any general manager, Williams has had his ups and downs. Here is a look at five of the best and five of the worst moves he has made during his 11 years on the south side.