Drafting son not easy call for Williams
Sports Illustrated featured Kenny Williams in this week's issue, giving the White Sox general manager credit for pulling off the "heist of the off-season" in Carlos Quentin while profiling the free-wheeling philosophy behind 55 big-league trades in seven years.
Is there any deal Williams wouldn't make?
Not likely. Not even his own blood.
It turns out it was more difficult for Williams to draft his son Kenny Williams Jr. this week than it would be to trade him.
"I already told him if I get the right deal he's gone," Williams said.
The White Sox selected Williams Jr., a switch-hitting outfielder from Wichita State, in the sixth round of the MLB draft. They followed that in the seventh round by taking Texas outfielder Jordan Danks, whose brother John is a White Sox starting pitcher.
"I think it's great, keep it in the family," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Hopefully we can sign these guys."
Williams said that would not be a problem with his son, whom the White Sox also drafted in 2004 in the 36th round. Instead of signing, Williams Jr. went to Arizona, played in 12 games in two years, and transferred to Wichita State. The Plainfield Central product is hitting .323 with 2 home runs.
"I had some serious reservations about selecting him," Williams said. "At one point I told our guys to let him go elsewhere so he doesn't have to deal with whatever he's going to have to deal with with the same name.
"They kept coming back to me saying, no, we think you are making a mistake. Don't let him pass by because of his name."
Like Williams, this is the second time the White Sox have drafted Jordan Danks, their 19th pick in 2005. Danks is hitting .321 with 7 home runs.
In the 23rd round, the White Sox selected Kyle Long, a 17-year-old, 6-foot-7 left-hander. Long's father is former NFL star Howie Long, whose son Chris was the No. 2 pick in April's NFL draft.
Among the White Sox' other 49 picks were catcher Kevin Dubler (Downers Grove South/Illinois State) in the eighth round, right-hander Jonathan Weaver (Leyden) in the 17th and first baseman Travis Otto (Wheaton North) in the 49th.
Kiss and make up: Owner Jerry Reinsdorf weighed in on this week's Ozzie Guillen-Kenny Williams meeting.
"You married?" Reinsdorf asked. "You get along with your wife all the time?"
Prime time, again: The June 29 game against the Cubs at U.S. Cellular will be the Sunday night ESPN game. The June 22 game between the two teams at Wrigley Field also is scheduled for prime time on ESPN.