Kenny Williams (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kenny Williams |
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Williams in 2016
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 6, 1964 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 2, 1986, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 1991, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .218 | ||
| Home runs | 27 | ||
| Runs batted in | 119 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As general manager
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Kenneth Royal Williams (born April 6, 1964) is a former baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He also worked as a top executive for the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
Playing Career
Kenny Williams was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 1982 amateur draft. He started playing in MLB in 1986. For three years, he played mostly as a center fielder for the White Sox.
In 1989, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers later let him go in 1990, and the Toronto Blue Jays picked him up. Williams was often used as a pinch-runner because he was very fast.
He was the starting center fielder when Dave Stieb threw a no-hitter game. This was the first no-hitter in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. Williams is also remembered for a funny moment in 1990. During a game, he was on base as a pinch-runner. After some wild throws, he ran around third base and accidentally crashed into his coach, John McLaren. The coach was knocked out, but Williams scored the run. This moment was shown many times in blooper videos.
The Blue Jays then let Williams go in 1991. The Montreal Expos, another Canadian team, signed him. After being released by the Expos later that year, Williams decided to stop playing baseball.
Administrative Career
In November 1992, Kenny Williams returned to the White Sox team. This time, he worked as a scout, looking for new talented players. In 1994, he became a special assistant to the team's chairman, Jerry Reinsdorf.
He also spent some time talking about White Sox games on TV. In 1995, he became the director of minor league operations. This meant he helped manage the younger players in the team's farm system. By 1997, he was named vice-president of player development. He held this important role until 2000.
General Manager
In October 2000, Williams became the general manager of the White Sox. A general manager is in charge of the team's players, trades, and overall strategy. He took over from Ron Schueler.
His first manager was Jerry Manuel, who had just led the team to a great season. After the 2003 season, Williams hired Ozzie Guillén, a popular former White Sox player, as the new manager.
Williams became known for making bold moves to improve the team. After the 2004 season, he completely changed the White Sox. He shifted the team's focus from hitting many home runs to strong pitching, good defense, and speed.
He brought in players who were good at these things. He signed players like Orlando Hernández and Jermaine Dye. He also made trades for players like Scott Podsednik and José Contreras. These changes led to a very successful 2005 season. The White Sox had one of the best records in baseball. They won their division, then the American League championship, and finally, the 2005 World Series. This was their first World Series win since 1917!
Before the 2006 season, Williams continued to improve the team. He traded for pitcher Javier Vázquez and slugger Jim Thome. He also strengthened the team's bench players. Because of these moves, many thought the White Sox would win again in 2006. However, despite winning 90 games, they did not make the playoffs that year.
In the offseason before 2007, Williams traded Freddy García for younger players. He also signed veteran player Darin Erstad. In 2008, he traded some prospects for Nick Swisher.
In 2009, Williams acquired pitcher Jake Peavy. Some people called him a "stealth bomber" because he made big moves quietly. On August 10, 2009, he also claimed Alex Ríos from the Toronto Blue Jays.
On September 29, 2011, manager Ozzie Guillén was traded to the Miami Marlins. On October 6, 2011, Kenny Williams hired Robin Ventura as the new manager for the White Sox.
On October 26, 2012, Williams was promoted to Executive Vice President of the White Sox. This meant he oversaw all baseball operations. Rick Hahn, his assistant, became the new general manager.
On December 6, 2016, Williams oversaw a big trade. He sent star pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. In return, the White Sox received several promising young players. Williams and Hahn were later fired by the White Sox on August 22, 2023.
Personal Life
Kenny Williams lives in Naperville, Illinois. He has five children:
- TeMeka C. Williams, who is an entrepreneur.
- Dedrick Q. Williams, who used to be a scout for the White Sox.
- Kenny Williams, Jr., who played baseball at Wichita State University. He was drafted by the White Sox in 2008 and is now a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- Kyle Williams, who played as a wide receiver in American football for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was also drafted by the White Sox in 2006.
- Tyler Williams, who plays first base for a minor league team called the Kannapolis Intimidators.
Kenny also has one granddaughter. He married television journalist Zoraida Sambolin in July 2014.
