The White Sox are cleaning house in their front office after two straight disappointing seasons.
The team announced Tuesday night that executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn were fired, effective immediately.
The White Sox, after going 93-69 and winning the American League Central three years ago, finished .500 in 2022 and are 49-76 heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision for me to make because they are both talented individuals with long-term relationships with the White Sox,” owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Ken is like a son to me and I will always consider him a member of the family. I want to personally thank Ken and Rick for all they have done for the Chicago White Sox, winning the World Series in 2005 and reaching the postseason multiple times during their tenure. I have nothing but the greatest respect for them as people and appreciate the commitment and passion for the White Sox they exhibited over the years.
“Ultimately, the well-worn cliché that professional sports is results-oriented is correct. While we have enjoyed successes as an organization and were optimistic heading into the competitive window of this rebuild, this year has proven to be very disappointing for us all on many levels. This has led me to the conclusion that the best decision for the organization moving forward is to make a change in our baseball department leadership.”
Williams was general manager from 2000-12 before he was promoted to executive VP.
The White Sox reached the postseason five times during his tenure.
Hahn joined the organization in 2002 as an assistant general manager and was promoted to GM in 2012.
Both played key roles in building the White Sox team that won the World Series in 2005.
But more recently, there have also been accusations raised by former White Sox players about the culture around the team, including from current Yankees pitcher Keynan Middleton.
“You have rookies sleeping in the bullpen during the game. You have guys missing meetings,” Middleton said. “There are no consequences for any of this stuff.”
Former White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn backed him up saying on the “Foul Territory” podcast the Middleton was not wrong, though Hahn and manager Pedro Grifol pushed back against those claims.
The organization clearly felt it was time for new leaders, though Grifol’s job is expected to be safe for next season, per USA Today.
The statement also said the organization would begin a search for a single decision-maker to lead the baseball operations department and anticipate having that person in place by the end of the season.
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