The Chicago White Sox must look elsewhere for their next GM

If you have any friends that are Chicago White Sox fans, you should probably check in on them and make sure they’re okay.

It’s been a wild past 24 hours for White Sox fans.

Just a day after Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the Chicago White Sox may consider relocating to another stadium site or city, the White Sox announced that SVP/GM Rick Hahn and Executive Vice President Kenny Williams had been relieved of their duties, effective immediately.

Hahn had been a member of the White Sox organization since 2002, while Williams joined the organization in 1992 after being drafted by the team in 1982 and spending three seasons playing for them at the big league level from 1986-1988.

The Chicago White Sox fired their GM and executive VP on Tuesday.

Much like team owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s other team (the Chicago Bulls), the White Sox have largely been run by the same core of individuals for over 20 years.

All in all, it’s been over 30 years since Williams first came onto the scene with the Sox front office and 29 years since becoming Reinsdorf’s special assistant in 1994.

Reports have already surfaced that the Chicago White Sox could opt to look internally for their next General Manager, with current Assistant General Manager Chris Getz being named by Bob Nightengale as a leading candidate.

Nothing against Chris Getz, but it’s time that the nepotism and lack of accountability end for the Chicago White Sox.

This is the same organization that employs Kenny Williams’s son as one of Getz’s top minor league assistants.

And while the minor leagues have performed well in recent years thanks to a plethora of young draft picks with solid talent, they’ve done a poor job of translating that into consistent major league talent.

Firing Williams and Hahn does nothing if they choose to promote internally and limit their options. This is a team that has never in their history won a playoff series outside of the three years that they won a World Series.

Now, that’s not to say that everyone needs to be fired from the current front office. But it’s time for a complete leadership change and a cultural change in the front office.

There have been numerous reports throughout the season about discord in the current Sox front office, which gives even more reason to clean house and bring in some outside talent to lead the next inevitable rebuild.

While it’s possible that this idea may have been squashed with the departures of Williams and Hahn, keeping the current internal brass would partly be keeping the same history and mentality.

Most, if not all, of the current front office has been under Williams and Hahn their entire time there.

They’re essentially a season away from a total rebuild and complete failure of a seven-year rebuild.

In baseball, you don’t get second chances. Well, you shouldn’t at least.