Thems Fightin' Words

A horde of unruly fans came out in full force at the first day of SoxFest '08. They were patiently waiting for Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen to take the stand for the annual Q&A session.

Before any of that could happen, Ed Farmer and two fans got into a shouting match for the first 15 minutes. The 30 minute session turned into a 65 minute showdown between the Sox and their fans. Farmio shouted that the Angels overpaid for Torii Hunter and that the Giants gave Aaron Rowand too long of a contract.

While Ed Farmer melted down, Kenny Williams seemed prepared for everything. He focused on individuals that will fit the club, rather than on options that didn't make sense.

"I will take a risk on a high-ceiling players and jeopardize my reputation if I think that player fits into the equation and leads us to a championship if things go the way we think they will," Williams said in a five minute answer. The crowd amazingly turned from ugly to peaceful. Cheers started to break the silence. Kenny Williams had won the crowd over.

"I don't care about Torii Hunter," Williams said after Farmio pulled out his best Ozzie rant impression. "He's a great guy. I love him as a person, but I prefer to talk about what we have, not who's not here."

Kenny reiterated that the bullpen has improved significantly and was more balanced. All of this is essentially true. The facts are there. The Angels probably did overpay on Hunter. The Giants maybe should have only offered four years on Rowand. Kenny does usually go with the player that will fit the club the best. If Kenny can turn this crowd around, I have hope for the 2008 season.