Hawk Harrelson On The Board Through 2011

Sox Machine reports that Ken "Hawk" Harrelson just got a contract extension that puts him behind the microphone on camera through the 2011 season. As much as he puts his foot in his mouth and starts feuds, he's an instantly recognizable voice that is identified with the White Sox.

There is no doubt that he roots for the team that he's employed by, but he's also a refreshing voice of honesty in a sea of milquetoast. He's not afraid to voice his opinion, even if it is against the White Sox. That's truly old school. When someone on the other team does a good job, he's not afraid to say it. The same can be said when the opposition screws up. He'll hoot and holler about the advantage to the White Sox.

The last man who spoke up against the team that employs him was Steve Stone. The Cubs canned him for not being a team player. I would love to see a television broadcast of Hawk Harrelson and Steve Stone. I enjoyed the brief team-up last year, when Darrin Jackson was out attending to his newborn child. It reminded me of what a baseball broadcast could be and should be.

Now that Steve Stone is working part time for the Sox on the radio side, it could open the possibility of a re-teaming in the near future. That would be a powerhouse combination.

As for the picture, it looks like Hawk was full of himself when he played. I could be wrong about that though. It just looks that way. I couldn't resist the image of him "hawking" hairstyling products in Playboy magazine.

The Original Hiney Bird GM

Let me first say that I don't have much of a problem with Ken Harrelson's broadcasting. He does repeat himself like a parrot and start quarrels with journalists, but he's also one of the most honest broadcasters around. If the Sox really suck, he'll say so. If the other team does something great against the Sox, he'll acknowledge and congratulate them. He's a fan of the White Sox and a fan of the game. I can live with that.

He's a better option than most Fox sportscasters who couldn't tell you the name of the 25th player on either team that was playing. No one can ever accuse Hawk Harrelson of copying anyone. He is truly an original when it comes to announcing.

He's also an original when it comes to general managing. Unfortunately, being original pretty much means that he sucks in a position of authority. His work ethic was questionable at best. You were more likely to find Harrelson on a golf course than in his office.

After a poor start to the 1986 season, he fired manager Tony LaRussa. LaRussa went on to manage World Series championships with Oakland and St. Louis. He fired assistant general manager Dave Dombrowski, who eventually became GM of the Expos. Dave moved on to the Marlins, where they won a World Series in 1997 and the Tigers, where they made a World Series appearance in 2006 against Tony LaRussa's Cardinals.

Hawk's trading was also unique and flawed. He traded away budding superstar Bobby Bonilla to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon. He traded away Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver to the Red Sox for infielder Steve "Psycho" Lyons. Hawk also traded Indiana native and fan favorite Ron Kittle to the Yankees with Joel Skinner and Wayne Tolleson for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez and Bill Linsey.

He picked up quick fix Steve Carlton on August 12, 1986, after the Giants released him. The next day he signed Craig Grebeck, which he always pointed to as a positive when confronted with his less than spectacular moves in 1986. If "Little Hurt" is your best move, you are in trouble.

The damage caused by Hawk's one year as GM, took almost four years to fix. The only highlights in the 1986 season were John Cangelosi's 50 stolen bases and Joe Cowley's no-hitter. I'd have Hawk in the broadcast booth any day, just keep him out of any type of management position with the White Sox.