Watch CBS News

Cowley: Sox Failure Stems From Missed Drafts

(WSCR) The White Sox farm system is one of the most depleted systems in all of baseball.

They key way to bolster talent in a farm system is through the draft -- something the White Sox have struggled with in recent years.

"When they fired Duane Shaffer for all the first-round busts, Ken Williams stepped in and said he was going to have more of an input on the draft, especially on the first round," Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Time told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. "His first-round draft (pick) was Aaron Poreda. Where is he now? You gotta hit on these first-round guys. I know it's tougher in baseball, but you can't miss year in and year out."

LISTEN: Joe Cowley on The McNeil and Spiegel Show

Podcast

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

With such low expectations heading into the 2012 season, Cowley said there is nothing the White Sox can say or do to boost fan morale until the season starts.

"It's all about wins," he said. "It's all about the product on the field winning, at this point. There's nothing Kenny could say, there's nothing Robin (Ventura) could say. This is a fan base that is pretty disgruntled. This is a fan base that, I think, in a certain way, feels lied to. I think this is a fan base that, the product they were promised after the 2005 season from the mouth of the general manager that they would be a dynasty, that they were going to be the team that puts their foot on the throat of the division year in and year out, hasn't come to fruition. I think this is a fan base that deserves a GM to stand up and say, 'Look, I've messed up. I've made some really bad mistakes, but let me be the man to fix these mistakes.'"

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.