Let's be clear: It wasn't Kenny Williams who raised the white flag

I've seen some suggestions here in Chicago and around the blogosphere that it was GM Kenny Williams who decided to give up on the White Sox season with Monday night's trades of Jim Thome(notes) and Jose Contreras(notes). Some people even seem to be on the verge of calling him a quitter. But let's get something straight here: It was the White Sox players who inflicted all of the white flag-raising damage on themselves. Williams is only guilty of a mercy killing — if he in fact killed a team by shedding two veterans who were on their way out anyway.. Having gone 11-17 in August and having lost eight of their last nine, the White Sox haven been broadcasting a clear message that they no longer want to be considered a contender for the AL Central title. Yes, they still stand only six games behind the leading Tigers, but the late-summer collapse has allowed the Twins to transform their selves into another pesky hurdle. Meanwhile, Chicago's odds of making the postse...