Adam LaRoche retires

[Squirrel]

 

Now I'm dreaming about Chris Sale demanding a trade out of the division.

 

Or how about: Nolasco for Sale? Both seem like change of scenery-type guys now.

Um, isn't that what I said?

[Squirrel]

 

 

Hey, not sure anyone has thought about this, but how about Sale for Nolasco?

Um, isn't that what I said?

[Squirrel]

This couldn't have been a written clause in LaRoche's contract or Kenny Williams wouldn't have/couldn't have handled it in this manner. I think it was a verbal agreement gone awry, misunderstood, or larger in scope than thought.

[Craig Arko]

There seems to be an echo in here.

[biggentleben]

 

This couldn't have been a written clause in LaRoche's contract or Kenny Williams wouldn't have/couldn't have handled it in this manner. I think it was a verbal agreement gone awry, misunderstood, or larger in scope than thought.

 

He could have. LaRoche made the choice to retire rather than fight back. He would have had grounds to fight back if it's written,and he may not have realized that.

[Vanimal46]

 

There seems to be an echo in here.

The acoustics in here are incredible!

HELLO-hello-ello-llo-lo-o

[Craig Arko]

The acoustics in here are incredible!

HELLO-hello-ello-llo-lo-o

Almost like Notre Dame Cathedral.

[dgwills]

Rumor has it that the White Sox are going to be removing the cotton candy maker as well. Sale likely to demand a trade. 

What a bunch of clowns.

[biggentleben]

 

Rumor has it that the White Sox are going to be removing the cotton candy maker as well. Sale likely to demand a trade. 

What a bunch of clowns.

 

Clown move, bro.

 

Please don't choke me!

[Blake]

"Though I clearly indicated to both teams the importance of having my son with me, I also made clear that if there was ever a moment when a teammate, coach or manager was made to feel uncomfortable, then I would immediately address it. I realize that this is their office and their career, and it would not be fair to the team if anybody in the clubhouse was unhappy with the situation. Fortunately, that problem never developed. I'm not going to speak about my son Drake's behavior, his manners, and the quality of person that he is, because everyone knows that I am biased. All of the statements from my teammates, past and present, should say enough. Those comments from all of the people who have interacted with Drake are a testimony to how he carries himself."...

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Excerpt of statement by Adam LaRoche. Seems like a stand up guy. It also sounds like Kenny Williams pulled a bush-league move and went back on a prior agreement.

 

The rest here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/168042974/adam-laroche-makes-statement

[Squirrel]

 

"Though I clearly indicated to both teams the importance of having my son with me, I also made clear that if there was ever a moment when a teammate, coach or manager was made to feel uncomfortable, then I would immediately address it. I realize that this is their office and their career, and it would not be fair to the team if anybody in the clubhouse was unhappy with the situation. Fortunately, that problem never developed. I'm not going to speak about my son Drake's behavior, his manners, and the quality of person that he is, because everyone knows that I am biased. All of the statements from my teammates, past and present, should say enough. Those comments from all of the people who have interacted with Drake are a testimony to how he carries himself."...

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Excerpt of statement by Adam LaRoche. Seems like a stand up guy. It also sounds like Kenny Williams pulled a bush-league move and went back on a prior agreement.

 

The rest here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/168042974/adam-laroche-makes-statement

But ... wouldn't it seem that that's what Kenny Williams was doing? Addressing a concern by asking LaRoche to have him be around less? LaRoche took the stance 'all or nothing' and quit. And good for him if that's what he needs to do for his family. I don't think the Sox did anything wrong here. And I don't think Adam LaRoche did either. If there was an agreement, I think it was a handshake agreement or it would have been handled differently. If it were in his contract in writing, I think you'd have to go through the player's agent at the very least.

[Blake]

 

But ... wouldn't it seem that that's what Kenny Williams was doing? Addressing a concern by asking LaRoche to have him be around less? LaRoche took the stance 'all or nothing' and quit. And good for him if that's what he needs to do for his family. I don't think the Sox did anything wrong here. And I don't think Adam LaRoche did either. If there was an agreement, I think it was a handshake agreement or it would have been handled differently. If it were in his contract in writing, I think you'd have to go through the player's agent at the very least.

Did you read the rest of the statement at the link? According to LaRoche, it went from "Don't bring your kid around as much"  to "don't bring him around at all."

__________________________________________________

 

Here is what I'm referring to; "With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after White Sox VP Ken Williams recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox."

_________________________________________________

 

Again, before signing with the Sox, LaRoche did his due diligence. Then Williams changed the terms of the original agreement, twice.

 

LaRoche's teammates are standing by him and being rather vocal about the situation. That, in and of itself, doesn't speak well of the way Kenny Williams handled things.

 

Anyway, it doesn't appear that Adam is upset too much. Rather, it sounds like LaRoche realizes it's time to move on.

 

 

[Dman]

While I understand the Sox management dilemma of having a kid there everyday it looks like there may be greater blow back if they go back on their word so to speak.  The players seem firmly behind LaRoche on this issue.  You lose the trust of your players and I sense many trades in the White Sox future.

 

IMO if there was an agreement, even a verbal agreement they need to honor that.  Call it a one time deal.  Say you will never do it again but honor the agreement you made or pay the price.  If they lose the clubhouse they will lose the season as well.

[Pardon My Dinger]

 

The players seem firmly behind LaRoche on this issue. 

Not buying that one bit. I think Williams is the sacrificial lamb in this situation. I bet everyone got tired of having a child around all the time, and no one wanted to hurt feelings. 

 

Also, from what I read, Sale blew up over this, but that seems to be way more about Williams and Sale's opinion that he's out of touch with the players. This just gave him a reason to start yelling and throwing things around. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

"Though I clearly indicated to both teams the importance of having my son with me, I also made clear that if there was ever a moment when a teammate, coach or manager was made to feel uncomfortable, then I would immediately address it. I realize that this is their office and their career, and it would not be fair to the team if anybody in the clubhouse was unhappy with the situation. Fortunately, that problem never developed. I'm not going to speak about my son Drake's behavior, his manners, and the quality of person that he is, because everyone knows that I am biased. All of the statements from my teammates, past and present, should say enough. Those comments from all of the people who have interacted with Drake are a testimony to how he carries himself."...

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Excerpt of statement by Adam LaRoche. Seems like a stand up guy. It also sounds like Kenny Williams pulled a bush-league move and went back on a prior agreement.

 

The rest here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/168042974/adam-laroche-makes-statement

What LaRoche doesn't seem to understand is, if someone has a problem with the situation, it's not up to him to talk to that person and tell him how great his son is as a way to "address" it. Can you imagine if you had a problem with a coworker's special work arrangements, and you went to your boss, and he made sit in a room and tell your coworker face to face? I'm sure LaRoche, Sale, and his athlete buddies think that's how "real men" should deal with it, but that's not how you resolve issues in the workplace in real life.

 

Given that, it wouldn't surprise me if LaRoche didn't grasp some of the nuance of their verbal agreement about the situation either.

[Otto von Ballpark]

LaRoche's teammates are standing by him and being rather vocal about the situation. That, in and of itself, doesn't speak well of the way Kenny Williams handled things.

 

The players seem firmly behind LaRoche on this issue.

Nope. LaRoche's buddies Sale and Eaton are vocally behind him, but that's about it. Note how most of the team has stayed silent. They didn't necessarily want LaRoche to retire over it, but I suspect most don't really give a hoot about preserving his special privileges. The MLBPA will look into it on LaRoche's behalf of course, although if it's not part of the written contract there is not much that can be done.

[h2oface]

 

I have colleagues with great kids, but I wouldn't want them underfoot 100% of the time. Not really sure what the correct response would be over this, but I can't imagine Williams asking for a little bit less if not for some reason that came up.

 That's exactly what I thought when I read about this. But if he was assured that it was OK when he signed, even if just verbal, then I think you can change the rules but La Roche is grandfathered. If you are not good for your word, you are dirt, anyway. I think it is weird to want the kid around all the time to begin with. I have heard of "helicopter parents" but this is a first for a "helicopter kid". And at 14, it might be a good time to dial it back a bit anyway. Let the kid be a kid.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Let the kid be a kid.

 

But a professional baseball locker room is SUCH a better teacher of what the real world is about!  

[nicksaviking]

Um, isn't that what I said?

I steal all my best ideas.

[Shaitan]

I predict Sale is traded to KC for Duensing by morning.

[David HK]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/18/white-sox-ace-chris-sale-accuses-vp-of-lying-about-adam-laroches-son

The White Sox meltdown has become international news.  Caught this on the Guardian this morning in HK.  

Wow.  They could have handled this situation one heck of a lot better.  This is something that could fester all season long, and pull a club apart.  Now it's not about kids being in the locker room anymore, but about a lack of trust throughout the upper echelons.  Whew...

[jimmer]

Well, Chris Sale will be leaving as soon as possible. Hard to believe he'll want to stay there now.  Of course, he has no choice till after the 2019 season.

[Riverbrian]

This is such a bizarre story.

 

1. Although... I won't judge Adam LaRoche. The Kid should be in school getting picked on by High School Seniors. 

 

2. Kenny Williams must be an ass. The reaction is too extreme for him to be well thought of. It may taint Future Free Agents in the future. At least I hope it does

 

3. If there was an agreement prior to LaRoche signing a contract with the team. That should be honored.

 

4. I don't agree this is a typical kids in the workplace discussion. This is not a typical workplace. Kids hanging around the clubhouse as been going on for a long time. I hope it never changes. 

 

5. Refusing 13 million dollars. Williams must have originally laughed at that until Chris Sale changed the tone dramatically. 

 

This is a bizarre story

[Hrbowski]

 

I'm sorry, but in the end, it should be what's best for the team and not what's best for Adam LaRoche and his son. If he wants to quit over that, that's his choice based on his priorities. And if Williams wants to let him quit because it's better for the Sox over all, then so be it. It's a business and the Sox do not need to run their business with consideration to a 14 yr olds life education. And if teammates are uncomfortable going about their business and speaking their minds in the clubhouse or wherever because someone's kid is around, I think that should trump any personal arguments LaRoche has for his son being with him 100% of the time. It's not about what kind of life lessons Drake will learn in the locker room, it's about how players feel having him around. If they are uncomfortable with that, then LaRoche is not a good teammate to not consider that. Yes, I get why he would choose his son over the team, and he's done that. His choice, good for him. But I don't think the White Sox are the 'bad guys' here one iota.

Apparently the White Sox don't think it was best for them. Williams is a jerk and LaRoche did the right thing.

[Hrbowski]

 

Right, and quality stuff that kid will learn, especially if it's anything like most locker rooms:

 

http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/03/16/st-louis-cardinals-tyler-dunnington-quit-homophobic-comments

 

Just about every positive thing you could learn in a MLB locker room can be learned in a HS locker room. However there at least seems to be a concerted effort to teach the younger generations that the bad things that take place in locker rooms are something to be ashamed of, i.e. hazing, homophobia, exclusiveness, bullying, feelings of entitlement.

So instead you want him hanging out on the internet while Dad is on the road, and learning the same stuff anyways.

[Willihammer]

 

“The timing of it, no matter where you put it, I don’t think it would have been any better if it had been the first day of spring,” he said. As for his players, he said, “One thing for sure is that they’re together, 100 percent.”

So all the latin players, the young guys, the NRI's fighting for a roster spot, are all tweeting their support too?

[Squirrel]

 

Apparently the White Sox don't think it was best for them. Williams is a jerk and LaRoche did the right thing.

I don't doubt that Williams handling of this could have been better. And I don't disagree that Williams can be a jerk, based on my one run in with him. But there is a lot we don't know. What exactly was agreed to in respect to LaRoche and his son? Was this a legitimate, legal contractual issue, or was it a 'gentleman's agreement?' Initially the reports were that it was something that LaRoche and Ventura agreed to prior to his signing, but was it something his agent outlined to the FO? If Williams felt that it wouldn't be an issue to ask him to dial it back a bit, then something was misunderstood when this was agreed upon. However, if this was some calculated ploy by Williams and the FO to get Adam LaRoche to walk? Hmmm ... that's more than being a jerk. And that could land them and Williams in a bit of hot water. Again ... we don't know all the details here.

 

My other question ... why now? The timing of this is really strange, imo. Did the coaching staff notice something they felt was distracting for LaRoche having his son there so that he wasn't getting things done? Distracting for other players in getting their work done? Were there health issues (bad back) to were holding LaRoche back? Why is this an issue now and not all last year?

 

And LaRoche leaving ... completely his choice. I don't place a right or wrong on this. He made the choice he felt best for him and his family ... good for him. And Williams made a decision that was best for his team. So be it. 

 

Chris Sale ... wtf? I mean he seemed to go all meltdown and start spewing about Williams? There has to be a back story in that somewhere. For now Reinsdorf has put a moratorium on players speaking to the press until this can be investigated. That's a just wow for me.

 

Kids in the workplace. Whatever. I, personally, think it's not a good idea to have your kids with you at ALL times. Yeah, kids have always been around, and I don't think that's a problem. Most teams have family time built in ... space for families to be there, etc. But having your kid with you at all times ... on the field during practice, in the dugout, in the locker room ... I do think a line needs to be drawn. Having a colleague's kid around would be distracting for me ... IS distracting when it does happen from time to time. While it's fine for LaRoche to choose his family over work, when you are part of a team, I don't think it's fine to expect your colleagues to put your kids over their ability to get their best work done.

[jimmer]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/15007382/mlb-statement-adam-laroche

 

'Prior to signing with the White Sox, my first question to the club concerned my son's ability to be a part of the team. After some due diligence on the club's part, we reached an agreement. The 2015 season presented no problems as far as Drake was concerned. (My bat and our record are another story!)

 

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after White Sox VP Ken Williams recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all.'

 

 

 

[Squirrel]

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/15007382/mlb-statement-adam-laroche

 

'Prior to signing with the White Sox, my first question to the club concerned my son's ability to be a part of the team. After some due diligence on the club's part, we reached an agreement. The 2015 season presented no problems as far as Drake was concerned. (My bat and our record are another story!)

 

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after White Sox VP Ken Williams recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all.'

Yes, I read all that, all from Adam LaRoche's pov ... but I still question what 'due diligence' was done? Was the scope of his presence discussed seriously and completely understood? And maybe at the time they thought 'No problem' but there obviously was one. Again, as I've said, the handling of this has me question this event a lot. Did it become a problem with some players, who have remained silent, and this was Williams' attempt to address them? Was this the White Sox's way of 'getting rid' of LaRoche and his contract? Why the vitriol from Chris Sale? <shrug>

 

In the end ... LaRoche chose to walk away rather than fight. If he was completely in the right, and had the contract to back it up, why walk away completely? Yeah, okay, he didn't want to play for the White Sox after that. But he could have used legal means to address the breach, if there truly was one.

 

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

 

Again ... a lot of questions.

[Otto von Ballpark]

So instead you want him hanging out on the internet while Dad is on the road, and learning the same stuff anyways.

He could hang out here at Twins Daily.