The conversation has stretched past the boundaries of baseball, as well, mostly focusing on LaRoche’s son.
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And seeing how Chris Sale and Adam Eaton lost their minds – as if they were living inside a Facebook comments section – over the expulsion of Drake LaRoche from the clubhouse, it’s not surprising that the perturbed players didn’t want to directly talk to LaRoche about his kid.
“My first question to the club concerned my son’s ability to be a part of the team” he wrote. “After some due diligence on the club’s part, we reached an agreement”, said LaRoche. Drake LaRoche, multiple people say, was with the team about 120 games during the 2015 season.
It was against that backdrop that White Sox VP Ken Williams advised him to significantly scale back the amount time his son spent with the team in the clubhouse and then told not to bring him to the ballpark at all, LaRoche wrote. But there’s nothing wrong with the White Sox telling the now-retired first baseman that “Bring Your Child To Work Day” couldn’t be every day.
LaRoche instead chose to retire, walking away from $13 million owed this season.
White Sox owner Reinsdorf told ESPN that some players have asked to meet with him about the situation and he’s deciding a course of action.
“If we’re truly here to win a championship and come together … and win as a team, these issues don’t come up”.
We all want to spend extra time with our children. He asked members of the organization to refrain from comment as they try to return focus to winning baseball games.
“It’s time to get back into the routine of things”, he said.
The Adam LaRoche retirement story has taken an uglier turn than anyone could ever imagine. LaRoche did just that with Drake LaRoche, who, in fact, was a daily presence, even occupying a locker next to his father’s.
“This is a bigger issue than being told his son can’t be around”.
Sale said White Sox players are still “trying to find out what the truth is”, and that the situation was “extremely frustrating”. “Then he came in here and said it was the owner”, Sale said.
“We’re a steam engine going full steam ahead, and [this] kind of derailed it, ” Sale said.
In a brief response issued by the club, Williams said: “While I disagree with Chris’ assertions today, I certainly always have appreciated his passion”. Sale made a decision to hang two LaRoche jerseys up by his locker, one for his former teammate and one for young Drake, to show everyone that the team has not forgotten either of them.
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That led to discord within the organization, as Chicago’s Vice President, Ken Williams, appeared to be acting alone, rather than consulting with manager, Robin Ventura, or general manager, Rick Hahn, in bringing the news to LaRoche. “I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse”, Williams revealed. Came to the players, said it was the coaches.
