This has to be the strangest reason for a retirement in baseball history.
White Sox DH Adam LaRoche unexpectedly retired from baseball earlier this week, citing a "personal" family matter. No reporters knew what had happened to cause the retirement. They heard that players, including Todd Frazier, spoke to LaRoche for about an hour trying to convince him to change his mind.
No one passed judgment on LaRoche's decision. Most assumed there was a family matter that needed his attention; putting family first.
More details have started to come forward.
MLB Trade Rumors reported that some of the impetus behind LaRoche's decision to retire appears to be the White Sox’ request that he bring
his son into the clubhouse less frequently, Dejan Kovacevic of
DKPittsburghSports.com reported. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that LaRoche retired because his son wouldn’t be allowed in the clubhouse at all, but club president Kenny Williams clarified to Rosenthal that he only requested LaRoche reduce the frequency of the practice.
Meanwhile, Williams also spoke to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin,
leaving Merkin with the impression that LaRoche has signed his
retirement papers but that they’ve yet to be filed with the league. MLBTR previously reported that the veteran first baseman/DH was going to wait at least a few days before formalizing the decision.
In his comments to Merkin, Williams made clear that the request was
“not even close to being personal,” noting that he respects LaRoche as a
man and as a father. The executive also emphasized in his statement to
Rosenthal that his request was not due to any direct concerns about
LaRoche’s son. He explained that “there has been no policy change
with regards to allowance of kids in the clubhouse, on the field, the
back fields during spring training.”
Instead, per Williams, he told LaRoche: “Listen, our focus, our
interest, our desire this year is to make sure we give ourselves every
opportunity to focus on a daily basis on getting better. All I’m asking
you to do with regard to bringing your kid to the ballpark is dial it
back.” Williams went on to tell Rosenthal: “We all think his
kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s
all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to
work every day?”
LaRoche is walking away from $13 million contract. That seems to be a high cost for an alleged disagreement over team clubhouse rules involving children. Every employer has a right to maintain reasonable rules and procedures in the work place. A baseball team is in the business of playing baseball. Part of the preparation of playing professional ball is training. Spring training is a necessary step to get players back into playing shape, mentally and physically, and to determine who will be on the major league roster.
So long as the White Sox evenly enforce their clubhouse rules, LaRoche does not have a grievance. Having non-baseball personnel, including children, sponsors, broadcasters or team executives and owners milling about the clubhouse, can be a real distraction.
The only open question is why LaRoche felt that he wanted to have his child at the ball park every day during spring training.
Some may speculate that LaRoche, who has had nagging injuries including back spasms, may have used this issue as a reason to retire instead of trying to struggle through another poor season at DH, a position he does not like to play.
UPDATE: It appears LaRoche has his teenage son around him almost 100 percent of the time in at least the past three full seasons. LaRoche said in a Washington Post interview in 2011 that he likes to have his son and "best friend" around him all the time. LaRoche's son was always around the Nationals locker room and traveled on the road. When LaRoche came to the White Sox in 2015, this arrangement continued on, even though it was not specified in his player contract. His agent says that there was a "verbal" agreement with Ventura or GM Rich Hahn but that has not been confirmed by the team. But Drake LaRoche was around the White Sox all of last season.
Williams, as President, is not part of the day to day operations of the team. He rarely travels with the team. He is not in the locker room every day. He said he was not aware of the situation. He had a "passionate" meeting with players this week who used a tirade of f-bombs directed toward Williams and management for LaRoche's retirement. Chris Sale was vocal about having the kid around. He told Williams to get out of the locker and don't come back.
Now, players often police their own locker room and player conduct. But there are limits. Managers are supposed to set policies and arbitrate disputes in order to have professional and focused environment.
Several White Sox players threatened to boycott an exhibition game (with paid fans in the stands). They relented after Ventura asked them to do it for him. But this begs a bigger issue: does Ventura have any real control over his team? He may be a player's manager, but there has to be some form of discipline and responsibility on the players.
If the White Sox players did boycott a game in protest, in a normal work place they would have been terminated from their jobs. But professional sports is different. Management could have been well within in its rights to say to players who refused to play "OK, we are trading you to the hell hole that is the Marlins organization."
The one thing that the players gloss over in this situation is the fact that LaRoche "quit" the team and his teammates over a non-baseball issue. If LaRouche thinks spending time with his son is more important than a $13 million contract or a championship season playing ball, then that is his personal decision. But the White Sox have a right to make reasonable work place rules and not having your teenager in the clubhouse 100 percent of the time seems reasonable.
Beat reporters have commented that professional sport locker rooms are no place for teenagers. There is a lot of stuff that goes on that is not "family friendly."
A few people have asked the question why was not LaRoche's son in school? LaRoche has said that he is "not big on education." He has an "arrangement" with his rural Kansas school district to allow his son to be with him during spring training and the season. He does homework "when they have time." He goes to a private tutor in the off-season. He takes standardized tests. But many have said that is a highly unusual set up because child performers are required by law to have several hours of classroom time on the set each day. Also, what is the point? If the child wants to be a professional ball player, he should be in school playing on an actual youth team than hanging around with major leaguers.
This story seems to have fractured the players from management. Whether that makes the team play better as a united front is problematic.
UPDATE #2:
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has attempted to end the controversy by concluding his "investigation," tellign the world it was only a miscommunication, that he backs his management team, but tells his employees (which would apparently include the players) to speak no more about it.
Reinsdorf's statement:
“I have taken the past few days to personally meet with everyone
involved, including Adam LaRoche, members of our front office, uniformed
staff and some of our active players. I continue to have nothing but
the greatest regard for Adam — in fact, my respect for him has grown
during this process — and I applaud his desire to spend more time with
his family.
I continue to have complete faith in the skills and abilities of
the leadership group of our baseball operations department in Ken
Williams, Rick Hahn and Robin Ventura. I also appreciate the passion and
commitment to one another shown by our players, Robin, our coaching
staff and our front office. As with many things in life, much of this
was a result of miscommunication and misunderstanding rather than this
being a case of anyone not telling the truth. I do not believe there is
anyone to directly blame in this situation. While there is no doubt
this might have been handled differently, the fact remains that this is
an internal matter that we have discussed and now resolved.
Per my request, White Sox employees will no longer discuss this
matter publicly. I felt it was appropriate to release this statement to
close the issue for everyone in the organization — from the front office
to the players in the clubhouse — so we can focus on Opening Day and
winning baseball games for our fans. I am fully confident this matter
will soon be behind us and that we will grow even stronger and more
united as a team and as an organization.”
Here is the problem with Reinsdorf's investigation and statement: it
gives no facts to settle the controversy. What were the alleged
"miscommunications?" And why does he side with management (other than
being the general partner for ownership)? Was there any "agreement" with LaRoche to have his son with the team on a full time basis? If there was, why was it not honored? Was there a change in circumstances?
All this leaves is an impression that the White Sox management was "more" right than LaRoche having been "wronged." It does not settle the bitter feelings among certain Sox players, including Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.
The only thing that can sweep this story under the rug is LaRoche's replacement this season batting more than .207 and hitting more than 12 HRs.
