Adam LaRoche retires

[TheTruth05]

How come Kenny never mentioned safety to the press? How come this wasn't addressed last season? How come they gave the kid a locker and uniform during spring training this season? How come this wasn't address for a couple weeks this spring? How come it was still OK to do it, just not as much?

 

I think the answer is because it is BS.

 

Why spill all the beans to the media when the Sox already won? They unloaded AL and regained his $13 mil. I agree this was handled pretty badly through a PR standpoint but you've even said it yourself, in a week almost no one will be talking about this. Especially if this team starts winning, this is going to be a footnote in the 2016 season if the Sox contend. Why bury a player and keep a war of words going through the media? Kenny has no problem looking like a villain, he knows he already won, even if things look bleak with the "clubhouse issues" now, they are saying they are as united as ever, and if they aren't, then they aren't mentally tough to grind out a season anyway. Just because the kid had a locker in the clubhouse doesn't mean he should be taking normal drills and BP like he's an actual player, no other player/team does this as much as LaRoche/White Sox did.

[shago]

Adam La Roche appears to not be very bright.

Yes. He walked away from a guaranteed $13mm to sit on a bench for 6 months....

[Dick Allen]

Why spill all the beans to the media when the Sox already won? They unloaded AL and regained his $13 mil. I agree this was handled pretty badly through a PR standpoint but you've even said it yourself, in a week almost no one will be talking about this. Especially if this team starts winning, this is going to be a footnote in the 2016 season if the Sox contend. Why bury a player and keep a war of words going through the media? Kenny has no problem looking like a villain, he knows he already won, even if things look bleak with the "clubhouse issues" now, they are saying they are as united as ever, and if they aren't, then they aren't mentally tough to grind out a season anyway. Just because the kid had a locker in the clubhouse doesn't mean he should be taking normal drills and BP like he's an actual player, no other player/team does this as much as LaRoche/White Sox did.

I just don't want to read how much of an ass LaRoche is for expecting the White Sox to live up to their end of an agreement. And then coming up with stories like safety issue, which could be a legit issue, but make no sense considering the White Sox never addressed the issue, KW apparently never mentioned safety to the players. Sale never mentioned KW said safety, he just said players complained, then changed it to coaches complained, then changed it to ownership complained.

 

If you had a plumbing issue and needed a plumber, called around and got prices, and the job turned out exactly as you described, which I think this situation is as Drake was around in Washington and the Sox vetted it out, and you hired the guy who quoted the cheapest price, but when he gave you the invoice it became the most expensive, would you be understanding because "things change"?

Edited March 19, 2016 by Dick Allen

[caulfield12]

Why isn't there a single non-white player or coach on the side of LaRoche, inside or outside the White Sox organization?

 

That's very telling.

 

Hahn/Ventura/Sale/Eaton/Shark/Duke/Lawrie/Harper/Boyer=good

 

KW/Rollins/Avila=evil

 

 

Obviously it's not that simple, but imagine KW was to be fired. What free agent would want to sign with the White Sox, knowing that Sale and Eaton were basically running the club and dictating policy?

 

If someone like Rodon, Abreu, Jackson or Navarro said that KW was completely wrong...then I might start to think pitchforks are in order, but everything must be much more complicated than it appears in terms of the real/true opinions of the majority of the rest of the team, especially players added this past offseason.

 

 

[Dick Allen]

Why isn't there a single non-white player or coach on the side of LaRoche, inside or outside the White Sox organization?

 

That's very telling.

 

Hahn/Ventura/Sale/Eaton/Shark/Duke/Lawrie/Harper/Boyer=good

 

KW/Rollins/Avila=evil

 

 

Obviously it's not that simple, but imagine KW was to be fired. What free agent would want to sign with the White Sox, knowing that Sale and Eaton were basically running the club and dictating policy?

 

If someone like Rodon, Abreu, Jackson or Navarro said that KW was completely wrong...then I might start to think pitchforks are in order, but everything must be much more complicated than it appears in terms of the real/true opinions of the majority of the rest of the team, especially players added this past offseason.

 

The only thing I have seen with Avila is he being a passenger in a golf cart with Drake driving and Avila's arm around him. What did he do?

 

[caulfield12]

I thought it was intimated or put out there that he had gone to KW, although I guess that has yet to be backed up by any real evidence...and obviously won't be now.

 

The closest we have is the naming of Rollins at some point in this process.

 

What was it that Todd Frazier said again?

Edited March 19, 2016 by caulfield12

[Dick Allen]

Say ultimately it comes out that a player or players complained. Would it be better for the team to have them admit it to the guys who are upset about this or remain anonymous?

[LDF]

What was different from last year to this year, other than player performance?

 

It's convenient to develop some of these anecdotes to paint management in a better light.

 

As much as LaRoche is just a weird guy raising his kid in an unconventional way, that's not really the point. This is about relationships and what was promised when he was signed. If in spring training 2015, they saw things that they didn't like such as Drake being in harms way, then that shouldn't have happened this year. Where are the rules and expectations PRIOR to spring training?

 

It's going to be interesting to see what happens today and over the next 6 months. In my opinion, the only guy that really wants Kenny Williams there is Jerry Reinsdorf.

It states the White Sox agreed to Drake being around as much as LaRoche wished. It states KW did tell him there was zero access.

 

KW could ask him to "dial it back" but if he had an agreement and didn't want to "dial it back" whether you think it is the right thing to do or not, it doesn't matter, he shouldn't have to "dial it back". The White Sox should be held to their agreement.

 

LaRoche said the White Sox did their due diligence when he made this request. That totally lines up with what Rick Hahn said at Soxfest 2015.

 

I just hope for those who go by "things change", you don't get a job someday where there is no contract, agree to a certain salary and when you get your first check the numbers don't add up. That happened to me many years ago. Believe me, things change won't fit the narrative when you are the one who was lied to.

 

The BS about his being on the field and getting hurt doesn't add up. He has been there over a year. If that was such a concern why wouldn't they have addressed this sooner instead of coming back to spring training giving him his own locker and uniform? I will hang up and listen for my answer.

 

i can see both of these post pov, but this is simple black and white issue. a single player vs management. what it evolve was a knee jerk reaction from 1 player. this reminds me of a person who has a problem with a person, (sale) and was waiting in the weeds for any situation to develop. he was letting something that happen in the past and has been dwelling on ever since. then this incident happen, and he reacted. the other person who is weak minded and is a "follow the leader" jumped into the fray. now all the subsequent tweets is nothing more of them just making the usual weak attempt to deflect any criticism from themselves and direct it to the management team of the Sox.

 

again, think about this, if AL had ANY legal leg to stand on, why wasn't his lawyers, his agent and esp the union lawyers not involve???

 

this is as close to a "Straw-man" case as i ever seen ..... on sale pov.

Edited March 19, 2016 by LDF

[LDF]

I just don't want to read how much of an ass LaRoche is for expecting the White Sox to live up to their end of an agreement. And then coming up with stories like safety issue, which could be a legit issue, but make no sense considering the White Sox never addressed the issue, KW apparently never mentioned safety to the players. Sale never mentioned KW said safety, he just said players complained, then changed it to coaches complained, then changed it to ownership complained.

 

If you had a plumbing issue and needed a plumber, called around and got prices, and the job turned out exactly as you described, which I think this situation is as Drake was around in Washington and the Sox vetted it out, and you hired the guy who quoted the cheapest price, but when he gave you the invoice it became the most expensive, would you be understanding because "things change"?

 

the sox has .....

 

i will counter you example by this, so by your statement, AL son has an agreement to have access to the sox faculty, that included the managers office, filing cabinets, phones, and even the higher offices ..... is this a problem???

[LDF]

Why isn't there a single non-white player or coach on the side of LaRoche, inside or outside the White Sox organization?

 

That's very telling.

 

Hahn/Ventura/Sale/Eaton/Shark/Duke/Lawrie/Harper/Boyer=good

 

KW/Rollins/Avila=evil

 

 

Obviously it's not that simple, but imagine KW was to be fired. What free agent would want to sign with the White Sox, knowing that Sale and Eaton were basically running the club and dictating policy?

 

If someone like Rodon, Abreu, Jackson or Navarro said that KW was completely wrong...then I might start to think pitchforks are in order, but everything must be much more complicated than it appears in terms of the real/true opinions of the majority of the rest of the team, especially players added this past offseason.

 

i think the "no fa will sign with the sox" statement is a fallacy of some. i really think outside the sox org on the player side, many are prob scratching their head and saying what the f*** is sale and eaton doing???

[shago]

Think Drake failed a PED test....

[TheTruth05]

Say ultimately it comes out that a player or players complained. Would it be better for the team to have them admit it to the guys who are upset about this or remain anonymous?

 

This is why I don't think Kenny cares about defending himself to the public eye, say what you want about him but him taking the bullet by himself is better than the players feuding amongst themselves and rupture in the clubhouse. Kenny probably told the guys who complained to vehemently support LaRoche to the media and teammates and let him take the fall.

[LDF]

Say ultimately it comes out that a player or players complained. Would it be better for the team to have them admit it to the guys who are upset about this or remain anonymous?

 

and that is the crux of this whole thing, in order to avoid that incident, sox management took it upon themselves to be the bad guy in this.

[flavum]

Eaton is supposed to be on the Score in 30 minutes. Let's see if that actually happens.

[Lillian]

It's getting harder, and harder, for me to be able to relate to these modern prima donna professional athletes. One would think that I guy like La Roche, who claims

to be so morally conscious, would not only behave differently, but have a different perspective. After the year he had, and the money he made, you would think that

he would be embarrassed and ashamed to ask for any special privileges, at all!!!

 

When K. W asked him to "dial it back," he could have said. Of course, I understand, and I appreciate that I have this special privilege. I'm sorry that I haven't lived up to the expectations that the organization had for me, and I hope to be make some of that up to the White Sox, this season. Or, better yet; You know I certainly didn't earn any of that $12.5 million you paid me last year, and I feel that I owe the team something. Since it's unlikely that I could play well enough, and contribute enough, this

season, to justify another year's significant financial cost to the organization, please accept my resignation. Maybe you can use the money to acquire a player who could actually earn it.

 

These guys live in a very strange world, indeed. That just makes La Roche's view about the great "life lessons to be learned in Major League clubhouse," for his teenaged son, all the more foolish. In fact, he himself is the product of having grown up in that environment, and it didn't seem to help him to understand the real world, did it?

[Dick Allen]

the sox has .....

 

i will counter you example by this, so by your statement, AL son has an agreement to have access to the sox faculty, that included the managers office, filing cabinets, phones, and even the higher offices ..... is this a problem???

A deal is a deal. There are things in all of our lives where we were beneficiaries of great deals, and some where all of us have been on the short end. That's life, the White Sox wanted Adam LaRoche on their team. In order to get him to agree to sign, they had to agree to grant his son access. The White Sox checked into it. He had the same arraignment in Washimgton, and Rizzo didn't lose his mind. They agreed to allow him the access so LaRoche signed with the Sox. Now LaRoche didn't play well so apparently to some, agreements made and word given, are then eligible to be broken. I disagree. They were 2 weeks away from being done with spring training, and he supposedly was at 120 games last year so 40 about KW's new magic number. You deal with it, and then change the rule.

[Middle Buffalo]

Nobody has posted in the Cubs catch-all since this story broke.

[LDF]

It's getting harder, and harder, for me to be able to relate to these modern prima donna professional athletes. One would think that I guy like La Roche, who claims

to be so morally conscious, would not only behave differently, but have a different perspective. After the year he had, and the money he made, you would think that

he would be embarrassed and ashamed to ask for any special privileges, at all!!!

 

When K. W asked him to "dial it back," he could have said. Of course, I understand, and I appreciate that I have this special privilege. I'm sorry that I haven't lived up to the expectations that the organization had for me, and I hope to be make some of that up to the White Sox, this season. Or, better yet; You know I certainly didn't earn any of that $12.5 million you paid me last year, and I feel that I owe the team something. Since it's unlikely that I could play well enough, and contribute enough, this

season, to justify another year's significant financial cost to the organization, please accept my resignation. Maybe you can use the money to acquire a player who could actually earn it.

 

These guys live in a very strange world, indeed. That just makes La Roche's view about the great "life lessons to be learned in Major League clubhouse," for his teenaged son, all the more foolish. In fact, he himself is the product of having grown up in that environment, and it didn't seem to help him to understand the real world, did it?

 

i like this post. nice.

[LDF]

A deal is a deal. There are things in all of our lives where we were beneficiaries of great deals, and some where all of us have been on the short end. That's life, the White Sox wanted Adam LaRoche on their team. In order to get him to agree to sign, they had to agree to grant his son access. The White Sox checked into it. He had the same arraignment in Washimgton, and Rizzo didn't lose his mind. They agreed to allow him the access so LaRoche signed with the Sox. Now LaRoche didn't play well so apparently to some, agreements made and word given, are then eligible to be broken. I disagree. They were 2 weeks away from being done with spring training, and he supposedly was at 120 games last year so 40 about KW's new magic number. You deal with it, and then change the rule.

 

ok i will play, then the agreement has been followed by the sox, but the question comes into mind, now much access was that agreement was agreed to.

[Dick Allen]

ok i will play, then the agreement has been followed by the sox, but the question comes into mind, now much access was that agreement was agreed to.

I just don't understand why a team would give a kid a locker and a uniform if they didn't expect him to be around more than most kids and be on the field,.

[Saufley]

A deal is a deal. There are things in all of our lives where we were beneficiaries of great deals, and some where all of us have been on the short end. That's life, the White Sox wanted Adam LaRoche on their team. In order to get him to agree to sign, they had to agree to grant his son access. The White Sox checked into it. He had the same arraignment in Washimgton, and Rizzo didn't lose his mind. They agreed to allow him the access so LaRoche signed with the Sox. Now LaRoche didn't play well so apparently to some, agreements made and word given, are then eligible to be broken. I disagree. They were 2 weeks away from being done with spring training, and he supposedly was at 120 games last year so 40 about KW's new magic number. You deal with it, and then change the rule.

 

 

Just asking but, was the deal for the kid to be around 100% of the time or was KW right in asking him to dial it back?

 

[LDF]

I just don't understand why a team would give a kid a locker and a uniform if they didn't expect him to be around more than most kids and be on the field,.

 

and he had been, the sox lived up to their side of the agreement, now it is how much access, he was told to dial it back some. but you are digressing, sale and eaton actions are what was the results...... that is what you are talking about.

 

this is no cause and effect action, b/c the 2 players who are defending this is sale and eaton and the person who it involved retired.

[Lillian]

I don't understand why some cannot make the distinction between being granted a privilege, and someone taking advantage of it.

Unless it is determined that La Roche was promised to be able to have his son be that much of a presence on the team, asking him to "dial it back" does not constitute reneging on the agreement, whether verbal or written. That distinction has been made here, by others, but some just can't seem to comprehend it.

 

It would be like your friend asking you if he could borrow your car, and you replied; "Of course, here are the keys. Anytime"

Only then, to discover that your friend is using your car, all day, every day and keeping it in his garage. Wouldn't you want to "dial it back" a little?

Could you really be accused of reneging on your "promise" to him, by asking him to do so?

 

I think that it is fair to assume that the organization did not envision the extraordinary degree to which A. L. would abuse this unusual privilege. Perhaps they waited too long to say something, but that doesn't alter their justification for doing so. Maybe they assumed that either La Roche himself, or some of the players, would eventually intervene to ask him to "dial it back".

[LDF]

Just asking but, was the deal for the kid to be around 100% of the time or was KW right in asking him to dial it back?

 

who knows, maybe the kid was in kw office answering his phone trying to make a trade or something, filling thru his cabinet and reading other people's contracts.

 

 

[Dick Allen]

Just asking but, was the deal for the kid to be around 100% of the time or was KW right in asking him to dial it back?

kW can ask but if Adam says no, then there is an agreement in place. You can ask John Danks to take a pay cut, but if he says no, you don't give him a pay cut. Whether or not this agreement is in writing, there seems to be enough sources, even a pro KW source confirming the White Sox agreed to this. The locker, the uniform, more proof Drake was granted more access. If KW or a coach thinks it's a bad deal, and didn't want the kid around, another thing the could have done is just released LaRoche, but then they would have had to pay.