Family First

It sure took a lot of courage for Adam LaRoche to do what he did.  Whether or not you agree with his decision, it certainly says a lot that he was willing to give up $15 million in salary with his abrupt retirement.  All of which stemmed from a philosophical difference he had with White Sox Vice President Ken Williams regarding his son.

Of course, when LaRoche announced he was retiring, no one knew the backstory.  It only came out after the fact.  Apparently Williams told LaRoche that his son, who was at Spring Training everyday, shouldn't be in the clubhouse so much.  In fact, he asked him to significantly dial it back.  This didn't sit well with LaRoche, who said that one of the reasons he signed with the White Sox in the first place was because he was given assurances that his son would be welcome.  And the problem was exacerbated because, evidently, it was only Williams that had a problem with Drake LaRoche being there.  No other players or coaches said anything.  Williams took it upon himself to say something to Adam LaRoche, who took exception to the way he handled the situation.

Predictably, the other White Sox players had Adam LaRoche's back.  They all said how much they liked Drake and how he never got in their way or they felt uncomfortable having him around.  Chris Sale was one of the most vocal critics of the whole thing, saying that Williams flat-out lied about the situation and contradicted himself with the different versions of his story.  

Mainly, the general feeling I got was that LaRoche and the other players thought that if there was a problem, the person who should've had the conversation was manager Robin Ventura.  At the very least, the message should've been consistent.  Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has acknowledged that mistakes were made throughout the entire ordeal, saying it was the result of a miscommunication and a misunderstanding.  Reinsdorf has said the issue is closed, but it might not be.  The players' union is considering filing a grievance on LaRoche's behalf.

This is definitely a unique situation.  I've never heard of something like this being a reason to retire.  The White Sox have left the door open in case he changes his mind, but Adam LaRoche seems to be pretty content with his decision (he indicated he was probably going to retire after this season anyway).  He filed his retirement paperwork.  He wouldn't have done that if he wasn't serious.  I don't think there's any "working it out" that can be done here.

Ken Williams has been getting it pretty hard from all angles on this one, and I think even he'd admit that he probably should've handled it better.  But he was well within his rights as a member of management to enforce organizational policy.  The problem is it's still not clear what that policy is.

For years, Major League teams have allowed players to bring their sons into the clubhouse.  Different teams have different rules, but baseball always has been about family.  Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey, Jr., grew up around Major League clubhouses.  So did Prince Fielder and so many other Major League stars.  So did Adam LaRoche, whose father, Dave, pitched in the Majors, and brother, Andy, also plays.  It's growing up in the game that fosters that passion and passes baseball on from generation to generation.

Every team has its own policy, but there isn't a team in the Majors that doesn't let its players bring their families into the clubhouse.  Some only allow it after wins.  Some do it only on certain days.  Still others let the kids on the field and in the clubhouse up until game time, but they're gone by the time batting practice starts.  The moral of the story, though, is that all 30 Major League clubs welcome their players' children with open arms.  And I'd assume that also includes the Chicago White Sox.

While defending his position, Ken Williams did make one valid point.  A Major League clubhouse is a workplace, and there isn't a workplace in America that lets their employees bring their kids to the office everyday.  But, he forgot another important point when making that argument: A Major League clubhouse isn't like any other workplace in America.  These guys are away from their families so much that before and after games in the clubhouse might be the only time the get to spend with their kids.

I don't know what the answer is here, and I'll never be in this position myself.  But you have to think the Adam LaRoche saga didn't have to come to this.  Ken Williams was wrong with the way he handled it.  You also have to think that there had to be some middle ground here, if the two sides were just willing to find it.

You have to give Adam LaRoche a lot of credit, though.  His family was more important to him than being a Major League baseball player.  I'm sure he didn't want his retirement to become the story it did, but there's something to be said about putting your family first.  Of course, we've seen it before.  Daniel Murphy missed Opening Day last year to be at his son's birth, and it's written into the CBA that teams are required to give players paternity and bereavement leave.

Only Adam LaRoche can say whether or not he made the right decision.  But it was clearly the right one for him.  And it was one he had no hesitation making.  And, whether you agree with him or not, you've gotta respect that.