Adam LaRoche Retired After White Sox Requested He Bring Son into Clubhouse Less

The Red Sox were asked about their policy. Kids are allowed in the clubhouse and on the field until two and a half hours before the game. It's when official pregame starts. It's been their policy for years. 

Being a professional baseball player and a parent is not a normal life. During the school year a player can be on a home stand and barely see his kids due to the difference in their schedules.

i applaud LaRoche for taking his family over the money. He's made plenty. It's not an easy life to balance. Family is more important than money.

LaRoche made a choice....good for him. he clearly didn't need the money and wanted to spend more time with his kid/family. I don't  think anyone would argue that it was a noble act to give up baseball if thats indeed what he wanted. but seriously, game or not(which at the professional level its more than just a game); its how people earn their living. Most people I know would most certainly be distracted in some way if there family member(14yr old son) at that was at their place of employment "100% of the time". C'mon...show a little bit more professionalism in your craft and limit having your kid hanging around. As someone mentioned, this is LaRoche taking advantage of the kindness of his employer.

According to Yahoo Sports, Drake goes to traditional school only in the winter. He spent springs and summers with his father.

I understand the argument the White Sox make, however they are way out of line. Professionally, they should not do anything more than to ask Adam limit the time his son is in the club house. If he decides that he wants his son at the ball park, the WS should not be able to tell him no, unless it is in some type of policy. It is completely unprofessional for the WS to try and change the policy while they are in the middle of spring training.

If they asked him and he told them no, then change the policy for next year and then Adam would not have anything to say, just retire and both sides would have been right.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the posters on this website.  IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country.  Hands up for everyone who was present during the conversations???? No one?  Well then hands up for all of you who were a part of Adams contract discussions with the Sox??? Hmmm...How about anyone who knows Drake and what contributions he makes to the Sox when he is in the clubhouse???  Wow, still no one??? I am sure you were all there when Adam was growing up in the clubhouse under his dad Dave LaRouche and observed what that experience instilled in him????  What I have read a great deal if is "I think" or "I bet", or "this is not a good thing for the kid" or "it is a business I don't take my kid to work" on the radio I heard this morning that LaRoache was stunting his sons social development by having him around adults all day instead of kids his own age.

My point is every word in every post written here may be true or is may be utter BS but we have no way of knowing.  We see an article that peaks our interest and we have an opinion 30 seconds after reading the article.  The article may be accurate, might be slanted or even a flat out attempt to deceive but we do not care.  Truth has lost value and been replace by a belief that our opinion is not only important but also right and everyone else should think like me.

150 years ago teenage boys spent most of their time with their fathers, in the fields or in the store, at work and they were modeled what it was to be a man.  They saw them work hard, deal with frustration, anger, success, annoyances, they saw them on good days and on bad days.  Today we separate work from family and call it progress.  As a result I meet too many young men today who have no idea what being a man is all about. 

If Adam LaRoache believes that his role as a Dad is to teach his son how to be the best man he can and that his son is best served by being with him every day and that role is more important than the 13 million he is due then he is doing the right thing.  It is not my son or my life, I do not have the facts or the experience to judge him or the wisdom of his choice.  The fact that every player on the Sox and his former teammates on the Nationals all came out in support of him and the man his son is turning out to be tells me maybe he is on to something and we would be best served to sit back and as Paul Harvey used to say wait for "The rest of the story"

If anyone is offended by these words I apologize that you feel that way.  My hope is only that we will take a moment to reflect and in that reflection might hug our kids or grand kids a little tighter and care a little less about the next hitting lesson, pitching lesson, business meeting or whatever distracts us from the important things in life.  "Baseball is a game even though some people get rich playing it"

2B/P 2019 posted:

According to Yahoo Sports, Drake goes to traditional school only in the winter. He spent springs and summers with his father.

I understand the argument the White Sox make, however they are way out of line. Professionally, they should not do anything more than to ask Adam limit the time his son is in the club house. If he decides that he wants his son at the ball park, the WS should not be able to tell him no, unless it is in some type of policy. It is completely unprofessional for the WS to try and change the policy while they are in the middle of spring training.

If they asked him and he told them no, then change the policy for next year and then Adam would not have anything to say, just retire and both sides would have been right.

I simply can not agree.  An organization does not have to wait on policy changes.  If a guy really values family time and is willing to give up 13m then fine.  Not like it makes him some sort of hero.  It's a choice and his choice and I am glad he made it - for other reasons.   But I can tell you this if someone constantly had their kid around my work environment it would make me very uncomfortable.  This is on laroche not the white sox. 

MDBallDad posted:

If anyone is offended by these words I apologize that you feel that way. 

Thank you for apologizing on my behalf for my feelings. I don't think you have to be there or know anyone to understand having your child in your workplace everyday is ridiculous.   And you can bet what some players say publicly and privately are two different things.  

MDBallDad posted:

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the posters on this website.  IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country.  Hands up for everyone who was present during the conversations???? No one?  Well then hands up for all of you who were a part of Adams contract discussions with the Sox??? Hmmm...How about anyone who knows Drake and what contributions he makes to the Sox when he is in the clubhouse???  Wow, still no one??? I am sure you were all there when Adam was growing up in the clubhouse under his dad Dave LaRouche and observed what that experience instilled in him????  What I have read a great deal if is "I think" or "I bet", or "this is not a good thing for the kid" or "it is a business I don't take my kid to work" on the radio I heard this morning that LaRoache was stunting his sons social development by having him around adults all day instead of kids his own age.

My point is every word in every post written here may be true or is may be utter BS but we have no way of knowing.  We see an article that peaks our interest and we have an opinion 30 seconds after reading the article.  The article may be accurate, might be slanted or even a flat out attempt to deceive but we do not care.  Truth has lost value and been replace by a belief that our opinion is not only important but also right and everyone else should think like me.

150 years ago teenage boys spent most of their time with their fathers, in the fields or in the store, at work and they were modeled what it was to be a man.  They saw them work hard, deal with frustration, anger, success, annoyances, they saw them on good days and on bad days.  Today we separate work from family and call it progress.  As a result I meet too many young men today who have no idea what being a man is all about. 

If Adam LaRoache believes that his role as a Dad is to teach his son how to be the best man he can and that his son is best served by being with him every day and that role is more important than the 13 million he is due then he is doing the right thing.  It is not my son or my life, I do not have the facts or the experience to judge him or the wisdom of his choice.  The fact that every player on the Sox and his former teammates on the Nationals all came out in support of him and the man his son is turning out to be tells me maybe he is on to something and we would be best served to sit back and as Paul Harvey used to say wait for "The rest of the story"

If anyone is offended by these words I apologize that you feel that way.  My hope is only that we will take a moment to reflect and in that reflection might hug our kids or grand kids a little tighter and care a little less about the next hitting lesson, pitching lesson, business meeting or whatever distracts us from the important things in life.  "Baseball is a game even though some people get rich playing it"

While I do not completely disagree with you, Comparing 150 years ago to now just does not work. 150 years ago young men learned there trade from there father at his work in many of the trades and when we were an Agriculture based society. Today that is not how young men prepare for the work world. Many times young men pursued the same line of work as there fathers it was the way it was. 

Today, that is not how young men decide on their career. But if Drake is to be a professional ball player he probably can learn a lot in the locker room and on the field. 

Adam and his brother [Andy and father [Dave] traveled with our American Goodwill Series teams to
Australia for 5 years. Now Adam can return with our teams to Australia with Dave as Coaches.

Adam played in our Area Code games and I respect his decision. Kenny Williams played on our Chicago Cubs Scout team in Northern California. Kenny is a "classy" professional.

The end result, everyone wins!

Bob

<www.goodwillseries.org>

MDBallDad posted:

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the posters on this website.  IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country.  Hands up for everyone who was present during the conversations???? No one?  Well then hands up for all of you who were a part of Adams contract discussions with the Sox??? Hmmm...How about anyone who knows Drake and what contributions he makes to the Sox when he is in the clubhouse???  Wow, still no one??? I am sure you were all there when Adam was growing up in the clubhouse under his dad Dave LaRouche and observed what that experience instilled in him????  What I have read a great deal if is "I think" or "I bet", or "this is not a good thing for the kid" or "it is a business I don't take my kid to work" on the radio I heard this morning that LaRoache was stunting his sons social development by having him around adults all day instead of kids his own age.

My point is every word in every post written here may be true or is may be utter BS but we have no way of knowing.  We see an article that peaks our interest and we have an opinion 30 seconds after reading the article.  The article may be accurate, might be slanted or even a flat out attempt to deceive but we do not care.  Truth has lost value and been replace by a belief that our opinion is not only important but also right and everyone else should think like me.

150 years ago teenage boys spent most of their time with their fathers, in the fields or in the store, at work and they were modeled what it was to be a man.  They saw them work hard, deal with frustration, anger, success, annoyances, they saw them on good days and on bad days.  Today we separate work from family and call it progress.  As a result I meet too many young men today who have no idea what being a man is all about. 

If Adam LaRoache believes that his role as a Dad is to teach his son how to be the best man he can and that his son is best served by being with him every day and that role is more important than the 13 million he is due then he is doing the right thing.  It is not my son or my life, I do not have the facts or the experience to judge him or the wisdom of his choice.  The fact that every player on the Sox and his former teammates on the Nationals all came out in support of him and the man his son is turning out to be tells me maybe he is on to something and we would be best served to sit back and as Paul Harvey used to say wait for "The rest of the story"

If anyone is offended by these words I apologize that you feel that way.  My hope is only that we will take a moment to reflect and in that reflection might hug our kids or grand kids a little tighter and care a little less about the next hitting lesson, pitching lesson, business meeting or whatever distracts us from the important things in life.  "Baseball is a game even though some people get rich playing it"

welcome to the internet

2020dad posted:

As a lifelong sox fan...   HOOOOORRAAAAY!   What a windfall. Saving 13m on a washed up bad player.  Hope he does not expect sympathy.  Don't get me wrong the players have the right to cut their best deal - it's a business.   And management has a right to police their clubhouse (and perhaps hope he quits and saves them money) after all - it's a business!  As a fan I hope they use that money wisely - NO MORE ADAMS!  

p.s. My understanding is this goes on all year not just spring training.  I am sure he is a great kid.  My 14yo is a great kid.  But I didn't bring him to work today. Justnaseball I am sure your son is right.  I am sure he is a good guy.  But I can't help be giddy as a sox fan!!!

Yahoo! The White Sox drove off a player you don't like. Will you have the same response when it's a valuable star who leaves via free agency to a team that's more family friendly? Or a free agent selects another team over the White Sox because another team is more family friendly? Jon Lester said the hardest thing about leaving the Red Sox was the team treats families so well.

MDBallDad posted:

 IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country. 

No.

It's not.

At all.  

I have no idea how well you developed that theme, as anytime someone starts out with "that's what's wrong with this country", especially on a baseball board, I am out. 

I'll wait for the "rest of the story".  I'm not convinced this isn't some type of grandstanding.  Spring training is 6-7 weeks and it's not like its 24/7.  I love my kid but I certainly wouldn't want him attached at the hip.  Not like he's even in a different city and not like the kid can't make it to the ballpark several days a week.  Sounds like he would have lots and lots of time to spend with the kid without having to invite him into the locker room.  Does he take the kid on the road to every game?  Where's mom?  Maybe he just wanted a few days off.

MDBallDad posted:

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the posters on this website.  IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country.  Hands up for everyone who was present during the conversations???? No one?  Well then hands up for all of you who were a part of Adams contract discussions with the Sox??? Hmmm...How about anyone who knows Drake and what contributions he makes to the Sox when he is in the clubhouse???  Wow, still no one??? I am sure you were all there when Adam was growing up in the clubhouse under his dad Dave LaRouche and observed what that experience instilled in him????  What I have read a great deal if is "I think" or "I bet", or "this is not a good thing for the kid" or "it is a business I don't take my kid to work" on the radio I heard this morning that LaRoache was stunting his sons social development by having him around adults all day instead of kids his own age.

My point is every word in every post written here may be true or is may be utter BS but we have no way of knowing.  We see an article that peaks our interest and we have an opinion 30 seconds after reading the article.  The article may be accurate, might be slanted or even a flat out attempt to deceive but we do not care.  Truth has lost value and been replace by a belief that our opinion is not only important but also right and everyone else should think like me.

150 years ago teenage boys spent most of their time with their fathers, in the fields or in the store, at work and they were modeled what it was to be a man.  They saw them work hard, deal with frustration, anger, success, annoyances, they saw them on good days and on bad days.  Today we separate work from family and call it progress.  As a result I meet too many young men today who have no idea what being a man is all about. 

If Adam LaRoache believes that his role as a Dad is to teach his son how to be the best man he can and that his son is best served by being with him every day and that role is more important than the 13 million he is due then he is doing the right thing.  It is not my son or my life, I do not have the facts or the experience to judge him or the wisdom of his choice.  The fact that every player on the Sox and his former teammates on the Nationals all came out in support of him and the man his son is turning out to be tells me maybe he is on to something and we would be best served to sit back and as Paul Harvey used to say wait for "The rest of the story"

If anyone is offended by these words I apologize that you feel that way.  My hope is only that we will take a moment to reflect and in that reflection might hug our kids or grand kids a little tighter and care a little less about the next hitting lesson, pitching lesson, business meeting or whatever distracts us from the important things in life.  "Baseball is a game even though some people get rich playing it"

I don't spend a lot of time worrying if someone thinks that I cannot render my own opinion on an article that I read.  That is what a Message Board is for.  I have stated my opinion in this thread, and I, like you say, do think that my opinion is right.  If I didn't think it was right, I wouldn't have offered it.

Sports Writers & Sports Announcers offer their opinions every day.  Are they there during every single conversation or occurrence that happens?  No.  Do they report on them? Yes. 

Frankly I find it ridiculous that someone thinks that others don't have the right to share their opinion.

I don't think it is a good place for a young man to be all the time, and I don't really care if I others disagree with that take.  To each his own. 

Another reason that I don't think children should be in the clubhouse is the other players deserve a clubhouse without children.  How many people don't like to be around children?  Plenty.  They may be annoyed by kids constantly being around.

Cut bait Sox....cut bait.

I would have thought that MLB would have come up with some sort of rule regarding kids in the dugout several years ago, after JT Snow saved Dusty Baker's kid from possible injury when he ran out to home plate to grab a bat during the middle of a play.  Granted, this kid is older, but he could very easily be hit by a line drive while in the dugout.   The White Sox are well within their rights.  

Of course, the fact that Kenny Williams' son has benefited from all sorts of nepotism during his checkered minor league career does make this a bit ironic.  

JCG posted:

MDBallDad posted:

 IMHO this discussion is representative of many of the problems in our country. 

No.

It's not.

At all.  

I have no idea how well you developed that theme, as anytime someone starts out with "that's what's wrong with this country", especially on a baseball board, I am out. 

I think that might not be true in as much as 1/3 of American kids are without a father in the house.  That IMO is the biggest problem America has ....bar none.  Our culture is crumbling because fatherhood is not only dismissed but ridiculed in popular culture.

As far as being a topic for a baseball board - 99.44% of the time it is not.  Mr. Laroche's actions do broach the topic however and it is an extraordinarily serious one when viewed through the scope of fatherhood as a general issue. 

Since many folks here are serious and intelligent people I do think it is worthy.  There ..that's off my chest, back to regular programming. 

I hope his son continues to want to spend time with him now that he doesn't get to go to a MLB clubhouse everyday. 

baseballmom posted:

Have to disagree with you CaCo3...MLBer's DO behave on the job for the most part. Children do not belong in anyone's workplace everyday. 

example...my husband was an OTC Trader....Atmosphere & language "on the street" or trading floor, or phone was NOT the place for my kids!...EVER! Husband was a fine example & role model at home, but not in HIS workplace...

 

lol...concur with that. Spent 14 years on the floor; nasty place.  I only hope I left the collateral stuff on the floor...

It's been the norm for kids of MLB players to be around a lot... Adam was pushing tolerance limits.   

(per White Sox owner)

Gov posted:

baseballmom posted:

Have to disagree with you CaCo3...MLBer's DO behave on the job for the most part. Children do not belong in anyone's workplace everyday. 

example...my husband was an OTC Trader....Atmosphere & language "on the street" or trading floor, or phone was NOT the place for my kids!...EVER! Husband was a fine example & role model at home, but not in HIS workplace...

 

lol...concur with that. Spent 14 years on the floor; nasty place.  I only hope I left the collateral stuff on the floor...

Oh, man so do I! Husband was 1971-2008, when he died of catastrophic stroke 5 wks before his 65th birthday. I'll forever believe it was all the stress. "it" was the other woman, so to speak! I know, too, that he is now watching over our son as his career ebbs & flows, ever guiding, ever present.