Ken Williams, executive VP of the Chicago White Sox, says he doesn’t have a problem with players’ kids hanging out in the clubhouse, per the Chicago Sun-Times. But Drake LaRoche, the 14-year-old son and constant companion of first baseman Adam LaRoche, was there just a little too much for his liking—”he had a locker,” Williams notes—so he asked the elder LaRoche to cut back on father-son time on White Sox premises. Instead, LaRoche abruptly announced Tuesday he’d be retiring and leaving his $13 million salary behind, the AP reports. LaRoche tweeted later that afternoon, “Thank u Lord for the game of baseball and for giving me way more than I ever deserved!” accompanied by a #FamilyFirsthashtag. But Williams tells Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the team’s policy on bringing kids to the clubhouse hasn’t changed, that “everyone loves” Drake, and that “in no way do I want this to be about [Drake].”
Instead, Williams notes, he simply wanted LaRoche to “dial it back.” “I don’t think [Drake] should be here 100% of the time,” he tells Rosenthal, adding to the AP, “Even 50% is probably too much, but there is a wide range between zero and 50%.” But some feel that Drake, called the team’s “26th man” by his dad last year, has been more blessing than burden. “Drake would clean cleats … help out in drills … he didn’t say boo to anybody and was never a trouble in the clubhouse,” White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton tells Fox. In a follow-up, Rosenthal says some players see Williams’ point (e.g., players might not want a kid around if they’ve had a bad day or may feel compelled to censor themselves), but he wonders if Williams would have issued the mandate if LaRoche had had a better 2015 season. Meanwhile, player support for LaRoche continues, per Sports Illustrated, with Brewers pitcher Blaine Boyer telling Rosenthal, “I honestly think this is between good and evil. I know which side Adam lives on.”
More on the story: Newser