“I expressed my displeasure toward this decision” - When Adam LaRoche was upset with the White Sox for limiting time spent with son in the clubhouse
The Chicago White Sox have been one of the most interesting franchises in the MLB over the last 15 years. However, it may not always be for the best reasons. There have been a number of questionable moments and decisions that have led to the club's struggles and inconsistency since its win in the World Series in 2005.
While the Chicago White Sox have been competitive since that time, the team's dreadful 2024 campaign has shone a light on some of their more infamous moments. One of these such moments involved the club's former first baseman Adam LaRoche and his son Drake.
LaRoche's son Drake was a staple in the team's clubhouse for a number of seasons, for better or worse. There was seemingly no issue with Drake spending time with the team.
However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, prior to the 2016 season, there were some concerns about the total amount of time that the 14-year-old was around.
Former executive vice president Kenny Williams had to address the situation. He believed that LaRoche's son was welcome to be around the league, but at a standard level, not a nearly daily basis.
This led Adam LaRoche to make one of the most bizarre decisions at the time. He opted to retire from baseball instead of reducing the amount of time that Drake could be around the club.
"I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed" - LaRoche said in a statement on a social media post in 2016.
LaRoche claimed in his post that it was suggested that he should reduce the amount of time his son was around the club. It allegedly reached a point where he wasn't welcome at all.
This dispute with Kenny Williams led to the former Gold Glove Award winner hanging up his cleats after 12 seasons in the MLB.
Kenny Williams remained with the Chicago White Sox after the Adam LaRoche incident until 2023
The news that Adam LaRoche opted to retire from the MLB because of the much-discussed conflict with Kenny Williams did not lead to the franchise losing faith in the executive.
Williams remained a key figure with the organization for years before finally getting fired from the club in August 2023.
In the eight seasons after the departure of LaRoche, Williams and the front office only managed to make the postseason twice. They also kicked off a complete rebuilding phase of the roster.
Prior to being let go by the White Sox, Kenny Williams and the front office began trading away some of the club's aging veterans, such as Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito.
Although LaRoche was out of the MLB for eight years before Williams was fired, the former slugger may have enjoyed the last laugh given the current state of the franchise.