Retirements: Winter 2015-16

[MFS62]

How old is the kid? I didn't see it in the posts above.
Early Wynn's son used to not only get into the clubhouse, but on the field, too. He took batting practice against his dad. And I remember reading about how Ken Griffey Jr. used to spend a lot of time with his dad while pop was at the ballpark.
Unless the kid is a real pain in the butt (and the story says he's a good kid), what's the problem? If the kid is old enough to know when to stay out of everyone's business/ game preparation, why the ban?

Later

[seawolf17]

Kid's 13 or 14, IIRC. Either way, the White Sox are right that he shouldn't be in the clubhouse all the time, and if LaRoche doesn't like that rule, then he's perfectly within his rights to look elsewhere for employment. I wish him the best.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, they're both within their rights. I just think it's kinda stinky for either side to talk openly about it.

How'd you like to go from the kid with the big league dad to the kid whose dad had to eat $13 million and the last year of his big league career in order to protect?

[Lefty Specialist]

I don't think a young kid should be around a major league clubhouse all the time.

He did this with the Nats too, so the kid was probably 10 or 11 then. That's too young to be around a bunch of grown men all the time. Kid should be in school learning math and history rather than how to chew tobacco with Bryce Harper.

[Benjamin Grimm]

We’re not big on school.

This is exactly why he shouldn't be in the clubhouse. Keeping kids out of school is just a way of cultivating future Trump voters.

[Ceetar]

shoutout to Kansas' education system too, for this being in any way okay.

[Centerfield]

seawolf17 wrote: Kid's 13 or 14, IIRC. Either way, the White Sox are right that he shouldn't be in the clubhouse all the time, and if LaRoche doesn't like that rule, then he's perfectly within his rights to look elsewhere for employment. I wish him the best.

Yup.

And another thing, what 14 year old wants to hang out with his dad every day, no matter how cool the dad might be?

[Edgy MD]

I don't know. He probably isn't hanging out with his dad all the time, but learning absolutely filthy sex stuff out in the bullpen, getting a couple hundred bucks to run to Chiplotle with the clubbies, learning Spanish slurs, choking guys with Jonathan Papelbon, taking a little BP, signing a few autographs, practicing his mack on middle school-aged baseball groupies, cutting class, stealing cigarettes and beer, and having the time of his life.

[Edgy MD]

This could get stinkier before it gets better.

Reports surfacing that the team openly discussed staging a walkout in support of father and son, and that during the discussion, Chris Sale directly told Williams to get out of the clubhouse.

Got to find a way to get more at-bats for Ken Rosenthal. He's on fire.

[fimg=300]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545915462609932288/X_vDhHiE.png[/fimg]

OE: Also follow Jeff Passan, who says Sale "lit up" Williams.

[Frayed Knot]

I also read (somewheres) that what kicked this all off was complaints from a few players about having the kid around all the time - so whatever the teammates think about this it's apparently not unanimous.

[Edgy MD]

Perhaps, but now any player who comes out and says he was unhappy is going to look like a DEEK.

And even if he says it off the record, I imagine the players have a good idea who has been talking to whom.

It started out as penny-ante poker, but now THE STAKES HAVE BEEN RAISED INCREDIBLY HIGH!

[Benjamin Grimm]

If this was happening in New York the angst would be through the roof.

I guess the angst may be high in Chicago but we (or I) just aren't aware of it.

[Ceetar]

Eh, they'll be mildly pissed at the owner but I don't think he cares (and that's probably part of the point) and they'll all get back to playing baseball and mostly forget about it.

Except maybe the guys that had Drake running errands for them and cleaning spikes. Now they might have to do that themselves.

[TransMonk]

Prolly not the mess that Robin Ventura was hoping to open the season with.

[Frayed Knot]

One also wonders if the team would have brought this up at all had LaRoche not crashed to .207/.293 last season with a whopping 12 HRs after being signed to a substantial contract
off of career averages of .264/.340 w/27 over a full season.

[Edgy MD]

Chris Sale, who has some sort of cross between the juice of David Wright and the can-do-no-wrong affection of Jacob deGrom, is opening up both barrels. (Sorry about the Deadspin link but it collect links from more authoritative sources.) MLBPA is getting involved.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I wonder if having a clause in a player contract that your offspring
can hang out in the clubhouse is a common thing.
I dunno, the whole every-day thing and we're-not-big-schools thing
kinda makes me scratch my head. Go do your algebra, young man.

[Ceetar]

I doubt there was a written clause in the contract, but maybe.

Did it stipulate he gets his own locker and jersey?

That he should clean spikes and help out and get to shag flies?

And what point does this run afoul of child labor laws?

[Guest d'Kong76]

The blurbs on Deadspin say there is a clause and that's why the MLBPA
may be getting involved. Slow news day, Trump hasn't said anything stupid
for hours.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: I doubt there was a written clause in the contract, but maybe.

Well, player rep Adam Eaton reportedly says otherwise.

Ceetar wrote: Did it stipulate he gets his own locker and jersey? That he should clean spikes and help out and get to shag flies? And what point does this run afoul of child labor laws?

I'm pretty sure the first two aren't really the issue. As for the last one, I can imagine the Sox management feared that they were setting a bad example and were getting called out, or suspected they might be.

Maybe the kid is homeschooled to the gills when he's not at the ballpark.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I doubt there was a written clause in the contract, but maybe. Edgy MD wrote: Well, player rep Adam Eaton reportedly says otherwise. Did it stipulate he gets his own locker and jersey? That he should clean spikes and help out and get to shag flies? And what point does this run afoul of child labor laws? I'm pretty sure the first two aren't really the issue. As for the last one, I can imagine the Sox management feared that they were setting a bad example and were getting called out, or suspected they might be. Maybe the kid is homeschooled to the gills when he's not at the ballpark.

I doubt player rep Adam Eaton has read LaRoche's contract. And if it was, couldn't LaRoche have just said "no, I have it in writing he can be here" and would they have even tried to stop making it a permanent thing if they had it contractually guaranteed?

The kid is not homeschooled to the gills. Every quote is along the "not big on school" lines. Things like "And maybe some homework if there is time." "As long as he passes his tests when he's present."

Kansas' education system isn't looking so good in this situation.

I also wonder if Drake would've chosen "Hang out at the park a few times a week, but not be an unofficial member of the team" over "Never be in a major league clubhouse again unless you make it as a pro"

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: I doubt player rep Adam Eaton has read LaRoche's contract. And if it was, couldn't LaRoche have just said "no, I have it in writing he can be here" and would they have even tried to stop making it a permanent thing if they had it contractually guaranteed?

I know for certain that you and I have not read it. We're all speculating.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Ceetar wrote: I doubt player rep Adam Eaton has read LaRoche's contract. And if it was, couldn't LaRoche have just said "no, I have it in writing he can be here" and would they have even tried to stop making it a permanent thing if they had it contractually guaranteed? I know for certain that you and I have not read it. We're all speculating.

Adam now claims it escalated to the point where Williams told him he couldn't bring him at all. Which sounds like the escalation of a pissing match.

"Adam, let's cut back on Drake's time in the clubhouse. (At least mostly reasonable arguments why it's not in the best interest of anyone)"

"No, fuck you. You said I could bring him everyday. *more swear words*"

"Oh yeah, well fuck you too, now you can't bring him at all."

"I don't have to take this, I quit!"

"We're better off without you! You suck!"

[Ceetar]

I mean, this pretty much says it all.

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/sorry-adam-laroche-baseball-locker-rooms-arent-daycare-centers

[ashie62]

Got to love the Drake.

Personally the kid would annoy the crap out of me there EVERY DAY.

[Frayed Knot]

Longtime closer Rafael Soriano calls it quits after apparently not fitting in with Toronto's plans where he signed as a FA just a few weeks ago.

The 36 y/o had a 14 year career with Seattle, Braves, Rays, Yanx, Nats, and then briefly with the Cubs last year.
40+ saves three times. Best season was 2010 for AL-East winning Tampa: 45 Saves, 1.73 ERA, 0.802 WHiP, ASG, 8th in CY, 12th in MVP

[bmfc1]

Ashie62 wrote: Got to love the Drake. Personally the kid would annoy the crap out of me there EVERY DAY.

A White Sox blog says "Good Riddance!"
http://www.southsidesox.com/2016/3/19/11269960/open-letter-to-white-sox-players

[Edgy MD]

Mean, angry fan presumes to speak for everybody, film at 11.

[Frayed Knot]

ARod announces that his retirement ... effective after his current contract runs out at the end of 2017. This couldn't possibly come as a surprise to anyone as there was little danger in him getting a new contract after this current one even if he was so inclined.

The only "drama", I suppose, is that this curtails is the idea that he won't hang around to try for the HR record even if he should find himself close to it after two more seasons. He currently sits at 687, 27 behind Ruth, 70 in back of Aaron, and 76 behind Bonds, coming off a year where he hit 33.
Not that this pronouncement would preclude him from changing his mind if he miraculously can keep up a similar pace in the seasons where he'll turn 41 & 42 and end 2017 within a short grasp of 763. But in these days of advanced statistics, 'counting records', even one so previously hallowed as the all-time HR mark, just don't mean as much as they used to and this one particularly wouldn't coming from him.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I knew that Bonds had the all-time record, but I couldn't have told you that the number was 763. It doesn't even look familiar to me.

It certainly doesn't have the magic that 714 and then 755 once had.