Adam LaRoche’s sudden retirement after the Chicago White Sox cut his son’s access to the clubhouse, has generated plenty of conversation.
Opinions are mixed, as some favor LaRoche’s family-first attitude, while others think White Sox president Kenny Williams was right to use authority.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement today that no matter what people think, the organization is ready to put the issue behind them.
“I continue to have complete faith in the skills and abilities of the leadership group of our baseball operations department in Ken Williams, Rick Hahn, and Robin Ventura,” Reinsdorf said. “… As with many things in life, much of this was a result of miscommunication and misunderstanding rather than this being a case of anyone not telling the truth. I do not believe there is anyone to directly blame in this situation. While there is no doubt this might have been handled differently, the fact remains that this is an internal matter that we have discussed and now resolved.”
“Per my request, White Sox employees will no longer discuss this matter publicly,” he said. “I felt it was appropriate to release this statement to close the issue for everyone in the organization – from the front office to the players in the clubhouse – so we can focus on Opening Day and winning baseball games for our fans. I am fully confident this matter will soon be behind us and that we will grow even stronger and more united as a team and as an organization.”
Reinsdorf should be happy with the outcome, as it saved the organization $13 million (after LaRoche hit just .204 last season), but that doesn’t mean the negative publicity is wanted. The less people talk about the LaRoche retirement, the better for Reinsdorf and the White Sox.
It’s hard to blame Reinsdorf for wanting to move on from this bizarre controversy and focus on baseball with Opening Day just two weeks away. This statement — along with the ban of employees discussing the controversy with the media — should lessen the chatter.
[theScore]
