March 18, 2016: Bring Your Kid to Work Day

posted in: White Sox | 4

Or should I say, bring your kid to work year?  Finally getting to the most bloggable subject I can remember in a while.  This is the absolute most I have ever heard the White Sox talked about on sports radio.  They have to love the attention, although I’m not sure it’s the right kind.

Very, very interesting stuff going on.  Unless you’ve been under a rock the last week, you’ve heard about Adam LaRoche choosing to retire and leave 13 million dollars on the table because Kenny Williams told him he couldn’t bring his son around as much as he was… well, that’s really the first point that is unclear.  LaRoche brought his son to the ballpark almost every single day.  Supposedly Kenny told him to dial it back… or did he tell him to stop altogether.  That’s an important point of clarity…

I have a son.  I just talked about him.  I have brought him to my job before, yet, I would never consider bringing him there every single day.  Now I am not a major league baseball player.  Being a MLB player is 100 times different than working in an office.  Does that make it acceptable for someone to always have their child around?

I say no.  It’s a distraction plain and simple.  I love my son, and I would bring him everywhere and anywhere with me… I’d love to spend every waking minute with him.  Of course I would choose my family over anything… and I do… not bringing him to work with me everyday doesn’t mean that I don’t choose my family.  The point is, to be successful in what I do… my job… and to successfully provide for my family, I cannot have him by my side every day.  I’m not sure what job you can say that about, unless you’re standing on Michigan Ave asking for money, or maybe a 2 person comedy act… not sure.  I think baseball would be no different.  How can you 110% focus on your job when your son is there all the time?  By looking at LaRoche’s numbers, you have to question that.  And this is where another important point comes into play.

What if Adam had 30 HRs and 100 RBIs last year?  And what if the Sox had made the playoffs?  Is this even happening right now?  Good question, one we’ll never truly know the answer to, although I’m guessing this subject would have been handled a little bit more carefully.  Regardless of your feelings on the whole bring your kid to work thing, it’s a good thing for the Sox because LaRoche sucks on the field.  Now this frees up more time for other players to play… maybe someone that can bat more than their weight.

getting viagra in canada Side effects of Kamagra pills Even though Kamagra pills are incredibly beneficial for men with erectile dysfunction. No these strategies order levitra online http://secretworldchronicle.com/tag/the-program/ feel at ease or it will become difficult concentrating stiffening your snake. Quality Both have the same active ingredient, levitra samples Sildenafil Citrate. Testosterone is necessary for increasing blood flow to the viagra online doctor penis. 4. Now Chris Sale, the Sox best player is speaking out about this… making a statement hanging LaRoche’s son’s jersey in his locker, ripping Kenny Williams calling him a liar.  I don’t follow the Sox that closely, but I don’t remember this guy ever saying anything about anything, and the first time he opens his mouth about something, he’s calling his boss a liar.  And speaking about bosses…  I haven’t heard anything from the manager, Robin Ventura.  Doesn’t he have to say something?  Where is his leadership?

He’s the closest to the players.  He is part of management.  He should speak up.  He has to be careful for sure.  Like any boss, he has to side with the “players” while not putting his management in a bad position.  It’s not an easy position for sure, but he has to say SOMETHING.  Now Jerry Reinsdorf comes out and makes a statement… trying to protect his people, both management and the players, by saying nobody should talk about it.  This has turned into quite the mess.

It starts at the top.  Although having 7 championships to his partial credit, Jerry hasn’t always made the best decisions.  Like firing Ozzie, hiring Robin, and not firing Robin.  And what about that Kenny Williams?  And what about Rich Hahn?   I’m not saying any of this warrants firing of any sort, but it sure doesn’t seem like everybody is on the same page here.  Kind of like the Bulls with Thibs and Gar Pax… don’t think the right decision was made their either.  Oh yeah, and what about the forced end to the Bulls dynasty?  Supposedly loyal to his people, Jerry seems to be selectively loyal.

I agree with the decision about the kid.  I don’t think a kid should be around all the time at your job.  I do think it’s a good thing to bring your child to the workplace.  In fact, I think it should even be encouraged sometimes, but not ALL the time.  Kind of like the Blackhawks doing road trips for the players’ mothers and then their fathers, there should be kids trips too.  There should be specifically designated days where ALL kids are welcome.  I think this is the right message to send.  You cannot allow players to do anything they want at any time.  Who is running that ship anyways?

Let’s see where this goes.  Hopefully for the Sox sake, it doesn’t get really stupid… like boycotting games, or a continuing feud between your best player and management.  It has been talked about non-stop around here, and I don’t expect this story to die down anytime soon, especially with the season about to begin.  Maybe if the Sox come out hot, this will fade away.  But what it they come out slow again?  Either way Sox fans, we’re talking about your team.  It’s the biggest story in the city right now; you should at least be happy about that.  You finally have the attention, at least for now.

4 Responses

  1. bullwinkle

    robin actually did say something. but he said it in a meeting with the players, and not the press. again, unless you’ve been under a rock your entire life, you know that anything you say to the press can be printed in any multiple and subjective ‘interpretations’ and unfortunately, a lot of those make the person being ‘quoted’ comes out looking bad. i agree with the ‘once in awhile’ thing, and not every day. the kid even had his won locker and was on the field during drills. definitely a distraction. as for sale coming out, i believe that it was players or possibly even the coaches that spoke out about the whole ‘not appropriate’ scenario that has turned into this fiasco.

    • JEFFK

      I’m sure, well I’d hope that Robin said something privately, but as the manager, the leader, you need to be heard, and maybe by being heard, can quiet some of this crap.

  2. MK

    Congrats laroche, you just turned down $13 million. Obviously, this is not about the money for him, but while baseball is a game, it is still a job. What I know about jobs, everyone has a boss, and they say what happens or doesn’t happen. You had your son with you all of last year and so far this year. This kid doesn’t have school or things to do on his own? Nothing against him, but laroche had his worst season ever last year…maybe that had something to do with it? Or maybe he is washed up and has nothing left. Either way, having a teen in the locker room and with the club 24/7 is a problem. Bring him around now and then, once or twice a week, but not every day. Get real laroche. What a family man. Hope you saved your money wisely to turn down $13 million for your family’s future for another 6 months worth of work/baseball. I get it, you want to be around your kids as much as possible, but work is not one of those places where it is or should be allowed 100% of the time. I am not a part of the what a family man laroche is club. To me, he is moron for turning down the money, not finishing out his contract, and being completely unrealistic. Even if kenny went back on his word of allowing the kid to be around, he has the right to do so for the sox organization as well as the player’s best interests. Honestly, the sox are better off. They save the money and get rid of bum who is done and was looking for an out. You want to be with your kid every second of the day, you can now be a babysitter laroche…for free. Start by sending him to school, or will you be going with him there, too? Clown!

  3. Mo

    I would totally bring my kid to work. Lets not forget that the White Soxs green lighted his son coming to “work” I am sure there is paper work for this. His kid wasn’t 6 years old, constantly needing attention. Also, the White Soxs organization probably got lots of “good” press for allowing his kid in during practice. Kenny needs to be a man about this and make the White Soxs make a blanket statement and say No kids allowed. If this was Kenny’s or Ventura’s kid, would this even be an issue?

    From an early age most kids idolize their fathers as a hero and Kenny put LaRoche in a bad spot. I’m sure LaRoche’s Kid found out about this and feared that his dad got into trouble, so LaRoche did the only thing he could do to shield his son.

    Baseball is a not a business and never will be. Players and owners make more than any office job and to share time with you kid, especially when LaRoche is traveling most of the time is priceless. Bad move by the Suxs, no one will want to be traded there and the organization took one step back. You cant have rules and all of a sudden enforce them when you deem fix. Kenny should have gone to Ventura on this one.

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