Has anyone seen this?
What are your thoughts? On one hand, it's really nice to see someone put family first, especially so publicly, and doing it while losing out on $13 million.
On the other hand, I can't take my sons to work with me. It doesn't sound as if this was in his contract to be able to bring his son to work with him, though there was a verbal agreement with the White Sox manager allowing him to do so.
I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on this!
44 votes
pear / 1955 posts
I voted for marshmallows, because I think he did the right thing for him - I don't think he had the right to expect his child could be with him at work all day, but he didn't demand it or sue them, he just left when they told him he couldn't do it anymore. I negotiated for what I wanted at my job, and if the company couldn't/wouldn't meet what I was looking for, I'd have walked away too.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
I get that most jobs don't let you bring your kid to work, but I totally think this dad is bad ass because:
1. He had been allowed to bring his kid every day for most of this kid's life and it had never been a problem. To the point where they gave his son his own locker next to his dad's in the locker rom.
2. His son isn't a toddler - he's a teenager now - far past the point where he would be some kind of distraction in the locker room. Plus he's probably at school most of the day and can't be in there for more than a few hours a day, at most.
3. The team had a 2 hour meeting with leadership over the situation and then asked the guy to "dial it back" with his kid. That's just so awkward and uncomfortable as a parent. How do you explain to your teen son that suddenly the team doesn't want you around as much anymore? That would be so enormously hurtful to a kid at that age.
4. The guy is 36 years old and had 1 year left on a 2 year contract. If he's been making millions since he was 24 years old, hopefully he's financially set enough to where that extra $13 million wont matter. His kid is gonna go to college in a few years and at 36, he was bound to retire soon anyway, so I think on balance, I would have done the same.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I voted not sure since I really have no knowledge about the industry aside from this article.
I agree that I can see both sides... I think there just needs to be a clear policy in place. In this case, It was more just a verbal agreement and no one really knows when a line is crossed... I def side a little more with him since it's not fair that they're like ok this is cool and then suddenly it's not cool anymore.
Either way... Good for him to show his son that family comes first.. Maybe it will prompt people to put more family friendly policies in place, but it's hard to determine what is distracting to the players and what is not.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@raspberries: Same.
I voted marshmallows. I don't really think there's a right or wrong in this situation. He did what was right for him and his family and there's nothing wrong with that.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
Dude's got a sh*t ton of money already. He can do anything he wants to do. I voted marshmallows. 
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
Adam LaRoche is a solid baseball player (well, he was....he is getting up there in age); he's completely within his rights to walk away, much as the white sox had every right to ask for moderation. I also wonder if there was more going on; he's struggled with back issues and was possibly looking at a lot of bench time this year on the injured list.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
I voted no.
I think what he was doing with his kid was great but agree that the Sox organization had a right to ask him to dual it back.
Similarly I respect his right to retire and I thjnk that was an awesome family conscious thing for him to do.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
13 million might sound like a lot to ... um... all of us? Haha.
He is probably quite rich already and it probably doesn't mean as much to him as it would to us.
I think it's great that he is choosing his son over this job. Who knows in a year maybe he will sign with someone else or maybe he is taking this time to coach his son to be the next generation baseballer in the family.
pomelo / 5524 posts
@blackbird: I thought this too...maybe there was a looming injury and he had plans to retire after this contract was over anyway given his age. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back for him and he decided to walk with his son in tow.
And don't get me wrong, I think that both sides had a right to do what they did. I do think the White Sox are getting a lot of bad press because of it, but I can't find fault in what they did. Nor can I find fault in what he did. He was told he could bring his son whenever he wanted, they told him to dial it back, and he decided that was enough for him to leave.
pomelo / 5220 posts
I feel like there is more to this story... but yeah, I guess I understand both sides. My child isn't welcome at my job every day and if my boss said I couldn't bring him then I would have the choice to take it or leave it. I'm sure everyone will be happier. Must be nice to retire at 36!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I think the front office was right here. They have to limit it somewhere and somehow. Its maybe understandable for a 14 year old boy but what about a 10 year old? What about a daughter?
I think for him though it all depends on what was in his contract. Maybe he only took the job and was staying because he knew he could be training with his son.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
@2PeasinaPod: ah, Google says he's been having back spasms and left a spring training game early, but was expected to return Monday. Maybe that isn't the case.....
clementine / 856 posts
he has said that he and his wife don't put much emphasis on school (I'm paraphrasing here), and that his son has a tutor for most of the school year. He only goes to school during the winter. So... maybe he was spending all day at the practices? Based on that, I voted no.
grapefruit / 4045 posts
I couldn't care less what he does with his career. But hopefully his dad's decision doesn't hurt his kid's chance of later becoming an MLB player.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
I think he was unreasonable to expect for it to be OK for his son to be at the facility all the time. The White Sox organization is well within their rights to ask him to dial it back. I think they were being generous to allow it in the first place.
That said, it is long as he's not financially stupid, he should already have more money than he will ever need. So I'm sure he made the right choice for his family. He has every right to walk away whenever he wants to.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Could it be that this was done by design, that the Sox wanted out of the contract and they knew that they would have to pay a penalty if they initiated it? I kind of feel like nothing is ever done without a reason, and it seems that the organization knew that if they targeted the son, the father would leave on his own.
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