Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche announced plans to retire earlier this week after team president Kenny Williams asked that LaRoche reduce the amount of time his son spent in the clubhouse, Williams told NBC Chicago.
Williams asked LaRoche not to bring his 14-year old son Drake into the clubhouse on an everyday basis, which the first baseman had reportedly done during the 2015 season.
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"[Drake is] very welcome just as all our players kids are and always have been, really," Williams told NBC Chicago's Peggy Kusinski. "I mean our policy is not changing. The thing I asked for in this particular situation was for it to be not an everyday thing and to dial it back."
LaRoche announced Tuesday he intended to retire from baseball due to a personal issue.
According to Williams, there was a concern that allowing kids to be at the clubhouse every day could become "something that can get out of hand."
"We didn’t realize the level at which is was taking place, whether it be on buses and planes and in the clubhouse and on the field in different places, that really kind of crystallized some things for us," Williams said.
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He declined to comment on whether any players had complained about Drake's presence, but said Drake is "loved by everyone around here" and applauded the players for standing behind LaRoche.
"Unfortunately this turned into a thing and it didn’t have to be a thing but now we need to address it," Williams said.
The veteran first baseman, who is entering the last year of a two-year contract he signed with the White Sox before the 2015 season, was set to earn $13 million this season, but the team won’t have to pay him that money if he steps away from the game.
NBC Chicago reached out to a representative for LaRoche for comment, but the spokesperson said LaRoche "is going to hold off on talking." LaRoche has said little since his retirement announcement, but he tweeted Tuesday with the hashtag #FamilyFirst.
"Thank u Lord for the game of baseball and for giving me way more than I ever deserved! #FamilyFirst," the tweet read.
Williams confirmed LaRoche signed his retirement papers, but as of Tuesday night the White Sox had not yet filed them with the league. He added there is still a chance LaRoche could change his mind.
"He may," Williams said. "He was encouraged to think about it for a couple of days and get back to us."