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It’s been over a month now since we heard any details on Adam LaRoche choosing to retire from baseball because his son was no longer allowed in the White Sox clubhouse, but now the former big league first baseman is speaking out once more.
In an interview with Good Morning America, LaRoche said that while he was “mad at the time,” he actually doesn’t blame Chicago general manager Ken Williams for requesting that LaRoche’s son, Drake, not come into the clubhouse as much as it may have been affecting his performance on the field.
“He may have thought [Drake’s presence] was a distraction. It’s absolutely reasonable. That’s why I say I really can’t, you know, looking back now, I can’t blame him.”
Although LaRoche seems to be more at peace with Williams and the White Sox, he also doesn’t sound like he has wavered at all on his decision despite the fact that he walked away from $13 million.
“I don’t hold a grudge. I don’t hate anybody over there. You know, it just made my decision easy. Honestly, it’s not the end of the world to me. And I thank my parents for that. The way I was raised. Because baseball — and I’ve said it before, I don’t want to be defined by this game. I know there’s a lot more to life.”
“Our kids are going to follow in our footsteps, good or bad. And you know, we got a small window here, a very small window here, to turn them into the men that they’re going to be. And I don’t want to miss six months of that window, even for $13 million.”
Say what you want about LaRoche and his decision, but at least he isn’t blaming anyone else anymore and is clear about what he values in life. While the former slugger did say that he has “no regrets” over his decision to retire, he didn’t entirely rule out a return to the big leagues, saying that it was up to God.
“I’m going to leave that up to the Lord. And if, for some reason, he wants me to go play again, then I won’t be able to turn that down.”
(Via ABC News)
