Levine: Jerry Reinsdorf Calls For Calm In Adam LaRoche Drama
By Bruce Levine--
GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) -- The Chicago White Sox have been told to clam up and concentrate on baseball business.
In a terse statement released by the team, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf stated his feelings about the Adam LaRoche retirement debacle that escalated Friday when ace Chris Sale blasted executive vice president Kenny Williams.
"While we appreciate everyone's attention and interest, we continue to feel that it would be premature to comment at this time," Reinsdorf said in the statement. "This is an internal issue. We are in the process of holding a number of discussions with players, staff and the front office. As a result we do not want to comment until the process is completed. I have instructed members of the organization not to talk about this issue,and get the focus back on the field and winning baseball games."
Sale's comments earlier Friday set the Reinsdorf comments into motion. Sale stated that Williams had lied about the source of complaints about 14-year-old Drake LaRoche being in the clubhouse. Williams asking LaRoche to drastically reduce Drake's time in the clubhouse led to his retirement announcement Tuesday.
In his own statement, LaRoche said that Williams had asked him not to bring his son to the clubhouse at all.
"Recently I was told to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse," LaRoche said. "Later , I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed my contract with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and career or my family? The decision was easy. My decision to walk away was simply the result of a fundamental disagreement between myself and Ken Williams."
LaRoche expressed his gratitude to all of his ex-teammates, coaches, managers and present front office executives. He specifically left out just Williams in his long list of thank-you mentions.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.