Ken Williams putting his foot down seems to have galvanized the Chicago White Sox clubhouse, albeit inadvertently.
Adam LaRoche retired out of nowhere Tuesday after Williams, the White Sox’s executive vice president, told the first baseman/designated hitter to scale back on the amount of time his 14-year-old son, Drake, spent with the team.
The chain of events evidently sent shockwaves throughout the organization, as ESPN’s Karl Ravech reported Thursday, per sources, that LaRoche’s former White Sox teammates considered not playing in Wednesday’s spring training game as a show of support for the 36-year-old slugger, who walked away from a contract that would have paid him $13 million this season.
Chicago manager Robin Ventura intervened and persuaded the players to suit up Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, sources told Ravech. The players’ willingness to boycott a game — even a spring training contest — is significant, though, especially with the topic being so polarizing.
It’ll be interesting to see how the White Sox handle things internally. Williams, team owner Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Rick Hahn could meet in the coming days to discuss matters, but sources told Ravech there is a division between those in the front office, and Ventura and his players regarding clubhouse access.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
