Adam LaRoche Went Undercover To Help Rescue Underage Sex Slaves In Asia

Adam LaRoche is even more interesting than we thought.

For example, did you know that LaRoche and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Blaine Boyer spent 10 days in November in Southeast Asian brothels, wearing a hidden camera and doing undercover work to help rescue underage sex slaves?

Well, they did, according to a feature story by Tim Keown that will run in the April 25 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

Keown recently spent time with LaRoche to gain a better understanding of the slugger’s decision to retire last month after Chicago White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams asked that LaRoche scale back on the amount of time his 14-year-old son, Drake, spent in the clubhouse. Keown seemingly learned a lot, including what makes LaRoche tick, but the tidbit about the Southeast Asian brothels is enough to make anyone do a double take.

LaRoche and Boyer conducted surveillance in brothels trying to determine the age of the girls and identify their bosses, according to Keown. It was an eye-opening experience for both players, with the two even wondering at that point whether they should retire from baseball and fight for the cause.

“Something huge happened there for us,” Boyer told Keown. “You can’t explain it. Can’t put your finger on it. If you make a wrong move, you’re getting tossed off a building. We were in deep, man, but that’s the way it needed to be done. Adam and I truly believe God brought us there and said, ‘This is what I have for you boys.’ ”

As Keown explains, LaRoche couldn’t help but think of his own kids, the thousands of parents searching for their 12-year-old daughters or the fact they’d return to the United States to play “a game” while all kinds of messed up crap kept happening in a place far, far away.

Perhaps that day planted the seeds for LaRoche’s eventual retirement, even if his abrupt decision back in March mostly stemmed from a controversial request from Chicago’s front office.