caulfield12

It's REALLY bad when it's hard to feel much sympathy in a debate between your franchise pitcher and Kenny Williams. It almost feels like...even if there is something written into the contract like the word "access," there will be equally compelling arguments on both side spelling out exactly what that means. How can you define it? 24/7? During games? On the road? In meetings and on-field drills? Going over draft boards or having access to Hahn's "Big Board," like an internship? His own locker and uniform? 3 days per week? 7 days per week? One would be stretching the bounds of plausibility to imagine it's something like "only blue and red M&M's in the candy dish" or whatever in a rider like many concert performers have...spelling out EXACTLY the conditions.

Why don't Hahn or Reinsdorf come right out and directly state the language wasn't included in the contract? Because there's now apparently this grievance pending?

And/or Ventura and Hahn not being strong enough to stand up to LaRoche...which would be understandable enough if he put up MVP numbers last season, heck, a century of baseball superstition would say you don't mess with that at all, but that definitely wasn't the case.

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 18, 2016 -> 10:05 AM) the best course is to totally ignore every media attempt to talk to the sox FO. go totally quiet . That's part of the problem. For whatever reason/s, Hahn, Ventura and Reinsdorf have yet to weigh in. Perhaps they're waiting for today's deadline to pass with LaRoche officially retiring for fear of creating the complete nightmare situation of LaRoche trying to reverse course and come back again.

Sale has to be referring to the Drake/LaRoche situation in terms of his right to be in the clubhouse... And now Sale's not only saying KW lied or went back on his word, Chris somehow feels his position in the organization as one of the two franchise players allows him to "force" or "push" or limit KW completely in his access to that same domain. While not quite the equivalent of Sculley pushing out Steve Jobs, he's definitely overstepping. This is to the point where Jerry Reinsdorf needs to step in and settle things, like he did with Ozzie and KW.

Does Sale WANT to be traded? Or does he simply feel that his relationship with Hahn/Ventura/Cooper is so strong that he can justify flying off at the handle against KW and continue the simmering feud without any repercussions for his Sox career? Is that why Hahn and Ventura have been so quiet? Is this Sale's weird way of trying to show or prove to Reinsdorf that KW needs to be gone?

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 18, 2016 -> 09:40 AM) And the thing is, he has no idea what a good major league clubhouse is like. He's been around a country club for six years, so now that they want to dig in a little, he throws a fit. Can we really even say that was the case in 2010, with guys like Omar Vizquel around when Sale came up as a rookie? I'd argue we had that laid-back vibe largely because of guys like Buehrle, Konerko, Dye, Thome...and the mix was certainly changed by players like AJ, Peavy and Rios, but things still worked relatively well even into 2012 when you had a new manager replacing one who'd worn out his welcome and double figures in terms of rookie pitchers. Now we're in a situation where Avi Garcia is a "veteran" compared to the rest of the players. There's been a tremendous amount of turnover, and some of the best players like Abreu and Quintana are among the quietest in terms of leadership. For all that we've heard from Eaton and Sale in the last two weeks, I don't think we heard that cumulative amount from David Robertson, for example, who was brought in largely to bring a little of that Yankee swagger and veteran leadership with him...ironically, one of the same reasons LaRoche was added to that mix in the first place, along with Cabrera and Duke. It's almost like every possible move last offseason in terms of the clubhouse chemistry backfired even more "off the field" with this Drake issue and also pouting Shark/Cooper feud. Bonifacio and Beckham were busts, Duke has joined the Sale/Eaton chorus and Cabrera acted like a clown for 2-3 months after he and Eaton got off to such terrible starts. It's almost like everything Hahn did this entire offseason basically was to offset all the bad the prior 16 months had wrought.

Where is Rick Hahn?

So if you're the Sox and you did make this agreement with LaRoche, isn't it better you realize the error in your letting it go to this extreme and correcting course NOW, before the season actually starts...rather than having it negatively affect clubhouse chemistry and linger on into the season with the new, largely veteran players? This team was designed to WIN NOW. And especially in this two year window that has been created by the way most of the new guys have been signed. The argument's certainly out there (and Passan made it as well) that it doesn't look good to go back on your agreement...but the problem is nobody knows the exact phrasing of that agreement other than Hahn/LaRoche and KW/JR, so everything since has been simply interpretations of the "reasonableness" and parameters of such. If guys like Eaton and Sale are so unhappy with KW and the way the White Sox handled this, they better think long and hard about their future with the organization. It's one thing to disagree with your boss in a way that's clearly unprofessional, it's quite another to make it the business of everyone in the outside world when having that discussion merely serves to cause the problems to linger or fester.

So if you're the Sox and you did make this agreement with LaRoche, isn't it better you realize the error in your letting it go to this extreme and correcting course NOW, before the season actually starts...rather than having it negatively affect clubhouse chemistry and linger on into the season with the new, largely veteran players? This team was designed to WIN NOW. And especially in this two year window that has been created by the way most of the new guys have been signed. The argument's certainly out there (and Passan made it as well) that it doesn't look good to go back on your agreement...but the problem is nobody knows the exact phrasing of that agreement other than Hahn/LaRoche and KW/JR, so everything since has been simply interpretations of the "reasonableness" and parameters of such. If guys like Eaton and Sale are so unhappy with KW and the way the White Sox handled this, they better think long and hard about their future with the organization. It's one thing to disagree with your boss in a way that's clearly unprofessional, it's quite another to make it the business of everyone in the outside world when having that discussion merely serves to cause the problems to linger or fester.

So if you're the Sox and you did make this agreement with LaRoche, isn't it better you realize the error in your letting it go to this extreme and correcting course NOW, before the season actually starts...rather than having it negatively affect clubhouse chemistry and linger on into the season with the new, largely veteran players? This team was designed to WIN NOW. And especially in this two year window that has been created by the way most of the new guys have been signed. The argument's certainly out there (and Passan made it as well) that it doesn't look good to go back on your agreement...but the problem is nobody knows the exact phrasing of that agreement other than Hahn/LaRoche and KW/JR, so everything since has been simply interpretations of the "reasonableness" and parameters of such. If guys like Eaton and Sale are so unhappy with KW and the way the White Sox handled this, they better think long and hard about their future with the organization. It's one thing to disagree with your boss in a way that's clearly unprofessional, it's quite another to make it the business of everyone in the outside world when having that discussion merely serves to cause the problems to linger or fester.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-191033091.html Sale screaming at KW story is everywhere now...

Haha...if he was Jon Rauch or Sean Tracey, he would definitely be out the door.

Well, you can (if you're inclined to do so) blame the LaRoche camp (and Eaton to a lesser extent) and all the various entities (meat company, Pittsburgh media, LaRoche's dad) for responding more specifically and putting the ball back into the White Sox court. It's a no-win situation at this point for both sides in the short-term. Big picture, hopefully this pushes the clubhouse into a more serious, workmanlike approach.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 17, 2016 -> 09:02 PM) My inside info has been severely limited as far as front office stuff but I still know several players. I've sent out many PMs on this topic. The leadership baton has been taken and run with by several of the new players. The old guard may not be that happy about it but that's reality. This team needed stronger personalities and they got them, and those guys wanted a more "boys club" atmosphere. Personally I waited until this story came out before reached out because I didn't believe it at first. But let's say more than a handful of players don't care that LaRoche is gone. We have a new regime and I believe they (Mgmt) likes it that way. Thanks. Well, it was (over)due to happen sooner rather than later...and the need was apparent judging by the (collective) level of play since the end of the 2012 season. And even better not to try to make a course correction during the regular season. Might be one of the last positive contributions of KW to this organization if it works. Time will tell. One has the sense that something has to give between Hahn and KW in the next year or two. Of course, winning and making the playoffs takes care of 90% of the problems.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Mar 17, 2016 -> 08:51 PM) I don't really care how you were raised. If you don't understand what's wrong with that situation, you need to open your eyes to the world around you. Do middle school students no longer take showers for gym class or for after-school sports activities? I don't see the big issue with a 14 year old (assuming he's an 8th or 9th grader)...it probably has more to do with LaRoche's overt Christianity and players self-censoring their comments around him, but obviously that happened for roughly 4 or 5 years without any problems in Washington and last year in Chicago.

Maybe this is a better question for Rock Raines or another "insider." Is it fair to say that LaRoche, Sale, Eaton, Shark (last year), Danks, Duke and perhaps Lawrie are part of one group or clique? Where is Abreu? Is he the leader of the Hispanic players or more of a Konerko/Dye/Thome "lead by example" type? Where does Todd Frazier fit in? Rodon? Robertson? Quintana? Pretty obviously, there's a new group emerging with Rollins, Avila, Jackson, Navarro...(and god knows about Latos). Along with the lethargic/passive clubhouse environment, ONE positive development would be having two veteran catchers in Avila/Navarro who are stronger, more natural leaders than Tyler Flowers. Of course, they have to stay healthy and be productive or they will end up on the outside looking in eventually... And why has Rick Hahn been so quiet and "behind the scenes" this week? Deliberate strategy on the part of the front office to deflect all the attention to KW, like Ozzie used to do all the time by creating his firestorms?

Here's the thing...if the White Sox did a better job of drafting and developing players, promoting them together a level at a time and developing that trust/chemistry/camaraderie first at the minor league level, this kind of thing wouldn't be happening. There's no "White Sox Way" because 75-80% of the roster is a mixture of players from different organizations. (Let it be noted that it worked beautifully ONCE, in 2005...but hasn't since.) We have a clear dysfunction at the top with Hahn/KW not being on the same page. We have created such a "relaxed/comfortable/lethargic" clubhouse that it took outsiders to finally break it up...likely in the form of respected vets like Rollins, Frazier, Avila and Austin Jackson. We likely have a split or polarized clubhouse at the moment...not 100% on racial or position player/pitcher lines, but it's clear that KW's gambit could easily backfire and be used as the excuse for not coming out of the gate hot in April. There's an increasing likelihood that Sale will be even more vocal in his criticism of KW (and implicitly JR) if this thing is allowed to fester. KW seems to be "turning the other cheek" and trying to spin it as a positive for the moment, but surely one of the few positives of this week is that he didn't allow his temper to flare out of control as Sale has a tendency to do...that could have been a complete disaster.

When's the last time an MLB team actually boycotted a spring training or regular season game for an "internal policy" reason? Wonder if the location of the game had anything to do with it...with a "home" game seemingly easier to blow off than one where they would have been the visitors and been even more liable for lost revenues to the other team? Funny thing reading it, made me think back to the 1919 World Series with the Reds...nearly the whole team banding against Comiskey. And it's spandex, haha. Although the actor who played "Lou Brown" in that movie has since died, if I remember correctly. Not sure about "Rachel."

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/03/17/someth...partner=ya5nbcs The most logical/reasonable article yet written on this whole situation.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Mar 17, 2016 -> 08:02 AM) As an employment lawyer, I'll weigh in: If he was promised that privilege, he would have the right to file a grievance over its breach to have it fulfilled. But the labor law maxim: "Work now, grieve later" applies. And even if that unwritten clause were insanely judged to be a "material" term or condition of employment, the law wouldn't allow him to unilaterally decide not to perform, but still collect pay for performing. How long do the White Sox have to wait for an "official" retirement letter from LaRoche? Do they have to allow him to come back if he "unretires"? If they make a move for another DH and then LaRoche tries to come back again two weeks from now, does it go to a grievance or meeting with the MLB Players Union? They can't really stop or block him from changing his mind again, can they? How long does LaRoche have to reconsider if the paperwork hasn't been filed with the league office?

This story won't go away simply because it has too many compelling storylines for non-sports fans. Someone supposedly willing to walk away from $13 million, an amount of money only 3-5% of Americans will earn in their lifetime. Workplace rules and regulations...everyone can identify with bosses in family businesses who had their kids around the workplace too frequently. "FamilyFirst" and the dramatic battle of "good vs. evil" if you care to follow that to its logical conclusion... Bryce Harper. Conflicting ideas of what it means to be a "good or highly-involved" parent. Entitlement of modern-day athletes. It's hard to imagine "The View" not having a round table discussion and late night talk shows not using it as comedy material. Trump, Clinton and Obama should be providing their own soundbites in the coming days. The "self-righteousness" of those with strong Christian beliefs (in terms of a world viewpoint) vs. modern-day/secular America.

"FamilyFirst" >>> The Will To Win

"FamilyFirst" >>> The Will To Win

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...&ocid=yahoo That's one interesting ploy to bring the team together, KW.