LAROCHE, SON WILL APPEAR ON ‘ GMA’ TODAY
ANGELS 7, WHITE SOX 0
Adam LaRoche went away, but his retirement story won’t.
The ex- White Sox designated hitter who abruptly retired during spring training will appear on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday along with his 14- yearold son, Drake, to discuss why he walked away from the Sox with a year left on his contract.
LaRoche was asked by team vice president Ken Williams to reduce the amount of time his son was spending in the clubhouse. He opted to retire instead.
LaRoche will be interviewed by ABC news anchor and correspondent T. J. Holmes, “talking family and his decision to leave baseball,” according to the show.
“It wasn’t just about his son . . . or the $ 13 million. You’ll hear him explain it himself,’’ Holmes tweeted Monday.
LaRoche released a statement after he retired. The only time he was heard from since then was in an ESPN The Magazine interview published last week.
“I am choosing my son over you guys,” is what LaRoche told the magazine he said to teammates.
LaRoche also revealed to the magazine that he went on an undercover rescue mission to fight sex slavery in Southeast Asia last November.
Energy
One of the early storylines for the 2016 Sox is the new clubhouse vibe, the result of new veterans and new energy.
Brett Lawrie, 26, is the energy guy, and while watching him in the dugout and on the field can appear to be over the top at times, it works for manager Robin Ventura because Lawrie has been good in the field at second base and went into the game against the Angels at U. S. Cellular Field batting .304.
“You understand when there’s a live wire in there, and it’s a positive’’ Ventura said. “He’s like that, but you also have to be able to play. If he couldn’t play, he’d be a pain in the butt in a lot of ways. But he can play, and they respect the way he plays and shows up and does stuff.
“That’s just as important as being a little crazy and energetic and all that. He can play, and that’s what validates him.’’
Veteran moves
The Sox are into shifting infielders more than ever, but veterans such as Todd Frazier at third, 37- year- old Jimmy Rollins at short and even Lawrie at second have enough experience to take a step over, in or back depending on the situation, ensuing pitch or hitter.
“Maybe they’ve played against somebody or get a feel for something, and they can take a step that we don’t necessarily see from the dugout,’’ Ventura said. “They can make adjustments on the fly. That’s as important as knowing all the information . . . and they’re not afraid to try.’’
On this day
The Sox opened U. S. Cellular Field 25 years ago Monday, on April 18, 1991. They lost to the Tigers 16- 0.
Monday was the nine- year anniversary of a Cell highlight, Mark Buehrle’s no- hitter against the Rangers in 2007. Buehrle, who became one of the most popular players in Sox history, walked one, struck out eight and faced the minimum 27. Buehrle retired the first 13 batters before walking Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth, then picked Sosa off first.