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Is Adam LaRoche a little much ?


Maury Ballstein

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If he was dragging the kid in there or forcing him into things he didn't want to be involved in, then I totally agree with you.

But if the kid was asking to come to the park for home games and he was just trying to spend some extra time with him before he grows up and disappears, then I'm not going to give him hell for it.

Every day?

 

How many friends his own age does this kid probably have? I'm gonna bet zero. Homeschooled and at the clubhouse every day isn't an ideal parenting strategy, IMO.

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If he was dragging the kid in there or forcing him into things he didn't want to be involved in, then I totally agree with you.

But if the kid was asking to come to the park for home games and he was just trying to spend some extra time with him before he grows up and disappears, then I'm not going to give him hell for it.

The son has been with his father in the locker room full time for years. LaRoche had him by his side when he was with Washington. In Washington there were no outward problems with the arrangement. Bryce Harper loved the kid like he was his little brother.

 

I don't think that Chicago's GM was being unreasonable when he told the player that although his son would be allowed in the locker room that it wouldn't be allowed all the time.

 

Personally, I think this arrangement is a little unhealthy for the kid in that his interactions with people outside of baseball were somewhat limited. I think it would have been a healthier situation for him if he associated more with kids his age. I'm not referring to the home schooling aspect of the situation. Even in a home schooling situation kids have a greater opportunity to interact with each other.

 

If Adam LaRouche felt that he couldn't compromise in this matter then he exercised his prerogative by walking away from the game and the paychecks. I'm not sure that he is sending the right implicit message to his son by essentially saying that if you aren't allowed to completely control your work environment then you should walk away. But ultimately he is the father and he has a right to make his own life decisions for himself and his son up to this point.

 

What would happen if other players also wanted to bring their kids into the locker room, even to a limited extent? The situation would get out of hand to the point where the organization would have had to put a stop to the visitations by all the kids. Most often a little commons sense and courtesy would suffice. Apparently it wasn't applied here by Mr. LaRouche whose world view is a little more rigid than most others.

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I was referring to the fact hat he preferred to act like a father as opposed to a child.

But I'd also suggest that deciding how you want to live your own life as opposed to allowing others to dictate your actions is also acting like a man.

 

 

 

That's fine; have yourself a good time.

But calling a guy a "baby" because he's beyond that kids stuff strikes me as sort of stupid.

 

If you feel compelled to insult somebody because they're different from you, at least make the insult fit.

Call him a boring old fart instead........

Understood. Like others said, fair enough. Yet, he is under contract too, don't leave others in a lurch. Leave after contract is up. Walking out on them in a snit is not honorable even if he is hiding behind being an honorable dad. The dad part is commendable, really commendable, we get that.

 

He can be both, honor all his commitment. To me he just seems all holier than thou and threw his kid under a bus. He got the attention and his feelings were hurt, we get that. If the fire isn't there, then humbly move on. I will just leave it at that.

 

If he was dragging the kid in there or forcing him into things he didn't want to be involved in, then I totally agree with you.

But if the kid was asking to come to the park for home games and he was just trying to spend some extra time with him before he grows up and disappears, then I'm not going to give him hell for it.

Dude, it is Spring Training... What state are they in... NOT home...

The son has been with his father in the locker room full time for years. LaRoche had him by his side when he was with Washington. In Washington there were no outward problems with the arrangement. Bryce Harper loved the kid like he was his little brother.

 

I don't think that Chicago's GM was being unreasonable when he told the player that although his son would be allowed in the locker room that it wouldn't be allowed all the time.

 

Personally, I think this arrangement is a little unhealthy for the kid in that his interactions with people outside of baseball were somewhat limited. I think it would have been a healthier situation for him if he associated more with kids his age. I'm not referring to the home schooling aspect of the situation. Even in a home schooling situation kids have a greater opportunity to interact with each other.

 

If Adam LaRouche felt that he couldn't compromise in this matter then he exercised his prerogative by walking away from the game and the paychecks. I'm not sure that he is sending the right implicit message to his son by essentially saying that if you aren't allowed to completely control your work environment then you should walk away. But ultimately he is the father and he has a right to make his own life decisions for himself and his son up to this point.

 

What would happen if other players also wanted to bring their kids into the locker room, even to a limited extent? The situation would get out of hand to the point where the organization would have had to put a stop to the visitations by all the kids. Most often a little commons sense and courtesy would suffice. Apparently it wasn't applied here by Mr. LaRouche whose world view is a little more rigid than most others.

Nailed it! Exactly!

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I loved how Kenny Williams praised him for his great decision. :lol:

 

I honestly think that it is possible that Williams planned this hoping that he would quit.

 

For people who don't know........LaRoche was beyond awful last year. He's old and washed up.

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I loved how Kenny Williams praised him for his great decision. :lol:

 

I honestly think that it is possible that Williams planned this hoping that he would quit.

 

For people who don't know........LaRoche was beyond awful last year. He's old and washed up.

I think this was a passive-aggressive "cut" by Williams. Let LaRoche go out the hero/martyr. But apparently this is now causing a split in the locker room?

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I think this was a passive-aggressive "cut" by Williams. Let LaRoche go out the hero/martyr. But apparently this is now causing a split in the locker room?

 

You think he looks like a "hero"? He looks like a nut job. He is the son of a major league player, and appears to have grown up a coddled athlete, and now he is in some weird fantasyland, and bringing his own kid along into it. And the locker room probably has other guys just as delusional.

 

I'm all for shaping your own reality, but this guy gets no sympathy from me.

Edited by HoF Watkins
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You think he looks like a "hero"? He looks like a nut job. He is the son of a major league player, and appears to have grown up a coddled athlete, and now he is in some weird fantasyland, and bringing his own kid along into it. And the locker room probably has other guys just as delusional.

 

I'm all for shaping your own reality, but this guy gets no sympathy from me.

I, personally, don't think he looks like a hero, but there are certainly those out there (to include some teammates) who obviously do think he is. I don't have enough invested in this to have much of a HOT TAKE on it.

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I, personally, don't think he looks like a hero, but there are certainly those out there (to include some teammates) who obviously do think he is. I don't have enough invested in this to have much of a HOT TAKE on it.

 

I don't have much invested, I don't even watch baseball. I'm well aware that people like him exist, and maybe a cloistered, "life is a country club" world is the aspiration of a significant number of people, but I have no sympathy for it.

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I don't have much invested, I don't even watch baseball. I'm well aware that people like him exist, and maybe a cloistered, "life is a country club" world is the aspiration of a significant number of people, but I have no sympathy for it.

I would have blamed the non-story story on it being a slow sports news time, but the NCAA tournament going, there's plenty to cover. I've heard a heck of lot more about than I ever thought I would though, that's for sure.

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Didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if this has already been covered:

 

LaRoche had an agreement when he signed with the organization that he could have his son around. Per multiple player reports, his son was never "in the way" and was a pleasure to have around. Originally it was reported that he was asked to not have him around as much, but later reports say that he was asked to no longer had him around at all. He admitted that this was likely to be his last year playing and faced with this decision, I don't blame him for walking away. His career was on the decline and he had already pocketed $71.8m in his career. I applaud him for standing up for what he believes in and placing family first. Certainly, having family (children) around the team isn't the norm, But they had that deal in place for him...

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Didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if this has already been covered:

 

LaRoche had an agreement when he signed with the organization that he could have his son around. Per multiple player reports, his son was never "in the way" and was a pleasure to have around. Originally it was reported that he was asked to not have him around as much, but later reports say that he was asked to no longer had him around at all. He admitted that this was likely to be his last year playing and faced with this decision, I don't blame him for walking away. His career was on the decline and he had already pocketed $71.8m in his career. I applaud him for standing up for what he believes in and placing family first. Certainly, having family (children) around the team isn't the norm, But they had that deal in place for him...

The initial reports were that the organization wanted him to dial it down some. I haven't read anything about not wanting the son in the locker room at all. The arrangement went so far as the son having a locker next to his father.

 

The father can raise his family the way he wants. That is his right. The organization also has a right to issue reasonable rules that all the employees have to follow. As I said in another post what if the other players started bringing in their kids to the locker room with a greater frequency? The situation would certainly get out of hand. Then stricter rules would have to be instituted to control the locker room setting.

 

Adam LaRouche is an honorable person and much admired by his peers. He is devoted to his family, and that should be praised. If he isn't willing to make a small adjustment to his current situation then he should find another field of endeavor that would be more accommodating to his lifestyle. The game has provided him with the financial security to do whatever he wants in his next phase of life. He should take advantage of it.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/how-adam-laroches-decision-to-quit-quickly-became-bigger-than-baseball/2016/03/18/09d10d7a-ed46-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

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I suspect we won't hear the other side of the story but it's hard to find much fault with LaRoche after reading that. The more that comes out the worse this looks for Williams and the White Sox. It's pretty telling when your star pitcher publicly rips a senior FO guy as Sale did.

 

It's my understanding that it was in his contract to have his kid in the dugout?

 

From LaRoche's post it sounds like it was more of a gentlemen's agreement.

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The initial reports were that the organization wanted him to dial it down some. I haven't read anything about not wanting the son in the locker room at all. The arrangement went so far as the son having a locker next to his father.

 

The father can raise his family the way he wants. That is his right. The organization also has a right to issue reasonable rules that all the employees have to follow. As I said in another post what if the other players started bringing in their kids to the locker room with a greater frequency? The situation would certainly get out of hand. Then stricter rules would have to be instituted to control the locker room setting.

 

Adam LaRouche is an honorable person and much admired by his peers. He is devoted to his family, and that should be praised. If he isn't willing to make a small adjustment to his current situation then he should find another field of endeavor that would be more accommodating to his lifestyle. The game has provided him with the financial security to do whatever he wants in his next phase of life. He should take advantage of it.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/how-adam-laroches-decision-to-quit-quickly-became-bigger-than-baseball/2016/03/18/09d10d7a-ed46-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

If my aunt had a rooster she'd be my uncle.... We are discussing the situation as it happened, not any variations of a hypothetical....

 

I suspect we won't hear the other side of the story but it's hard to find much fault with LaRoche after reading that. The more that comes out the worse this looks for Williams and the White Sox. It's pretty telling when your star pitcher publicly rips a senior FO guy as Sale did.

 

 

From LaRoche's post it sounds like it was more of a gentlemen's agreement.

Yes... I didn't hear it referred to as anything more than that.... But a mans word should hold value.... Apparently it doesn't in Chicago, right Exiled??? Lol

What is wrong w/dialing it down. I could easily see the practice getting on people's nerves.

 

What is wrong with evolving? I am fine w/him choosing to retire, that is his perogative.

 

I still think he overreacted from being offended...

Because it was t about dialing it back, it was about eliminating it.... Try and keep up, hahaha

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If my aunt had a rooster she'd be my uncle.... We are discussing the situation as it happened, not any variations of a hypothetical....

 

Yes... I didn't hear it referred to as anything more than that.... But a mans word should hold value.... Apparently it doesn't in Chicago, right Exiled??? Lol

 

Because it was t about dialing it back, it was about eliminating it.... Try and keep up, hahaha

Maybe the kid (& LaRoche) were getting on people's nerves? What do you do in that situation.

 

I still don't think it is healthy. Very dysfunctional situation.

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
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It's ridiculous. I can't believe it even needs to be discussed as anything but absurd.

Sure... But why sweep it under the rug. It is a good story to use as why sports is so out of touch w/reality. Like it mentioned above, in what other industry could LaRoche do this.

 

Also, if the kid is being homeschooled, how does bringing him to a baseball job, hanging around a pro clubhouse prepare him well for life?

 

Sure he will get Daddy's millions... Sure hope Adam doesn't blow the inheritance or this kid is fugged more than the others... And that says a lot!

 

This is a gr8 social commentary piece/story... No harm in talking about it, discussing the pros and cons of what Adam is doing... We all can learn something. No?

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no player is going to come out and admit they talked to management about this (IMO). There's no upside to admitting it.

I agree that it's likely no one admits it, I just think it confirms what some thought might be the case.

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Really, no kidding! IMO, it was pretty obvious. I think I hinted to it earlier.

no player is going to come out and admit they talked to management about this (IMO). There's no upside to admitting it.

Exactly! Happens in all jobs when somebody is doing something that gets on other's nerves...

 

...LaRoche, just judging from this story sounded like he was unbearable... And I got two children... 3 w/the wife... There are times when I can't get to work fast enough! LMAO... They probably say the same thing! Tee He he... :-)

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
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Sure... But why sweep it under the rug. It is a good story to use as why sports is so out of touch w/reality. Like it mentioned above, in what other industry could LaRoche do this.

 

Also, if the kid is being homeschooled, how does bringing him to a baseball job, hanging around a pro clubhouse prepare him well for life?

 

Sure he will get Daddy's millions... Sure hope Adam doesn't blow the inheritance or this kid is fugged more than the others... And that says a lot!

 

This is a gr8 social commentary piece/story... No harm in talking about it, discussing the pros and cons of what Adam is doing... We all can learn something. No?

 

I don't want it swept under the rug, I want it discussed as absurd. The guy is living in a fantasy world, yet some people are backing him.

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I don't want it swept under the rug, I want it discussed as absurd. The guy is living in a fantasy world, yet some people are backing him.

 

What does this even mean? No one should 'back him' because he plays baseball for a living?

 

Are you really that bitter about anyone who earns a lot of money in their profession? You need help.

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Sure... But why sweep it under the rug. It is a good story to use as why sports is so out of touch w/reality. Like it mentioned above, in what other industry could LaRoche do this.

 

Also, if the kid is being homeschooled, how does bringing him to a baseball job, hanging around a pro clubhouse prepare him well for life?

 

Sure he will get Daddy's millions... Sure hope Adam doesn't blow the inheritance or this kid is fugged more than the others... And that says a lot!

 

This is a gr8 social commentary piece/story... No harm in talking about it, discussing the pros and cons of what Adam is doing... We all can learn something. No?

I agree that this is a great social commentary piece. I don't think I can remotely question LaRochre's parenting skills though. From a social commentary standpoint I think it's great any time a pro athlete wants to spend time with their child. Don't underestimate the number of pro athletes and other celebs with countless children they never see. In fact absentee parents are everywhere in society. My point is that LaRoche is at least a caring parent. Whether or not it may be your style is the question. The real point of this story is that they didn't want him in he clubhouse, and a guy made a personal choice. No news there. Going to school honestly did very little to prepare me for the "real world" if that's what your referring to. For me going I probably would have learned more from going to work with a parent everyday. Going to school with a bunch of other people the same age,race,and ethnicity for that matter didn't show me what the real world is all about. I'm sure the kid will turn out just fine. I could really imagine an MLB clubhouse being a better real world education than what I got in school. The fact that the child is the center of attention is the sad part of this whole deal. Edited by DriveFor1Outta5
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I agree that this is a great social commentary piece. I don't think I can remotely question LaRochre's parenting skills though. From a social commentary standpoint I think it's great any time a pro athlete wants to spend time with their child. Don't underestimate the number of pro athletes and other celebs with countless children they never see. In fact absentee parents are everywhere in society. My point is that LaRoche is at least a caring parent. Whether or not it may be your style is the question. The real point of this story is that they didn't want him in he clubhouse, and a guy made a personal choice. No news there. Going to school honestly did very little to prepare me for the "real world" if that's what your referring to. For me going I probably would have learned more from going to work with a parent everyday. Going to school with a bunch of other people the same age,race,and ethnicity for that matter didn't show me what the real world is all about. I'm sure the kid will turn out just fine. I could really imagine an MLB clubhouse being a better real world education than what I got in school. The fact that the child is the center of attention is the sad part of this whole deal.

 

You have a wonderful imagination.

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You have a wonderful imagination.

 

Imaginations are wonderful. I could walk into the sox clubhouse and ask Pablo for dietary advice, Hanley for motivational, Ortiz for supplements, and John Farrell for relationship advice. The Red Sox have all bases covered.

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Apparently you guys had a better experience in school than I did. Kids now days are hooked on iPads and cell phones. Social interaction skills are decreasing among young people. Due to that I believe inciting the kid will be socially inept is false. It's just my opinion. Personally I know that I learned nothing of use in real life from K-12. If he's being homeschooled he's still learning th necessary basic knowledge that we all gained, but to question if K-12 prepares one for the real world is a legitimate debate. Maybe some of you did learn everything you needed to know about the world in K-12, but my experience was different. Our experiences shape our personal beliefs. That's why we all have different opinions. Maybe my experiences weren't the same as yours. To mock the idea that it's possible to be normal without spending everyday in a public school is not fair. It's simply an opinion, and we're all entitled to one.

Edited by DriveFor1Outta5
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Apparently you guys had a better experience in school than I did. Kids now days are hooked on iPads and cell phones. Social interaction skills are decreasing among young people. Due to that I believe inciting the kid will be socially inept is false. It's just my opinion. Personally I know that I learned nothing of use in real life from K-12. If he's being homeschooled he's still learning th necessary basic knowledge that we all gained, but to question if K-12 prepares one for the real world is a legitimate debate. Maybe some of you did learn everything you needed to know about the world in K-12, but my experience was different. Our experiences shape our personal beliefs. That's why we all have different opinions. Maybe my experiences weren't the same as yours. To mock the idea that it's possible to be normal without spending everyday in a public school is not fair. It's simply an opinion, and we're all entitled to one.

I find that impossible.

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Don't underestimate the typical TBDer. I find it very plausible that most of you have little to nothing to show for your years spent in academia.

Real classy taking a swipe at me by insinuating that I'm unintelligent and uneducated because I believe it's possible to learn homeschooled and outside of the classroom. Plenty of studies have been shown that our K-12 system does very little to prepare young people for the workforce, and the "real world". Of course I learned basic reading,writing, and arithmetic skills in school, but to say that LaRoche's son is going to be a mess because he might not be attending high school is ridiculous. That was my point. Just because I believe that I would have learned more traveling the U.S. as opposed to spending time in high school doesn't make me an idiot. It's simply an opinion.My statement that I leaned nothing in K-12 was stated poorly, and a great example of hyperbole. I should have stated that I don't feel like it remotely prepared me for the world. There should be more to school in this modern age than just the classic academic subjects. Finances, law and legalities, and countless other important everyday skills are ignored by our education system for the general student. I didn't learn many things I would have liked to know. I could have been quit after eighth grade, and would have had the same base of knowledge that I had after twelfth grade. The math that I use day to day was established by eighth grade, as well as my reading and writing skills. The only area I gained new knowledge was in history class. As a lover of history I would have found that knowledge on my own. Saying that LaRoche's son is going to be somehow stunted seems absurd to me. Edited by DriveFor1Outta5
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Real classy taking a swipe at me by insinuating that I'm unintelligent and uneducated because I said I didn't learn anything in school. Plenty of studies have been shown that our K-12 system does very little to prepare young people for the workforce, and the "real world". Of course I learned basic reading,writing, and arithmetic skills in school, but to say that LaRoche's son is going to be a mess because he might not be attending high school is ridiculous. That was my point. Just because I believe that I would have learned more traveling the U.S. as opposed to spending time in high school doesn't make me an idiot. It's simply an opinion.

Fixed that.

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Real classy taking a swipe at me by insinuating that I'm unintelligent and uneducated because I believe it's possible to learn homeschooled and outside of the classroom. Plenty of studies have been shown that our K-12 system does very little to prepare young people for the workforce, and the "real world". Of course I learned basic reading,writing, and arithmetic skills in school, but to say that LaRoche's son is going to be a mess because he might not be attending high school is ridiculous. That was my point. Just because I believe that I would have learned more traveling the U.S. as opposed to spending time in high school doesn't make me an idiot. It's simply an opinion.My statement that I leaned nothing in K-12 was stated poorly, and a great example of hyperbole. I should have stated that I don't feel like it remotely prepared me for the world. There should be more to school in this modern age than just the classic academic subjects. Finances, law and legalities, and countless other important everyday skills are ignored by our education system for the general student. I didn't learn many things I would have liked to know. I could have been quit after eighth grade, and would have had the same base of knowledge that I had after twelfth grade. The math that I use day to day was established by eighth grade, as well as my reading and writing skills. The only area I gained new knowledge was in history class. As a lover of history I would have found that knowledge on my own. Saying that LaRoche's son is going to be somehow stunted seems absurd to me.

I defended you. You say you ain't lurned nothing in school and that bully Chan insists that you did learn something. I stood up for you when no one else would. A little gratitude would be nice.

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Real classy taking a swipe at me by insinuating that I'm unintelligent and uneducated because I believe it's possible to learn homeschooled and outside of the classroom. Plenty of studies have been shown that our K-12 system does very little to prepare young people for the workforce, and the "real world". Of course I learned basic reading,writing, and arithmetic skills in school, but to say that LaRoche's son is going to be a mess because he might not be attending high school is ridiculous. That was my point. Just because I believe that I would have learned more traveling the U.S. as opposed to spending time in high school doesn't make me an idiot. It's simply an opinion.My statement that I leaned nothing in K-12 was stated poorly, and a great example of hyperbole. I should have stated that I don't feel like it remotely prepared me for the world. There should be more to school in this modern age than just the classic academic subjects. Finances, law and legalities, and countless other important everyday skills are ignored by our education system for the general student. I didn't learn many things I would have liked to know. I could have been quit after eighth grade, and would have had the same base of knowledge that I had after twelfth grade. The math that I use day to day was established by eighth grade, as well as my reading and writing skills. The only area I gained new knowledge was in history class. As a lover of history I would have found that knowledge on my own. Saying that LaRoche's son is going to be somehow stunted seems absurd to me.

 

Yeah great, except this story isn't about you.

 

The fact that the kid is home schooled isn't what makes it over the top (though I have a feeling that, as the son of a multi-millionaire, he probably has better access to a fine education than you did).

 

What takes it over the top is that not only is he home schooled, but that the rest of the time he is spending with his father in a MLB locker room (and that you think that is a better place to get an education in "real life").

Edited by HoF Watkins
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