Chicago White Sox star shortstop Tim Anderson interpreted a New York Yankees‘ nickname for him with a racial undertone. Anderson wasn’t alone in his interpretation.
“He’s made a racist comment,” Chicago White Sox Tony La Russa said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
During the White Sox’s weekend series against the Yankees, New York third baseman Josh Donaldson repeatedly called Anderson “Jackie,” referencing Jackie Robinson.
“He just made a disrespectful comment. He was basically trying to call me Jackie Robinson. He was like, ‘Hey, what’s up, Jackie?’ ” Anderson said. “I don’t play like that. I don’t really play at all. I really wasn’t bothering anyone today, but he made the comment, it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for.”
Donaldson downplayed any chance of having racist intentions in calling Anderson Jackie.
“All right so, first inning, I called him Jackie,” Donaldson said. “Let me give you a little context to that. In 2019, he came out in an interview and said he was the new Jackie Robinson of baseball, he was going to bring back fun to the game, right? And 2019, I played for Atlanta, we actually joked about that [during] the game. I don’t know what’s changed, and I’ve said it to him in years past, not in any matter, but just joking around the fact that he called himself Jackie Robinson. If something has changed from that. My meaning of that is not, any term trying to be racist by any fact of the manner.”
The question of the friction between the two players came about when Anderson walked with Donaldson when the runner was headed back to the Yankee dugout. Donaldson also pushed Anderson off third base earlier this season playing defense.
“It happened in the first [inning] when he first got on [base],” Anderson said. “I spared him that time, and then it happened again. It’s just uncalled for. I don’t have time to be playing like that.”
Yankees fans booed Anderson in the next game of the series after his accusation.
Tim Anderson is greeted with plenty of boos from #Yankees fans as he steps up to the plate, leading off tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/xBVvieaoaY
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) May 22, 2022
Anderson responded by hitting a three-run home run, and shushed the crowd.
TIM ANDERSON. pic.twitter.com/0wqYBo5gUH
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 23, 2022
