White Sox Supervisor Tony La Russa didn’t mince phrases when he was requested what occurred between Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson on Saturday.
“He made a racist remark,” La Russa mentioned of Donaldson. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Shortly after the Yankees beat Chicago at Yankee Stadium, 7-5, Donaldson, who’s white, admitted to calling Anderson, who’s Black, “Jackie” within the first inning. Anderson mentioned it occurred twice within the sport. Anderson deemed the reference to Jackie Robinson, who broke Main League Baseball’s coloration barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, “disrespectful” earlier than agreeing together with his supervisor that the comment was racist.
“Mainly, he was making an attempt to name me Jackie Robinson,” Anderson mentioned. “He was like, ‘Hey, what’s up Jackie?’ I don’t play like that. I don’t actually play in any respect. I wasn’t actually going to trouble no one as we speak, however he made the remark, and you understand, it was disrespectful and I don’t suppose it was known as for. It was pointless.”
Anderson and Donaldson exchanged phrases on the sphere early within the sport. The scenario escalated within the fifth inning when White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal confronted Donaldson as he stepped into the batter’s field. Grandal, pointing towards Anderson at shortstop, acquired head to head with Donaldson, and the benches cleared. Anderson, jogging in from brief, was restrained by teammates and avoided Donaldson. There have been no punches thrown.
“This sport went by way of a interval in time the place numerous these feedback had been meant, and I feel we’re well beyond that,” Grandal mentioned after the sport. “It’s simply unacceptable. I simply thought it was a low blow, and I need to be sure I’ve acquired my staff’s again. There’s no means that you simply’re allowed to say one thing like that.
“Consider me, you don’t need me to inform you guys what I instructed him.”
Yankees Supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned he wanted to resolve Chicago’s accusation earlier than commenting additional. Main League Baseball will examine the scenario, per Newsday’s Laura Albanese.
Donaldson, in the meantime, mentioned he has been calling Anderson “Jackie” for years. He claimed it was a long-running joke between them, stemming from a 2019 Sports Illustrated article by which Anderson mentioned, “I type of really feel like as we speak’s Jackie Robinson.”
Anderson was talking on his want to introduce extra persona and aptitude to baseball’s historically reserved tradition, an effort that Anderson has obtained pushback for at occasions throughout his profession.
“So first inning, I known as him ‘Jackie.’ Let me offer you just a little context of that,” Donaldson started. “In 2019, he got here out with an interview, mentioned that he’s the brand new Jackie Robinson of baseball and he’s going to deliver again enjoyable for the sport, proper? In 2019, after I performed for Atlanta, we really joked about that within the sport.
“I don’t know what’s modified, and I’ve mentioned it to him in years previous. Not in any method than simply joking round for the truth that he known as himself Jackie Robinson. So if one thing has modified from that — my which means of that’s not in any time period making an attempt to be racist by any truth of the matter. It was simply off an interview.”
Donaldson added: “Clearly, he deemed that it was disrespectful. And look, if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I used to be making an attempt to do, by any method.”
For Anderson, there was no humor to be discovered.
“That occurred within the first, the primary time he acquired on, and I spared him that point,” Anderson mentioned. “After which it occurred once more. It’s simply uncalled for.”
Donaldson mentioned he could be open to having a personal dialog with Anderson. His characterization of the scenario raised some eyebrows, although, as Anderson and the White Sox haven’t had an excellent current historical past with Donaldson. Simply final week, Anderson took exception to a bodily tag from Donaldson when the groups performed in Chicago. On an tried pickoff play at third base, Donaldson pushed Anderson off the bag, in the end leading to a protected name. That resulted in an alternate of phrases and a modest bench clearing.
Donaldson additionally had run-ins with the White Sox in 2021 whereas he was a member of the Twins, who, like Chicago, play within the American League Central. In a single such matchup, Donaldson homered off the White Sox ace Lucas Giolito. As Donaldson crossed house plate, he may very well be heard yelling, “Fingers not sticky anymore,” a nod to M.L.B.’s crackdown on pitchers utilizing overseas substances.
Afterward, Giolito known as Donaldson a “pest” and mentioned that if the infielder had an issue with him, he ought to say so to his face. Donaldson then instructed reporters that he confronted Giolito within the stadium’s car parking zone.
On Saturday, Donaldson mentioned that he took duty for final week’s tag on Anderson and was making an attempt to “make mild” of the continuing pressure in an try and defuse issues. “We’re not making an attempt to start out any brawls or something like that,” Donaldson mentioned.
The White Sox, who end their regular-season collection with the Yankees with a Sunday doubleheader, didn’t see it that means.
“He lives in his personal world,” Grandal mentioned of Donaldson whereas additionally citing the dispute with Giolito.
“I’m certain some other staff would have reacted the identical means. Like I mentioned, a remark like that’s simply unacceptable.”
