Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson wrote a statement on Thursday night apologizing for his fight with Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, which led to a suspension from MLB.
“I want to apologize to the entire White Sox organization, my teammates, manager and coaches and to the fans for my part in the altercation which took place in Cleveland,” Anderson wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories. “This has been an incredibly disappointing season for me personally and for our team. I will not get into the things that were said to me by Cleveland players both Friday night and Saturday, but those comments do not excuse my language or conduct, and I take full responsibility for my emotions getting the better of me.”
Anderson’s suspension from MLB was initially six games, but it was dropped to five games earlier Thursday following an appeal. The suspension begins Friday when the White Sox face the Colorado Rockies.
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Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez, center, and Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson (7) exchange punches in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
After sliding into second base for a double, Ramirez and Anderson got into it, jawing at each other with Ramirez sticking his finger in Anderson’s face while an umpire was trying to break it up.
That pushed Anderson over the edge, as he dropped his glove and put his fists up with Ramirez obliging. They both threw punches, with Ramirez landing a right hook on Anderson’s jaw that knocked him down to the dirt.
With team dugouts and bullpens cleared, the dust finally settled with Anderson and Ramirez ejected from the game. Afterward, Ramirez called out Anderson for “disrespecting the game.”
TIM ANDERSON OF WHITE SOX HAS SUSPENSION FOR JOSÉ RAMÍREZ FIGHT REDUCED TO FIVE GAMES
“When he does something like that on the bases, he can get somebody out of the game,” Ramirez said about the tag Anderson appeared to put on his face when he slid into second base. “So, I was telling him to stop doing that. After he tapped me really hard, more than needed, he said he wanted to fight. And I had to defend myself.”
In his apology statement, Anderson touched on that.
Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox throws a ball into the stands during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
“The Cleveland players are free to say whatever they want, but I will just say that no one has more respect for the game of baseball than me,” he wrote. “I look forward to returning after serving my suspension and finishing the season playing the best baseball I can to help my team.”
As Anderson mentioned, it’s been a down year for him personally in his eighth season in MLB with the White Sox. He’s hitting a career-low .238 with a .285 on-base percentage, and .284 slugging percentage, which is by far a career-low. He slugged .395 last year, falling below .400 for the first time in his career.
The two-time All-Star has just one homer and 21 RBI over 92 games.
But Anderson isn’t the only problem in the Windy City, as the White Sox own a 48-73 record entering Thursday. If it wasn’t for the lowly Kansas City Royals at 39-84, they’d be at the bottom of a mediocre Al Central division.
Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox stands in the dugout prior to a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 30, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
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Anderson is eligible to return to the field for the White Sox on Aug. 23 when they face the Seattle Mariners.
