Tensions boiled over during Saturday afternoon’s game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who got into it with one another last week during a game in Chicago when Donaldson appeared to push Anderson off the bag while trying to tag him out, had several run-ins with one another during the game, including one moment where Donaldson got face-to-face with Yasmani Grandal and Anderson ran in from shortstop, which led to both teams’ benches emptying.
Benches have cleared in the Yankees-White Sox game.
(via @NBCSWhiteSox)pic.twitter.com/ZajC55nBmU
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 21, 2022
At another point, the two got into it again after the final out of an inning.
Starting to think Tim Anderson and Josh Donaldson might not be best friends
(via @TalkinYanks) pic.twitter.com/X3nPsMuEs2
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 21, 2022
After the game was over, White Sox manager Tony La Russa said that Donaldson “made a racist comment” towards Anderson. This was eventually confirmed by the All-Star infielder, who told the press after the game that Donaldson “made a disrespectful comment, you know, trying to call my Jackie Robinson, like, ‘what’s up, Jackie?’”
Tim Anderson says Josh Donaldson referred to him as “Jackie [Robinson]” pic.twitter.com/sk8R7HEJ7w
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) May 21, 2022
“I wasn’t really bothering nobody today, but he made a comment and it was disrespectful,” Anderson said. “I don’t think it was called for, it was unnecessary.”
Donaldson spoke about it after the game. He first claimed this was a joke between them before claiming he was trying to diffuse a situation.
Donaldson said he did, indeed, call Anderson “Jackie.” Said it used to be a joke between them.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) May 21, 2022
Josh Donaldson says he called Tim Anderson “Jackie” during today’s game, referencing a quote from Anderson in a 2019 story. Donaldson said he felt the self-reference had been a joke between the two of them in the past.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) May 21, 2022
Donaldson said he said “What’s up, Jackie” as a greeting to Anderson in the first in an attempt to “diffuse the situation.” Anderson hadn’t said anything to Donaldson to prompt the interaction.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) May 21, 2022
Donaldson went on to say that he apologized if this was taken as disrespectful. Regardless, it is obvious that this isn’t an inside joke and Donaldson is very much in the wrong here.