Tim Anderson Makes First Official Statement Since Brawl With Jose Ramirez
Nearly two weeks after getting into a fight with Guardians third baseman José Ramírez, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson issued a statement on his Instagram story on Thursday, apologizing for his actions amid an “incredibly disappointing season.”
Anderson and Ramírez got into a skirmish during an Aug. 5 game when Ramírez slid into second base, where Anderson was covering the bag. The two exchanged heated words before eventually throwing blows.
“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’s statement read. “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 was issued a six-game suspension for his role in the melee, which was reduced to five games after an appeal. He will begin serving that suspension on Friday.
An All-Star in each of the previous two seasons, Anderson has struggled through what’s statistically been the worst year of his career. Through 92 games, he’s batting .238/.285/.284 with just one home run. The White Sox entered play on Thursday in fourth place in the American League Central with a record of 48–73.
“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,” Anderson wrote. “I look forward to returning after serving my suspension and finishing the season playing the best baseball I can to help my team.”
