"Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with -- not people who don't get along at all. So that statement right there was complete bull****." - Chicago White Sox players unforgiving after controversial comments from New York Yankees star Josh Donaldson
Josh Donaldson stirred up controversy against the Chicago White Sox player Tim Anderson when he referred to him as "Jackie" during a game. This reference to Jackie Robinson was based on an interview from 2019, where Tim Anderson said he was beginning to feel like a modern day Jackie Robinson.
Tim Anderson was angered by the comments from the New York Yankees star and alleged they were racially motivated. In his defense, Josh Donaldson said that it has been an inside joke between him and Tim Anderson since the time of the interview, but nobody else seems to see it that way.
Andy McCullough reported on comments from Chicago White Sox veteran Liam Hendricks in regard to the situation via Twitter.
Liam Hendriks, on Josh Donaldson's explanation for what he said to Tim Anderson: "Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with -- not people who don't get along at all. So that statement right there was complete bullshit."
"Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with -- not people who don't get along at all. So that statement right there was complete bullshit." - Liam Hendriks, via @ Andy McCullough
While Josh Donaldson may have made the reference before this very heated moment, as Tim Anderson alleges, that does not make it an inside joke that both parties are comfortable with.
Video of the incident as well as the post-game interview from Tim Anderson was posted to Twitter by NBC sports.
Tensions boiled over Saturday between the White Sox and Josh Donaldson when the third baseman was accused of directing a racist comment at Tim Anderson. #WhiteSoxin60 https://t.co/gACTkKHV4z
"Tensions boiled over Saturday between the White Sox and Josh Donaldson when the third baseman was accused of directing a racist comment at Tim Anderson" - @ White Sox Talk
The Chicago White Sox ended up getting the last laugh as they won the series on the road, becoming the first road team in the MLB to win a series at Yankee Stadium in 2022.
Josh Donaldson and the New York Yankees could face further discipline
Josh Donaldson has a well-earned reputation for trash-talking and attempting to get into the heads of his opponents, but this latest incident is still being investigated by the MLB and could lead to serious consequences. Players from the Chicago White Sox are in an uproar and are standing up for their teammate.
USA Today reported that the league is still investigating the comments made during the game.
MLB will be looking further into Josh Donaldson's "Jackie" comments. usatoday.com/story/sports/m…
"MLB will be looking further into Josh Donaldson's 'Jackie' comments" - @ USA TODAY Sports
In a poetic end to the series, Tim Anderson delivered the dagger home run in the eighth inning to give his team a 5-0 lead and ice the game, highlights of which can be found below, posted by the MLB on YouTube.
Seeing teammates like Liam Hendriks stand-up for Tim Anderson is a great sign for the Chicago White Sox, and if there is any silver lining to this situation, it is that the team is more united than ever before.