The New York Yankees might have emerged victorious against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon, but a stain was left after a benches clearing situation mid-game.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson and the Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson have been going back-and-forth for the past few games, but things came to a head when Chicago catcher Yasmani Grandal began a heated conversation with the Yankees infielder at home plate.
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“What sparked it is the comment he made,” Grandal said, via the NY Post. “This game went through a period of time where a lot of those comments were made and I think we’re way past that. It’s just unacceptable. I just thought it was a low blow, and I want to make sure I got my team’s back. There’s no way you’re allowed to say something like that.”
Grandal and Anderson claimed that Josh Donaldson made a racial comment, calling the Chicago shortstop “Jackie.”
“He just made a disrespectful comment. He was trying to call me Jackie Robinson, ‘What’s up Jackie?’ ” Anderson, said. “I don’t play like that. … That happened the first time he got on, and I let it go that time, and it happened again. It’s just uncalled for.
Anderson has called himself “Jackie Robinson” in the past, so it seems as if Donaldson was poking fun. However, this is undoubtedly a touchy subject that can be perceived in different ways. Donaldson doesn’t believe he did anything wrong, claiming he was simply joking about Anderson’s own assessment.
“I called him Jackie. He came out with an interview that says he’s the new Jackie Robinson … We’ve actually joked about that,” Donaldson said. “I’ve said it to him in years past, not in any manner [other] than just joking around.”
The Yankees are preparing to take on Chicago in a doubleheader on Sunday, so this will be a scenario to keep an eye on, especially if Donaldson and Anderson get into a confrontation.