From the Locker Room: Tim Anderson delivers the spankings
Before a clear letdown of a game — just one hit (and a walk), TA? — Tim Anderson sat for a media session on Wednesday that covered a number of White Sox topics.
It being Pittsburgh and Roberto Clemente Day, I first asked Anderson to weigh in on the significance of the man.
"I'm obviously excited [to be playing in Pittsburgh on Roberto Clemente Day], everything he stood for," Anderson said. "He cherished every moment. That's kind of how I go about my business every day. Hopefully we go out there and get a win."
Given his status as a team leader, and being Nick Madrigal's double-play partner, I wondered if Tim had discussed the baserunning miscues with the rookie after Tuesday's bad White Sox loss.
"I spanked his butt first, he knows better," Anderson laughed. "Things like that happen. [I told him] just know your speed. He’s all right. You saw I got picked off last night. Things happen. He’s going to be just fine."
Anderson, embroiled in a battle with DJ LeMathieu for the AL batting title, speculated on winning a second consecutive one in 2020.
"It would mean a lot," he said. "It would let people know it wasn’t a fluke. I continue to put the work in. The biggest part is being consistent, and continuing to grow."
Anderson was also asked a twist of a question, how would he state the case for a fellow MVP candidate, José Abreu?
"One of the most clutch hitters in baseball," TA said. "With runners on base, he gets them in. Every day he shows up … I could write a whole book about it, but there’s no need for that. You see what type of player he is."
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Tim Anderson video courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.
Actor (final credit: murdered by Albert Einstein in "Carnage Hall"), musician (Ethnocentric Republicans), and Nerf hoops champion, Wiffleball aficionado and onetime bilingual kindergarten teacher, Brett Ballantini also writes about baseball, basketball and sometimes hockey, for the NBA, MLB, NHL, and Slam, Hoop, Sporting News, the Athletic, SB Nation and others. He was CSN Chicago’s Blackhawks beat writer when their 49-year Stanley Cup drought ended in 2009-10, and took over the White Sox beat after that. He currently is the editor-in-chief of South Side Hit Pen and beat writer for Inside the Rays. He also wrote a book about Ozzie Guillén but is running out of space, so follow him on Twitter @BrettBallantini and he'll probably tell you even more about himself than you ever wanted to know.