White Sox shortstop Anderson having a tough year on and off the field
Tim Anderson is having a season he won't soon forget.
But when the Chicago White Sox's shortstop looks back on 2017, fond memories are going to be few and far between.
On the field, Anderson is batting .235/256/.353, and he leads the major leagues with 22 errors. In late June, Anderson tried improving his overall game by wearing glasses.
Off the field, Anderson is still grieving over the loss of his best friend, Branden Moss, who was murdered in early May back home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
"It's been a tough year for Tim both on the field and off," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "I don't think I've seen a player in my time with the club that's been as affected by off-the-field occurrences as Timmy has this year. We knew as a young player still adjusting to the major leagues, there was going to be some fits and starts in his development.
"Everything he's had to deal with, both with the league adjusting to him and the off-the-field issues that he's had to endure, has made it a tough year for him. But the talent is still there, we still think he's going to continue to improve each year with more and more repetition and very much view him as being an important part of our future."
Anderson feels the same way, despite the building criticism coming from outside the White Sox clubhouse.
In an interview with the Daily Herald Wednesday, Anderson stood up in front of his locker and spoke out.
"You look at it, I'm struggling this year," he said. "What am I hitting, like .230 or something? It could be worse. There are a lot of guys out there struggling way worse than me, hitting .180 or .200. So if this is the struggling point, I'll take it. I just have to keep putting in my work and trust my process and learn from it.
"This is a lesson learned. It's definitely going to help me in the future. There are so many things that have happened in my life and I'm lucky to have so many great teammates help me through everything. Hopefully, I'll be able to reach out and impact somebody else that may be going through the same thing I'm going through."
One thing Anderson has learned this season: Some of the same Sox fans that loved him so much as a rookie last year can quickly turn.
With so much social media around, critics can pounce on multiple fronts. Anderson has fired back on his Twitter account, and he was on the defensive again before the White Sox lost Wednesday to the Blue Jays 5-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
"It was just me letting people know that some things just shouldn't be said," Anderson said. "People have to realize this is my second year. A lot of people kind of get the feeling that I've been here for a while. It's one of those things where, we're going through a rebuild and there are going to be struggles.
"People struggle in life every day. It's one of those things where, I'm still human at the end of the day. I still make mistakes and I'm still learning from them. We've just got to respect one another and understand that there are some things that shouldn't be said."
Like any human, Anderson has lost his temper at times through a trying season.
The 24-year-old former first-round draft pick was ejected from a game for the first time on June 23.
During Tuesday night's loss to Toronto, Anderson had words for Jays starter Marcus Stroman and almost incited a brawl.
Afterward, Anderson said Stroman "complains and cries like he always does."
White Sox manager Rick Renteria acknowledged Anderson is feeling frustrated, but he's not worried about his young shortstop.
"As far as I'm concerned, he's a 24-year-old man who is learning how to play the game and going through his ups and downs like many have," Renteria said. "He's not the first and won't be the last. That's why it doesn't really affect me too much. It doesn't bring a whole lot of cause for me to have pause.
"Not really. I think he's just another human being who is very, very talented and he's continuing to learn and grow up in the game of baseball."
When Anderson does struggle on the field, he leaves it on the field.
"This is not life," he said. "It's baseball. There's more outside stuff that keeps me going, my family. I go home and my daughter (Peyton), she's smiling each and every day, and my wife (Bria) is laughing. That's what keeps me going. When I go out and play and do bad, it's not like I'm going to die or anything.
"I'm just trying to pull a positive out of it. Try not to let baseball cover up my real life. I still have to go home and be a father."
White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
TV: Comcast SportsNet Thursday and Friday; WGN Saturday and Sunday
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Pitching matchups: The White Sox's Miguel Gonzalez (5-9) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3) Thursday at 6:10 p.m.; Carlos Rodon (1-4) vs. Drew Pomeranz (10-4) Friday at 6:10 p.m.; James Shields (2-3) vs. Doug Fister (1-5) Saturday at 6:10 p.m.; Mike Pelfrey (3-9) vs. Chris Sale (13-4) Sunday at 12:35 p.m.
At a glance: The White Sox limp into Boston after going 2-6 at home against the Cubs, Indians and Blue Jays. Since the all-star break, Sox starters have a 6.17 ERA. Jose Abreu is batting .321 with 6 doubles, 3 home runs and 7 RBI over his last 14 games. The Red Sox won 2 of 3 from the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in late May. Ex-White Sox ace Chris Sale beat ex-Sox starter Jose Quintana on May 30 despite allowing 5 earned runs on 10 hits in 5 innings. The Red Sox and Yankees are in a fight for first place in the AL East.
Next: Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field, Tuesday-Thursday
- Scot Gregor