MLB Suspends Yankees Third Baseman Josh Donaldson for ‘Inappropriate Comments’

Major League Baseball (MLB) has suspended New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson for one game over what the league said were “inappropriate comments” he made toward Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson.

During Saturday’s game against the White Sox, Donaldson called Anderson a “Jackie” in reference to the great Jackie Robinson multiple times during the game. Donaldson is a black man and Jackie Robinson made history by being the first black man to play in the MLB. White Sox manager Tony La Russa denounced the comment as “racist.”

“He made a racist comment and that’s all I’m going to say,” La Russa told reporters after the game.

Likewise, Tim Anderson said, “He was trying to call me Jackie Robinson, like ‘What’s up, Jackie?’ I don’t play like that. I wasn’t really bothering nobody today, but he made the comment and it was disrespectful. I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.”

Donaldson admitted to calling Anderson “Jackie” during the locker room interview but denied racist intent.

“We are not trying to start any brawls or anything like that,” Donaldson told reporters. “Obviously, he deemed it was disrespectful and look, if he did, I apologize because that’s not what I was trying to do by any matter.”

As to why he used the name “Jackie,” Donaldson said it stemmed from a joke the two previously had between them following Anderson’s 2019 interview with Sports Illustrated.

“I kind of feel like today’s Jackie Robinson,” Anderson told Sports Illustrated. “That’s huge to say. But it’s cool, man, because he changed the game, and I feel like I’m getting to a point to where I need to change the game.”

The MLB said that Donaldson’s one-game suspension and undisclosed fine stem from “inappropriate comments.”

“MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident. There is no dispute over what was said on the field” said Michael Hill, MLB senior vice president for on-field operations.

“Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions,” he added. “In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”