NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 21: Jose Abreu #79 holds back Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox after a benches-clearing dispute between Yasmani Grandal #24 of the Chicago White Sox (not pictured) and Josh Donaldson #28 of the New York Yankees (not p …
CHICAGO - New York Yankee Josh Donaldson called Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson "Jackie [Robinson]" during a fight on the field on Saturday, and White Sox coach Tony La Russa said the comment was racist.
"He made a, you know, disrespectful comment," Anderson said after the game. "Basically, he was trying to call me Jackie Robinson – you know ‘What’s up Jackie.'"
"He made a racist comment, Donaldson, and that's all I'm gonna say," White Sox coach Tony La Russa said after the game.
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The incident happened during an argument between Yasmani Grandal of the Chicago White Sox and Donaldson during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Sox teammates dragged Anderson away from Donaldson after the comment.
Donaldson said afterwards it was a joke and that Anderson had previously referred to himself as Jackie Robinson.
"I've said it to him in years past, not in any manner but just joking around that he called himself Jackie Robinson," Donaldson said after the game. "If something has changed from that, my meaning of that is not – any term trying to be racist."
The Yankees beat the Sox 7-5.