Yankees slugger Donaldson accused of racism after 'Jackie' jibe / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
-
Nick Harkaway Expands John le Carré’s Spy Universe in 'The Taper Man'
-
Binance CFO Kaiser Ng Departs Amid Aftermath of $6.3 Billion Hack
-
Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
-
London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
-
UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
-
Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
-
NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
-
Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
-
Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
-
IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
Yankees slugger Donaldson accused of racism after 'Jackie' jibe
Chicago manager Tony LaRussa accused New York Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson of making a "racist" remark against White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson after another stormy battle between the two teams on Saturday.
Donaldson, who is white, admitted addressing African-America Anderson as "Jackie" during an exchange early in New York's 7-5 victory at Yankee Stadium.
The remark was seen as a reference to Jackie Robinson, the civil rights icon who became the first Black player in Major League Baseball when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
"He just made a disrespectful comment," Anderson told reporters after the game.
"Basically he was trying to call me Jackie Robinson. 'What's up, Jackie?' I don't play like that.
"I wasn't really going to bother nobody today, but he made the comment and you know it was disrespectful and I don't think it was called for. It was unneccessary."
White Sox skipper LaRussa went further, accusing Donaldson of racism.
"He made a racist comment, and that's all I'm going to say," LaRussa said. "That's as strong as it gets."
Donaldson later rejected the claim of racism, saying his remark referred to a 2019 interview Anderson had given in which he described himself as "today's Jackie Robinson."
"My meaning of that is not any term trying to be racist by any fact of the matter," Donaldson said.
"Obviously, he deemed it disrespectful. And look, if he did, I apologize. That's not what I was trying to do by any manner and that's what happened."
The controversy was the latest flashpoint involving Anderson and Donaldson.
In a game on May 13, the Yankees and White Sox benches cleared after Anderson reacted to a rough tag by Donaldson.
The simmering antipathy between the teams boiled over again in another incident on Saturday which came after the Anderson-Donaldson flashpoint.
The benches emptied in the fifth inning after White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal unleashed a volley of invective at Donaldson.
A.Gasser--BTB
