Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been suspended for six games and Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez for three for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl during Saturday’s game, MLB announced Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Their suspensions would have been effective Monday night, but both players are appealing. Both players were fined undisclosed amounts.
- Guardians manager Terry Francona, third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh and closer Emmanuel Clase were also suspended one game each and fined an undisclosed amount, as was White Sox manager Pedro Grifol. White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech and Guardians outfielder Gabriel Arias also received undisclosed fines.
- The melee broke out after Ramírez slid into second base in the bottom of the sixth inning and was called safe, with Anderson standing over him. Ramírez and Anderson then exchanged words before Anderson threw a punch toward Ramírez, causing the benches to clear, and Ramírez hit Anderson in the face — sending him to the ground.
Benches cleared in Cleveland after White Sox’s Tim Anderson and Guardians’ José Ramírez threw punches.
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— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 6, 2023
What they said
Ramírez, via team interpreter Agustín Rivero, said Saturday that “(Anderson’s) been disrespecting the game for a while.
“It’s not from yesterday or from before. I even had the chance to tell him during the game, ‘Don’t do this stuff. That’s disrespectful. Don’t start tagging people like that.’ In reality, we’re here trying to find ways to provide for our families. When he does the things he does on the bases, it can get somebody out of the game. So I was telling him to stop doing that and then as soon as the play happened, he tagged me again really hard, more than needed, and then he reacted and said, ‘I want to fight.’ And if you want to fight, I have to defend myself.”
Required reading
(Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)
