White Sox: Tim Anderson Continues to Prove He’s The Hero of 2019

When the White Sox needed him most, the hero of this season stepped up and delivered in the clutch. And he’s not sorry about his exuberant celebration.

The Chicago White Sox needed a hero on Friday night in their series opener against the Detroit Tigers. Carlos Rodon lasted just three innings and allowed a season-high eight earned runs. Eloy Jimenez left the game with a right ankle sprain after attempting to rob a home run.

After four innings, the White Sox trailed the Tigers 8-1. Things appeared to be dark for the team as they were headed towards their third consecutive loss. But a big night from the hero of this season, Tim Anderson was capped off with another dramatic bat flip from the young shortstop.

The Sox would strike a comeback against the Tigers and it was nearly derailed by a baserunning error from Jose Abreu. This baserunning error also involved Anderson as Abreu passed him up at first base when he hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning. This would turn Abreu’s sixth home run of the season to just a single that scored Anderson and Leury Garcia.

For the Sox, a 12-10 lead became an 11-10 lead. The game would later be tied at 11 going into the ninth inning. This gave way to another incredible moment from Anderson in the bottom of the ninth inning. A moment that could prove that Anderson is indeed the hero of this season.

While there was much debate over Anderson’s other bat flip incident that led to him getting suspended for his language, this moment was even better. There were criticisms over Anderson’s celebration of his home run against the Kansas City Royals because it happened so early in the game. However, this bat flip on Friday came with the game on the line.

“I knew I had to do it. It’s different. I did it again, so I let the people know it wasn’t a fluke. It was definitely a great moment.” Tim Anderson

Anderson is having a fantastic start to his 2019 season and he should be allowed to celebrate his success on the field. He’s become more of a vocal leader this season, which the Sox needed especially after their failed attempts to sign top free agents this past offseason. Anderson is leading the American League with a .402 batting average and leads MLB with 10 stolen bases.

This is the Anderson many Sox fans have been waiting for. He’s becoming one of the better players in MLB and also one of the better first-round draft picks selected by the Sox since Chris Sale. There was a lot of flack given to Anderson over the past few years from many fans. Now, those same fans are silenced by Anderson’s strong start to this season.

If Anderson can continue his hot start to this season, he will surely be in line to become an All-Star. The Sox might not have a winning year, but they can certainly have an exciting season thanks to young players such as Anderson. The hero Sox fans deserve is Anderson and thankfully he’s starting to blossom into a solid player in 2019.