The Game Has Changed: Reflecting on Tim Anderson's White Sox Tenure

I was there on June 10, 2016. Jimmy Rollins had been designated for assignment and his heir apparent had taken over at the shortstop position. That night, Anderson made his MLB debut three years after being drafted by the club in the first round.

There was a layer of excitement in the air as the team's shortstop of the future took his position. When he laced a double down the left-field line in his first plate appearance, I and the rest of the crowd in attendance showed our appreciation for what we hoped was a sign of things to come for a long time.

Anderson was still a very raw player when he got the call to 35th/Shields, and it was obvious there would be some growing pains along the way. He was a notoriously aggressive hitter throughout the minor leagues, not showing much in the way of plate discipline. However, he hit every step of the way. The hope was that his development on a team that was inching toward a full-scale rebuild would allow him to get the necessary seasoning at the big-league level to be a major contributor by the time the club was ready to compete again.

On both sides of the ball, Anderson's first three seasons were filled with ups and downs. He showed what a dynamic player he could be with a combination of power and speed that made him fun to watch. His pure athleticism was on full display allowing him to make highlight-reel plays that few in the game could. However, physical errors were commonplace and frustrating for many within the fan base. I tried to temper my frustrations as this was an evolving player that was still relatively young in baseball terms.

When the calendar flipped to 2019, we saw a new Tim Anderson. We saw the guy that was the igniter, the straw that stirred the drink — dare I say the guy who #SetTheTone. It was that season in which Anderson won the American League batting title with a .335 average, announcing his arrival to the baseball world.

It was also this season where his bravado and flare were on full display as the "Bat Flip Heard Round the Baseball World" occurred. From this event, a new mindset was born that eventually turned into a slogan the White Sox embraced: "Change The Game." Anderson felt as if he was going to be one of the players leading the charge against baseball's old-school traditions and unwritten rules.

Anderson, alongside Jose Abreu, became a face of the White Sox franchise. He was active in the community looking to help underprivileged youth and underserved communities to have better days. He and his wife, Bria, became very public figures on the South Side as the two became synonymous with the team and neighborhood in which he played.

#SetTheTone

The 2019 season was just the beginning of Tim Anderson's ascension to baseball stardom. From Opening Day of that season until his groin injury in May of last year, he was truly one of the most electrifying players in the game. During that time, he slashed .326/.354/.496, good for a 130 wRC+ in 1,463 PA. When he was on base, he showed savvy instincts by swiping bags at a 77% clip, though that number doesn't do justice to his overall skill. Anderson's uncanny ability to cut angles on the bases correctly, and getting tremendous reads allowed him to be one of the best baserunners in the sport.

He was a dual threat offensively, and his defensive game showed improvement during this time as well. For a player who wasn't a baseball lifer, Anderson's instincts at short improved with each passing season. Yes, the physical errors still happened and were something that many fans pointed to on a semi-regular basis. However, his ability to get to balls many shortstops couldn't and be in the right position regularly couldn't be ignored.

He had truly worked to "Change The Game" as his play was taking his stardom to new levels. I spoke glowingly almost nightly during Sox On Tap postgame shows about Anderson's high baseball IQ and ability to make things happen. This team was truly at its best when TA was at the top of the lineup making things happen.

On Aug. 12, 2021, he had perhaps the moment that will forever define his White Sox career.  In the bottom of the ninth, after I famously looked over to my On Tap Sports Net colleague Tony Marchese and told him Seby Zavala just needed to get on base so Timmy could walk it off against the New York Yankees in an Iowa cornfield, Anderson delivered a cinematic moment that won't be forgotten by Sox fans.

This moment was unfortunately the pinnacle of Anderson's time in a White Sox uniform. The team didn't achieve their postseason goals in 2021. Hopes were high entering the 2022 season, but as quickly as Anderson's stock rose beginning in 2019, it came crashing down.

Fall From Grace

Something felt off heading into the 2022 season. I took a ton of heat from people on the interwebs for hinting at this, but it was obvious from the start. A brutal April day in Cleveland led to a clubhouse confrontation that hasn't been directly confirmed but has been hinted at and talked about through enough backchannels that it simply can't be ignored. Tim Anderson was apparently at the forefront of this situation, and his place as a team leader was called into question.

Then on May 29 in a game against those jabronies from across town, Anderson strained his groin and was never the same. It was the beginning of an unfortunate string of injuries that zapped the power element from Tim's game almost entirely. When he returned on June 20 of last year, he simply wasn't the same player.

In August, he tore a ligament in his hand, ending his season. Coming into 2023, there was hope that it would be a redemption tour for Anderson and the team after the disastrous 2022 season. Nobody could see that things were only going to get worse for both. TA put together the worst offensive season in the league, coupled with defensive miscues and mental lapses that became too prevalent.

From the time he returned from his groin injury on June 20, 2022 until the end of the 2023 campaign, Anderson slashed a paltry .246/.286/.295, equating to a gut-wrenching 61 wRC+. He only hit two home runs over those final 702 plate appearances. The dynamic force at the top of the White Sox order, the guy who made things go for this team, was no more.

A man who was once viewed as a face of the franchise and a model citizen in the community had now become a pariah. Off the field, controversies swirled and their impact on his play became a hot topic throughout social media. The fall from grace reached its lowest level Saturday when the Sox declined their $14 million option on Anderson.

End of an Era

I find it odd in some ways that the White Sox immediately took to social media to thank Tim Anderson for his time and contributions to the franchise and city. A relationship that looked destined to have staying power just a few years ago now appears to be damaged so irreparably that the two sides can't help but part with one another. In some ways, this separation may be the best thing for both parties. But if you would've told me this is how it was going to end two years ago, I wouldn't have believed you.

Anderson's time on the South Side will be remembered as a complex one. He showed dynamic ability, improving in many aspects of his game over time to the point where he became a mainstay of the franchise and one of the most marketed players in the entire sport.

As quickly as he rose, he came crashing down, sadly. Anderson has been a shell of the player he was close to for almost three and a half seasons, and it happened at a time when the Sox couldn't afford it. As the organization has spiraled into disarray, Anderson has gone down with them. It shouldn't have ended like this.

Anderson looked like he was going to go down as a franchise icon just a couple of seasons ago. In the blink of an eye, things changed and he is now gone. From fan favorite to outcast, the overnight change has been like nothing I can remember with such a prominent player on this team.

Unfortunately for Tim Anderson and the White Sox, the game has changed – just not in the way both sides hoped.