Tim Anderson, batting champ and two-time All-Star, announces retirement

CHICAGO -- For somewhere around 15 to 20 seconds, Tim Anderson didn’t say a word during a Monday Zoom with Chicago media who covered him as a White Sox stalwart from 2016-23.

It was an unusual situation for the 33-year-old, who Changed the Game from Chicago’s South Side across the entirety of Major League Baseball, and was always so full of life, energy and good humor. But as Anderson announced his retirement, the moment and what he went through in his career took control.

“I'm getting emotional now because we're talking about something that I worked my whole life to get there,” Anderson said. “I never knew the route, I never knew which turn, I never had [any] guidance. I kept going.

“As you know, that was my saying, just keep going. I know I came to the ballpark every day ready to compete, just ready to play for the logo that's on the front of that jersey, and that's what I did. Nobody knows what I sacrificed and what the body felt [like] every day, what I was leaving at home from my kids to my wife, through some of the decisions I made. I still kept going, and I had my moments where it bothered me.

“But I couldn't show it, and it got to a point where it started showing out loud, and I couldn't control it,” Anderson added. “It was just one of those moments where the time is now where I can enjoy life. I'm kind of happier, waking up and being able to be around my kids and really living a real life. Because life is bigger than trying to make people happier with a bat and a ball, you know what I mean?”

There’s no doubt Anderson made people happy with a bat and ball on too many occasions to list. The talented shortstop, who was the team’s top pick and 17th selection overall in the 2013 Draft, authored the iconic “Stalk Off” home run into the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa, during the inaugural MLB at Field of Dreams contest against the Yankees on Aug. 12, 2021.

Anderson didn't invent the bat flip following a big home run or walk-off hit, but he certainly elevated it to an art form. There was actually a bat-flip clinic hosted during the lone SoxFest at McCormick Place where kids showed off their form to their baseball hero.

In 2019, Anderson won the American League batting title and topped all of baseball with a .335 average. He hit .485 over 33 playoff at-bats, with five three-hit games in the seven he played. He was an AL All-Star in 2021-22, starting the game in ‘22. He played for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and devoted countless selfless hours to giving back around the community with his wife, Bria.

Then, it was gone, as quickly as the young man who was known as much for his basketball prowess as baseball at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss., rose to fame. He dealt with a left hand injury in ‘22 and a left knee sprain in ‘23 and he never got back to top form. Anderson tried comebacks with the Marlins in ‘24 and the Angels in ‘25 but would finish his career with 98 home runs, 122 stolen bases, a .276 average and a .714 OPS.

Good moments, for sure, Lifelong memories and relationships forged. But too much pain for Anderson to push forward in the game.

“The game brought a lot of good moments but also brought a lot of pain,” the always forthright Anderson said. “Throughout playing, there definitely were a lot of dark moments. I lost a lot of people. It got to the point where I really couldn’t enjoy being in that setting. It just wasn’t the same.

“Even as I sit here and try to have an open conversion to be more calm and comfortable to talk about baseball, it’s not really there no more. I still love the game, but it’s just brought too much pain to me. So going back to play is probably not for me right now.”

Current business ventures for Anderson include a food truck, a clothing line he’s working on tied to his jersey No. 7 and just helping out as a loving husband and father. On Sept. 17, billed as the "Return of the Southside," the White Sox will honor Anderson during a special pregame ceremony before a crucial contest against the Tigers.

For one game, the White Sox will wear the Nike City Connect “Southside” uniforms -- the black-and-white Gothic script and pinstripes look worn by Anderson and the 2021 AL Central-winning team. Emotions will flow again for Anderson and his family, but it will be more about what was accomplished and not what was left behind.

“They gave me a shot, and they stuck by my side,” Anderson said of the White Sox. “So it's only right that I get to come back and retire as a White Sox for sure.”