All-Star starter Anderson driven to 'do anything on the field'

The following story concerning Tim Anderson has been shared and reshared on a couple of occasions. But it’s a tale worth telling again with Anderson prepared to represent the White Sox as the American League’s starting shortstop at the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Anderson had a tremendous start to the 2019 season, with 14 hits in his first 25 at-bats and carrying a .402 average out of a contest on April 26 against with the Tigers, where he hit a walk-off home run. That .400 pace didn’t continue, but Anderson still was a very worthy All-Star candidate for that year’s game in Cleveland.

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He was not voted in. So, while Anderson was recovering from a sprained right ankle, keeping him out of action from June 25 to July 30 in '19, he made a decision about his second-half goal. White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing, who has worked extensively over the years with Anderson, takes the story from there.

“At the break, he said to himself, ‘You know what? I’m going to go out and win the [AL] batting title because nobody can vote on that. I can do it myself,’” McEwing told MLB.com during a recent interview. “He went out and did it and it was the first time that he threw out in the universe and manifested that he could achieve something in this game. After that, that winter, he reflected on it and said, ‘You know what? I can envision myself doing anything I want in this game.’

“Winning MVP, starting an All-Star Game, winning a Gold Glove, winning a championship. That’s why he plays the game. He plays the game to win and everything else takes care of itself. That’s the biggest growth and continued growth is that he believes he can do anything on the field.”

By hitting .335 in 2019, Anderson not only won the AL batting title, but he had the highest average of any qualifying hitter in baseball. He followed up that effort by hitting .322 during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season and .309 in 2021, when the White Sox won their first AL Central title since 2008. Anderson, who will take a .310 average into his All-Star start, is a master craftsman at the plate.

That championship goal spoken of by McEwing has yet to be found by Anderson, although the 29-year-old is 16-for-33 with six runs scored in seven postseason games covering two straight playoff series losses. It’s unusual for the White Sox to not find success when their igniter at the top of the order is making things happen.

The White Sox are 115-65 when Anderson records a hit, 68-26 with a multihit Anderson effort, 88-41 with a run scored and 27-3 when Anderson homers.

“When he goes, we go,” McEwing said. “Early on, him and Pito [José Abreu] had a lot of it on them with everyone being injured and people being out. That’s a lot to take on, but he wants that. He wants that opportunity, and he does amazing at it.”

“It’s a cool fact, but they aren’t going to keep me around just because of that,” Anderson said in an interview earlier this season. “I’m just going to keep competing, keep playing and really see what happens. I’ve just been enjoying the moment and trying to lead the team the best way I can, and try to get as many wins as I can. Be a great teammate, pick up my guys and go out and play hard.”

With three more home runs, Anderson would become the fourth player in White Sox history to record 100-plus homers and 100-plus stolen bases -- joining Hall of Famer Minnie Miñoso, Alexei Ramírez and Ray Durham in that category.

Anderson earned his second All-Star selection and joined Luis Aparicio (1958-59, '62, '70), Chico Carrasquel (1951, '53-54) and Luke Appling (1936, '40) as the franchise’s All-Star starters at shortstop. Anderson is the first White Sox All-Star starter since Abreu was voted in at first base in 2018-19. Anderson also became the sixth White Sox shortstop to make the All-Star team, joining Ramírez (2014), Ozzie Guillen (1988, ’90-91), Aparicio (1956, ’58-62 and ’70), Carrasquel (1951, ’53-55) and Appling (1936, ’39-41, ’43, ’46-47).

That’s a pretty good list for Anderson to be included on. But even with his star power rising nationally, Anderson’s accolades are just beginning in his seventh season in the Majors. It seems as if anything he sets his mind to, he can eventually accomplish.

“Yes, it’s motivation. It’s self-motivation,” McEwing said. “That’s the biggest thing, believing in yourself. You can go out and do something, and when you see it come full circle and you see it happening, then you know it’s just a whole different world of confidence.”

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks was added to the All-Star team on the morning of July 17. It will be the third All-Star appearance for Hendriks and second straight with the White Sox. Hendriks has 18 saves and has allowed only one walk and nothing else in his last 28 batters faced since June 4.