TA to LA! Shortstop earns 1st AL starting nod

CHICAGO -- White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is going to Hollywood.

The 29-year-old was voted in as the AL starting shortstop, defeating Toronto’s Bo Bichette in the final All-Star voting to name starters at each position. Anderson won by a 55-45 percent margin, as announced on the ESPN show Friday night.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 19 on FOX

Anderson earned his second All-Star selection and joined Luis Aparicio (1970, '62, '58-59), Chico Carrasquel (1951, '53-54) and Luke Appling (1936, '40) as the franchise’s All-Star starters at shortstop. He’s the first White Sox All-Star starter since José Abreu was voted in at first base in 2018-19.

“Just coming here from the jump and just grinding all the way to here and now just to see where it started at. It’s just a blessing,” said Anderson after knocking out two hits and scoring once during his team’s 7-5 loss to the Tigers Friday. “I’m very thankful to be selected to start.”

• Full results for Phase 2 of All-Star voting

Anderson, who was the team’s top pick in the 2013 Draft, has emerged as one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Even with a 3-for-24 start to the homestand, Anderson is hitting .316 with 10 stolen bases and 35 runs scored.

With four more home runs, Anderson joins Minnie Miñoso, Alexei Ramírez and Ray Durham as the only players in White Sox history to put up 100-plus homers and 100-plus stolen bases. The White Sox are 131-97 since 2020 when Anderson is in the starting lineup, 109-63 when he gets a hit, 65-26 when he has a multihit game, 84-38 when he scores a run and 26-3 when he homers.

“I just have to continue to keep going and keep growing,” Anderson said. “You know it means a lot for people to be paying attention and root for me and vote for me. I’ll forever be thankful for them making that happen.”

Anderson is 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). He’s the first White Sox homegrown All-Star starter since left-handed pitcher Chris Sale in 2016 and the first homegrown position player to start since first baseman Frank Thomas in 1997.

Anderson is also one of eight White Sox first-round picks to be named an All-Star. That list includes left-handed pitchers Carlos Rodón (drafted in 2014) and Sale ('10), Thomas (1989), third baseman Robin Ventura ('88), right-handed pitcher Jack McDowell ('87) and outfielders Harold Baines ('77) and Carlos May ('66). Anderson becomes the second African American player to be voted starting AL shortstop, joining Derek Jeter (nine times, last in 2014).

“He's as good as anybody out there,” said White Sox manager Tony La Russa of Anderson. “I think the more exposure he gets, he took care of a lot of that in that [Field of Dreams] game in Iowa last year.”

Right-handed starter Dylan Cease, closer Liam Hendriks and Abreu are a few other prime White Sox candidates for All-Star recognition. But after being left on-deck last year for a chance at his first career All-Star at-bat, Anderson knows he won’t miss out in 2022. He’ll be a starring attraction in Los Angeles from the first pitch.

“I’m going to get an at-bat this year,” said a smiling Anderson. “It’s pretty cool. I’m definitely excited about it for sure. I’ll definitely remember getting an at-bat and at least starting. I’ll definitely remember that.”