Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was knocked down by a wild punch in a fight during a Saturday game against the Cleveland Guardians.
The fight occurred during the sixth inning when Anderson was unable to tag Cleveland Guardians third-baseman José Ramírez out at second base. The pair began to exchange words before Anderson threw down his glove and put his fists up to initiate the fight.
Anderson threw the first punch at Ramírez which resulted in a barrage of exchanged blows until Anderson was knocked down by a wild right hook to the jaw by Ramírez, video of the fight shows. (RELATED: Security Teams Go At Each Other As Massive Brawl Explodes During Face-Off Ahead Of UFC Fight)
Jose Ramirez with a MEAN right hand right to Tim Anderson’s jaw pic.twitter.com/5hZBF8gvJy
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 6, 2023
Chaos ensued after the knockdown as benches cleared and a lengthy brawl ensued involving both teams. Multiple players were observed fighting and being held back. A total of six players, including Anderson and Ramírez, were ejected following the brawl, according to Bally Sports.
Moments after the punch, Anderson appeared to be stumbling under his weight as his team forced him back to the dugout, video shows.
Tim Anderson looks drunk after that punch 😅 pic.twitter.com/SbCZ5PeR3N
— NBA Centel (Fan) (@TheNBACentel) August 6, 2023
“I felt I was able to land one,” Ramírez said after the game via a translator, according to Bally Sports. “He’s been disrespecting the game for a while. When he does something like that on the bases, he can get somebody out of the game. So I was telling him to stop doing that. After he tapped me really hard, more than needed, he said he wanted to fight and I had to defend myself.”
The White Sox went on to win the game 7-4, despite the embarrassing fight performance by Anderson, tying the late-summer series between the teams at one apiece.