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Stephen Smith defends white Yankees player suspended for calling black MLB shortstop ‘Jackie’: Wrong to attach racism

May 24, 2022 | | Print Article

(Video Credit: ESPN)

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith stepped up to the proverbial plate and defended New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson on Monday after he called White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson “Jackie,” who became offended over it and clapped back calling Donaldson racist.

Smith appeared on “First Take” and remarked that confrontations such as the one between Donaldson and Anderson “annoy the living hell out of me.”

“Here’s what upsets me about this. We are having a conversation about race and I can’t sit here and tell you that anything Josh Donaldson said was racist,” he said defending Donaldson. “I think that it is actually wrong for people to attach racism or ‘racist’ to Josh Donaldson today or for this incident.”

“Here is why I am annoyed by it. We gotta make sure when we make accusations like that that it counts. It’s damn near pretty irrefutable what you are… And then when real, bonafide, undeniable, unequivocal racist behavior is exhibited and put on display, people get to feign denials and all of this other stuff because so many times we’re bringing this up. I’m just saying we gotta be careful,” Smith asserted.

“Everybody ain’t racist, but there’s quite a few damn racists in this country,” he charged. “Ain’t no question about it. All I’m saying is, when you call somebody racist, I need to be able to look and go ‘yeah, yeah that’s true.’ There can’t be this kind of wiggle room because you dilute real pertinent racist issues and you take the profile away from real racists. That’s what you got to be careful of as a black person.”

The jab occurred during the White Sox-Yankees game at Yankees Stadium on Saturday, according to The New York Times. It immediately blew up in the media afterward and Donaldson was subsequently fined and suspended for it.

Donaldson claimed that the “Jackie” comment was part of a long-standing joke with Anderson. Donaldson is white and Anderson is black. The name stems from a 2019 Sports Illustrated interview where Anderson called himself “today’s Jackie Robinson.”

“So first inning, I called him ‘Jackie.’ Let me give you a little context of that,” commented Donaldson. “In 2019, he came out with an interview, said that he’s the new Jackie Robinson of baseball and he’s going to bring back fun for the game, right? In 2019, when I played for Atlanta, we actually joked about that in the game. I don’t know what’s changed.”

“My meaning of that is not in any term trying to be racist, by any fact of the matter. It was just off of an interview with what he called himself,” he continued. “Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful and look, if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I was trying to do, by any matter.”

(Video Credit: YESNetwork)

“He just made a disrespectful comment,” Anderson commented. “Basically was trying to call me Jackie Robinson, like ‘what’s up Jackie?’ I don’t play like that. I don’t really play at all. I wasn’t really gonna bother nobody today. But he made the comment, and it was disrespectful. I don’t think it was called for.”

White Sox manager Tony La Russa also called Donaldson’s words “racist.”

“There is no dispute over what was said on the field,” a statement from MLB contended. “Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions. In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”

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28 thoughts on “Stephen Smith defends white Yankees player suspended for calling black MLB shortstop ‘Jackie’: Wrong to attach racism”

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  2. so this guy can say he is just like Jackie but when a white guy calls him it it’s racist. mlb is dead to me!!

  3. So calling a black baseball player the name of a famous black baseball legend is racist? When that player called himself the “new Jackie Robinson” in an interview? What a f’n joke. I find it insulting, to insinuate racism to Jackie Robinson’s name, period.

  5. If Anderson had referred to himself as “Abraham Lincoln “ and Donaldson had greeted him with “what’s up, Abe”, it would have been with same intent. It seems that, unlike in the past, Anderson has now joined the “easily offended” crowd and can’t take a little friendly ribbing.

  6. If the guy Anderson referred to himself as “today’s Jackie Robinson” back in 2019 then WHY get bent out of shape at being teased by being called “Jackie” in 2022? If Josh had been BLACK instead of white and called him “Jackie” they’d of probably had a big laugh about it all. Josh is a big tease, he always has been. He’s one of the guys who likes to stir things up but not in a bad way just to get his team and other teams hyped up to play.

    It’s all a “racist” thing because Josh is white and “RACIST” is the new fad. Don’t like the way your food is cooked? The food or server is ‘racist’. Your shoes are too big? The shoes or shoe stores are “racist”

    Anything you don’t like is now “racist”.

  7. One example of white supremacy is that most Euro Americans are impervious to name calling. Sticks & stones and all of that . . .

  9. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is one of my favorite announcers at any level…he regularly shows he understands the difference between racism, bias, and dumbness.

  10. MOST OF THE SO-CALLED ” RACISTS ” IN OUR COUNTRY ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM MY PERSPECTIVE !! F.J.B.

  11. Waa, Waa! For crying out loud! Open mouth. Insert foot. Get over yourself Anderson you knucklehead. So now you’re just waiting to pull the racist trigger if someone wears black socks?

  12. It seems some of us have become so sensitized to “racism” that some claim that term for anything they don’t think they like. Most are of those are nothing but mental midgets that have been brainwashed!!

  13. Keep this I’m offended crap out of MLB ! What a bunch of crap ! Get Anderson some big boy pants !

  14. Could this cry baby mumble a little more about how he was victimized by being called the very Baseball player he actually compared himself to the Great Jackie Robinson! Please stop acting like a little whiny b**ch and put yourself on the bench because you will never be the MAN Jackie Robinson was!

  15. What a bunch of f-ing crybabies today’s men are turning out to be in our once great country. This is what today’s culture breeds…a bunch of sissies and snowflakes. Are they now trying to say that the word “Jackie” is a derogative term? Who’s the real racists here? I’d say anyone turning a baseball legend and pioneer’s name into a negative term are the racists. What Donaldson was clearly saying is, Jackie Robinson was one of baseball’s greats and, Anderson is not! That is plain and simple what he meant by it. I guess Anderson felt a little butt hurt and needed a few minutes in the spotlight.

    So let me ask this. If Anderson had called Donaldson “Babe” wouldn’t that to have been considered racist? Can’t play the double standard here people. It either is or it isn’t. In this case, it clearly is not and the intention was to say that Anderson wasn’t anywhere as good as Jackie Robinson. At the very least, Donaldson was giving high praise to Jackie.

    I’m absolutely sick and tired of this crap! And La Russa is just glad he’s not the one being targeted for falling asleep drunk behind the wheel of his car at a stoplight again. Give me a break!!!!!!

  16. This must be the first time I’ve heard Mr. Smith make a little sense. Usually, he’s the first guy to call something racist. He must be a Yankees fan. Mr. Smith and most of his colleagues on ESPN are race-baiters. That’s why I will never watch ESPN other than games being played.
    Greg Kelly can suck ass. Tim Anderson is a great player. Mr. Kelly must be a Yankees fan too.
    This is what happens when liberals throw the race card on every hand.

  17. This is what is wrong with professional sports! Need to get off the Woke Bandwagon or you’ll end up like Disney!!!

  18. It would be an honor to be called JACKIE in baseball since EVERYONE knows that refers to the GREAT JACKIE ROBINSON #42 !

  19. When I first heard this story it sounded ridiculous to me! I would think this black baseball player would be flattered to be referred to a Jackie Robinson, who was an icon of baseball history. But these days it’s all about being “mistreated” by the bad white man apparently. Just another “poor picked upon me” crybaby evidently!

    1. Exactly. It was meant as a compliment. Jackie Robinson would be offended that it was perceived as an insult.

  20. These are people who use the ‘N’ word on each other, as an endearing term & as often as every sentence. In our screwed up World of Woke, this BS has gotten out of hand.

    1. Sign of a small mind and a petty person! I would be willing to bet that this guy using the “N” word himself and often when talking to or about others of his race. All us “whites” are just supposed to run around with guilt consciences all the time. Talk about race manipulation, here’s a perfect example.

  21. Pretty “weak kneed” on the part of MLB, especially since Anderson is the one that started the “Jackie” name for himself! Pretty pathetic I’d say!

    1. Illiterate man, making tens of millions a year, for his athletic ability is offended & hurt.

  22. Perhaps it was a compliment………………..black isn’t a negative, it’s an adjective. If you are one who gives advice and I call you Oprah, that is not a negative: it sounds like someone wants to play the victim.

  25. La Russa, SOLD OUT WHITES. He, is nothing but a pathetic “cracka”.Willing to SELL OUT a WHITE Player, but will remain SILENT, when a BLACK Player says something to a WHITE. Pathetic.

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