Tim Anderson announced his retirement on Monday and also explained why it took him so long to accept it.
The two-time All-Star revealed on a Zoom call with reporters that the game provided him joy but pain, too, and that pain is ultimately what pushed him out the door.
Tim Anderson has announced his retirement after 10 Major League seasons spent across the White Sox, Marlins, and Angels. He won the 2019 AL batting title, was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022, and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020. pic.twitter.com/03a220ZluE
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2026
“Definitely a lot of dark moments,” Anderson remarked, visibly distraught, wiping sweat from his face according to Chicago Sun Times as he spoke on the conversation. “Got to a point where I couldn’t enjoy it… I still love the game, it simply brought too much anguish for me.”
Anderson is being more upfront. His career spiraled out of control quickly after earning an AL batting title in 2019 and making back-to-back All-Star teams in 2021 and 2022.
A rocky 2023 season, a public dispute with Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez, personal troubles back home and a body that stopped cooperating all added up. His stints in Miami and with the Angels never got him back to his old self.
Anderson, now 33, believes he has found tranquility off the field. He is running a food truck, creating a clothing brand, and spending time with his family. “I get to wake up every day and be happy,” he remarked.
The White Sox will honour him before their game on September 17, when the team wears its original Southside City Connect jerseys. A fitting farewell for a player who defined that period of Chicago baseball for eight seasons.
