GQ: Tim Anderson Is Tired of Being the Most Misunderstood Man in Baseball

[4uckOffCommieScum]

Ozzie Guillen had a higher career WAR through age 30 than TA, yet he thinks he’s the best player in baseball. I mean, come on, now.

[Dick Allen]

Outplay Zach Remillard then pop off.

[4uckOffCommieScum]

12 minutes ago, bmags said:

the article is just a writer re-hashing a bunch of stuff that's been written about ad nauseum likely because they are based in NY and TA visited a few weeks ago.

Huh? These are new quotes from TA’s interview with the author.

here’s another new and deluded statement from   TA: “That next year, [the video game] The Show came out, and Fernando Tatis was on there flipping his bat,” Anderson recalled. “I found that weird because it was like, ‘Uhh, y’all stole the sauce!’ “

dude actually believes he invented the bat flip. Maybe he should pay Joey Bats royalties

[FloydBannister1983]

1 hour ago, Green Line said:

In order to be misunderstood the rest of baseball would have to be thinking about him to begin with.

My thoughts.  He’s basically a non entity outside of the south side of Chicago.  He’s probably the third best shortstop in Chicago.

[wegner]

Drop the shovel Tim

Listen, I follow enough gamethreads to know that Pedro Grifol is the most misunderstood man in baseball.

Edited June 26, 2023 by wegner

[FloydBannister1983]

40 minutes ago, FourEyesShottenhoffer said:

You think it’s reasonable that TA believes he is greatness and that is why people don’t like him anymore? That is the opposite of reasonable. He has never been at the top of the heap or comparable to those that are, let alone great.
 

Yet according to recent comments, TA believes that “everybody knows” that he is the best player “everytime I take the field.”
When he is nowhere close to that, then that is a high level delusion, along with the persecution complex he’s exhibiting.
 

He’s being criticized for poor effort and performance yet in his mind its because he’s a great black man. That is straight up ludicrous. He mentions Bo Jackson, where are all the haters for this actual great? Or Mookie Betts, who has three times the career WAR at the same age, a guy TA evidently believes everybody thinks he is a better player than every time he takes the field. A clear future HOF outfielder who plays a better shortstop than he does.

It’s nuts that these thoughts could even cross his mind let alone pass his lips

POTY

[4uckOffCommieScum]

I blame Dairy Queen. They made this guy actually believe he is in the same class as Bryce Harper

[tray]

Tim let it be known that he cares what others think about him. That was a mistake, Fans in general don't give a good gaddamn about players. They don't view them as human beings with the same strengths, weaknesses, susceptibilities,  emotions, etc as we all have. They just want to watch "their team" win. TA was a batting champion. No small feat for a shortstop.

 

[Quin]

I like that Caulfield added quotes to make it seem like TA said this

[nrockway]

1 hour ago, FourEyesShottenhoffer said:

Ozzie Guillen had a higher career WAR through age 30 than TA, yet he thinks he’s the best player in baseball. I mean, come on, now.

but every baseball player thinks he's the best player in baseball. the mindset of competitive athletes is not exactly a rational one. I dunno why everyone cares about what this guy says so much, he sucks at baseball now and that's a more interesting topic of conversation as to why that might be.. I think it's weird that he's still talking about Donaldson though, and this puff piece is lazy journalism, reporters nowadays literally don't know how to write about anything besides race (they're usually white journalists). Probably because it's easy to do and doesn't require much in the way of research or investigation besides checking twitter, and will always have an audience (outrage and disagreement drives revenue all the same). and if you critique it, you must be a neo-nazi. 

 

the bit about TLR is interesting. Giolito apparently really liked him too. I guess Yermin Mercedes was the most influential voice on the team. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by nrockway

[The Mighty Mite]

If TA thinks he is the most misunderstood player in MLB, it’s no one’s fault but his own. 
His Jackie Robinson comparison was a joke as his being the best player on the field, I wonder what Luis Robert thinks about that.
If the rumors of dissension on the team are true and I think they are, we don’t have to look any further than TA as the culprit, this guy needs to go away and become some other team’s problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by The Mighty Mite

[WBWSF]

28 minutes ago, The Mighty Mite said:

If TA thinks he is the most misunderstood player in MLB, it’s no one’s fault but his own. 
His Jackie Robinson comparison was a joke as his being the best player on the field, I wonder what Luis Robert thinks about that.
If the rumors of dissension on the team are true and I think they are, we don’t have to look any further than TA as the culprit, this guy needs to go away and become some other team’s problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might think that TA has to go but do you really think that any team would want him? He can't hit, field or run anymore. These MLB scouts have  to  see that TA is not the same player he was in the past.

[pcq]

When Tim steps on the field he is already #2 because Bossard is out there working.

Edited June 26, 2023 by pcq

[The Mighty Mite]

28 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

You might think that TA has to go but do you really think that any team would want him? He can't hit, field or run anymore. These MLB scouts have  to  see that TA is not the same player he was in the past.

Someone will take a chance thinking they can fix him but we won’t get much except a salary dump.

[SonofaRoache]

He's no longer most talented or athletic in his own mind now. So he switched to most misunderstood. 

[The Kids Can Play]

1 hour ago, nrockway said:

but every baseball player thinks he's the best player in baseball. the mindset of competitive athletes is not exactly a rational one. I dunno why everyone cares about what this guy says so much, he sucks at baseball now and that's a more interesting topic of conversation as to why that might be.. I think it's weird that he's still talking about Donaldson though, and this puff piece is lazy journalism, reporters nowadays literally don't know how to write about anything besides race (they're usually white journalists). Probably because it's easy to do and doesn't require much in the way of research or investigation besides checking twitter, and will always have an audience (outrage and disagreement drives revenue all the same). and if you critique it, you must be a neo-nazi. 

 

the bit about TLR is interesting. Giolito apparently really liked him too. I guess Yermin Mercedes was the most influential voice on the team. 

But every baseball player thinks he's the best player in baseball.

 

Every great player should think they are the beast. That is what makes them great. Yet the Mike Trout's, Aaron Judge's and Shohei Ohtani's to name a few, probably do think they are the best, but you can be damn sure, not one of them would ever tell the fans or media that publicly. 

 

 

 

[nrockway]

45 minutes ago, The Kids Can Play said:

But every baseball player thinks he's the best player in baseball.

 

Every great player should think they are the beast. That is what makes them great. Yet the Mike Trout's, Aaron Judge's and Shohei Ohtani's to name a few, probably do think they are the best, but you can be damn sure, not one of them would ever tell the fans or media that publicly. 

 

 

 

it's a good point because what made me think of this Mookie/Trout interview (see below) I watched last night. Definite humility on Trout's end but he thinks he's the best player on the field...which he is...but needed some coercion from Mookie to admit it. Personally I like Tim's attitude and ego, I think it's entertaining and honest, but it makes a lot less sense when he's playing like trash. For some reason, I'm reminded of this Orsen Welles quote describing Woody Allen:

Quote

I hate Woody Allen physically, I dislike that kind of man. He has the Chaplin Disease; that particular combination of arrogance and timidity sets my teeth on edge. Like all people with timid personalities his arrogance is unlimited. Anybody who speaks quietly and shrivels up in company is unbelievably arrogant. He acts shy, but he loves himself; a very tense situation. It's people like me who have to carry on and pretend to be modest. To me, it's the most embarrassing thing in the world - a man who presents himself at his worst to get laughs, in order to free himself from his hang-ups. Every thing he does on the screen is therapeutic.

 

I think it's just truthful how he feels and the "aw shucks" guys are equally arrogant but play the media game in a way that baseball fans like. millions of people have decided to hang on these athletes' every word because they play with a ball on TV and make millions of dollars.  I think I'd probably have a gigantic ego too but I'd keep it to myself...

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

5 hours ago, FourEyesShottenhoffer said:

Abreu and Andrus isn’t that incredible. Typical end of career drop offs, although I think Abreu may have a little left in the tank

Sorry, meant Anderson Abreu and Bryant. 

Andrus was just a reference point for how far Bryant and the Rockies have fallen off. 

[caulfield12]

Fwiw, Ahmed Rosario was the #1 FA to be in. this year's SS class... and that's just an embarrassing situation compared to the last couple of FA classes at that position. 

 

Also goes to show the importance of locking in younger players at middle infield positions like the Guardians Braves Reds etc., have done or are doing.  CLE won't even blink when they let Rosario go after this year. 

White Sox produced four All Stars and multiple MVPs at that position if you count Escobar Semien Tatis and nothing almost nothing left to extract value from with all those in house assets. 

[mmmmmbeeer]

So dude went through the minors and got to the majors and never built any sort of bond with teammates?  He claims he spent a lot of time alone, no one to eat with, no one who shared his view of the world?  That's....that's pretty racist.  While there are certainly some assholes in the world of baseball, it's a team game full of people from different backgrounds, upbringings, coaching histories, religions, cultures...hell, they're from different parts of the world and MOST players are able to build a bond with their teammates.

Whatever.  Dude is clearly convinced he's a victim in all aspects of life and fails to recognize his own shortcomings.  Reminds me of someone else who is widely believed to be a narcissist but I won't take this thread down that road.

Sucks...dude has the tools to be a ballplayer, has shown himself to be a ballplayer, but can't seem to stay out of his own way.

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

3 hours ago, WBWSF said:

You might think that TA has to go but do you really think that any team would want him? He can't hit, field or run anymore. These MLB scouts have  to  see that TA is not the same player he was in the past.

I'm sure there's teams that look at him as a change of scenery guy. I'd be curious myself what would happen if you surrounded him with superstar talent (i.e. the Dodgers) and just let him play, batting 8th or 9th with zero expectations or pressure. He did really well in the WBC in a similar setting.

[Greg Hibbard]

Where in the article does TA actually say he is misunderstood? I think the headline is pretty deceiving. 

[oldsox]

1 minute ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Where in the article does TA actually say he is misunderstood? I think the headline is pretty deceiving. 

Sick puppies usually think that they are misunderstood.

[Dick Allen]

I just wonder if he can play anymore. Have the injuries taken their toll? Has what he seems more concerned about hurt his game? Things are not right in TA land. I hope he can turn it around.

[Greg Hibbard]

I think TA is a rare player who is extremely susceptible to good and bad stretches based on how his life is going. We saw it in 2018 when he struggled mightily for a whole season after the death of his friend, and we are seeing it now with his off the field problems this year. 

I don’t think there’s anyone alive who thought Tim at his very best was some sort of sustainable clip, but I also don’t think Tim at his worst is what he is either.

I would be very surprised if he doesn’t have another good stretch in him like what he did from 2019-2021.