Anderson says bat flips, emotion draw fans: 'I think the kids like that stuff'
Tim Anderson is making a name for himself on the South Side of Chicago. A talented young player with a flair for the dramatic, he's become known as a master of bat flips who wears his emotions on his sleeve.
His brash style of play may grate many, but there's a method to his madness. The White Sox shortstop sees himself as a flag-bearer of sorts for the next generation of baseball fan, the kind who is excited by the emotion and theatrics he displays on the diamond.
"That is definitely it," Anderson told Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. "Let's keep it from being boring. A lot of people don't watch baseball, so you have to do something to draw that crowd. Whether it's bat flips or whatever, I think that is going to get the kids into it. I think the kids like that stuff, so I am going to keep doing it."
"This is a long season," he added. "I don't want it to be a long, boring season. So we will try to do something interesting and have a lot of fun."
Anderson has plenty of supporters in the White Sox clubhouse and around baseball, but he's already drawn the ire of some opponents this season.
An emphatic bat toss following a homer off Kansas City's Brad Keller earlier this month led the Royals starter to intentionally throw at him, triggering a benches-clearing brawl. Following that incident, Anderson engaged in a Twitter back-and-forth with Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk regarding his showmanship.
"Our fans pay their hard-earned money to come to the ballpark to see a show," Anderson told reporters in the aftermath of the skirmish. "So why not give them one?"
Anderson continued his hot April on Monday, launching his sixth home run of the season. He didn't flip or toss his bat, but the 25-year-old did linger at home plate to admire his handiwork.
He enters play Tuesday sporting an AL-leading .375 average with a 1.009 OPS and a league-high 10 steals through 23 games.