What did Tim Anderson say to Jose Abreu about White Sox fans?

Fans were speculating with Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said to former teammate and first baseman Jose Abreu in Sunday’s game.

The Chicago White Sox have not gotten off to the best start to the 2023 campaign, as they sat in fourth place in the AL Central division with a 14-27 record. After not being able to make it to the postseason last year despite lofty expectations, the White Sox are experiencing similar struggles. But on Sunday, the White Sox had the chance to win their first series since their May 5-7 set against the Cincinnati Reds.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with the South Siders down 4-1, NBC Sports Chicago cameras caught shortstop Tim Anderson standing on first base. After a wild pitch got away from catcher Martin Maldonado, Anderson didn’t advance to second base. As he was booed by the home crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field, Anderson said something that caught the attention of fans.

What did Tim Anderson say to Jose Abreu about White Sox fans?

Upon first glance, fans thought Anderson had said “I hate this place.” Adding that to Abreu’s reaction, certainly added to the fuel. Let’s not forget, Abreu left the White Sox this past offseason, signing a three-year, $58.5 million contract.

The thing is, it looks as though Anderson says “I hate the pitch clock.” MLB is enforcing the pitch clock to speed up the pace of play.

UPDATE: Chuck Garfien of NBC Sports Chicago confirmed that “Tim Anderson was talking to Jose Abreu about the pitch clock at first base on Sunday, not what has been falsely speculated and reported.”

Regardless of what was said or what wasn’t, Chicago ended up on the losing end, falling 4-3 to the Astros. In the inning following Anderson’s conversation with Abreu, the Sox pulled within one run on a two-run homer by Jake Burger. However, the team was unable to muster a single hit in the final three innings.

The White Sox now head into a three-game series against the rival Cleveland Guardians, beginning on Tuesday.