Aaron Boone says Josh Donaldson shouldn’t have commented on “Jackie”; The Yankees are trying to dispel tensions after – Reading Eagle

Josh Donaldson sparked an incident clearing benches on Saturday after calling Tim Anderson’s White Sox shortstop “Jackie,” meaning Jackie Robinson. Aaron Boone spent the rest of the day and some time until the next game of the two teams on Sunday, “getting to the bottom of it”.

“We’re trying to do our best to dispel that and just play ball,” Boone said Sunday. “I talked to JD and a few other players to sort it out and figure it out, find out the context and history of it. Given what has happened between the two players and the two teams over the last week or two, I certainly understand why that would be sensitive. “

Boone spent almost the entire media session talking about Donaldson. Instead of immediately siding with his player, as many managers would have done, Boone made it clear that he did not support him. a third person from the base calls the black player “Jackie”, even if it was conceived as some weird joke.

“I don’t think there was any malicious intent in that regard,” Boone said. “It’s just somewhere I don’t think he should go.”

The captain does not believe that there will be more problems on the field. Both teams devastated their bench and bullpen when Chicago catcher Yasmani Grandal clashed with Donaldson during Saturday’s game.

“I understand the reaction, but Josh was very distant from the story and the context,” Boone said. The context he was referring to was that Anderson called himself a modern-day Jackie Robinson during a 2019 interview that Donaldson said he referred to. Boone readily acknowledged that Donaldson’s comments were “not very good,” but knowledge of the history of Anderson’s past comments changed the context for him.

“When I first heard Jackie’s name, I was very surprised,” Boone said. “Honestly, I was upset about it myself. If you hear a story about it – again, I don’t think so [Donaldson] I must say that even if there is an alleged relationship or something else – but the original story of where she was born, and a few years talking about it, at the time I’m less surprised by it. I sit here as a white guy and that it has changed the context for me, I also understand how insulting and upsetting it can be. But since he was born from this article, for me it changes the context. “

Boone said he spoke with Michael Hill, senior vice president of the Major League Baseball for field operations, after the incident. Hill, who is Black, told Boone that the league would investigate. Several conversations also took place inside the Yankee club.

“He talked to the guys individually,” Boone said of Donaldson. “He, I and a few other people were also talking in my office. I’m sure he will continue to do so. “

Boone said he felt it would not create any long-term tension at the club, and repeatedly mentioned how future Donaldson is.

“It’s palpable. You have to read the room in that sense, ”Boone said, later adding that he wanted Donaldson to“ tame it ”and wanted him to be more aware of how serious he was about addressing Jackie Robinson, whom he called the face of civil law. “And” one of the most important figures in our history. “

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