WATCH: Josh Donaldson provides explanation for calling Tim Anderson 'Jackie'

New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson explained why he referred to Tim Anderson as “Jackie” on the field on Saturday. The pair got into a war of words, leading to both benches clearing although no punches were thrown or ejections given.

After the game, Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa stated that Donaldson made a “racist” remark to Anderson — something Anderson confirmed was Donaldson calling him “Jackie” as a reference to Jackie Robinson. Donaldson explained afterwards that was true, but that it was not intended as a racist remark.

Josh Donaldson admits he called Tim Anderson "Jackie" on the field today: pic.twitter.com/eko1UaR3Nt

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Josh Donaldson on calling Tim Anderson “Jackie”

“First today, I called him ‘Jackie.’ Let me give a little context for that,” said Donaldson. “2019, he came out with an interview he said that he’s the new Jackie Robinson of baseball, he’s gonna bring back fun to the game. 2019, I played for Atlanta — we actually joked about that. I don’t know what’s changed.

“I’ve said it to him in years past. Not in any matter but just joking around from the fact that he called himself Jackie Robinson. So, if something has changed from that. My meaning of that is not at any term trying to be racist, by any fact of the matter. It was just off of an interview and what he called himself.

“We’ve said that before, we joked about it, he laughed. Whatever. As you could tell, in our series that we played, there were multiple times where I tried to defuse the situation. I took responsibility for the tag, wasn’t trying to do anything there. Today, just trying to defuse it like ‘hey, we’re not trying to start any brawls or anything like that.’ Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful. If he did, I apologize. That was not what I was trying to do by any manner. And that’s what happened.”

While La Russa outright claimed the comment was racist, Anderson himself simply said it was “disrespectful” while discussing what happened.

Tim Anderson on Josh Donaldson’s comment

“He just made a disrespectful comment,” explained Anderson himself after the game. “Basically he tried to call me Jackie Robinson. He said ‘what’s up Jackie?’ I don’t play like that. I don’t really play at all. I wasn’t really gonna bother nobody today but he made a comment, it was disrespectful. I don’t think it was called for. It’s unnecessary.”

Anderson was asked a follow-up question asking how he was able to compose himself after hearing something that upset him so deeply, and the Tuscaloosa-native explained he wasn’t sure how the situation didn’t escalate.

“I don’t know to be honest. It’s very disrespectful.”