Tim Anderson was back at Rate Field on Sept. 17 as the Chicago White Sox celebrated the former shortstop’s career with a retirement ceremony.
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Anderson threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the team’s game against the Detroit Tigers and was presented with a portrait honoring his years in Chicago.
Having his wife, Bria, and their four children, ages 10, 7, 3 and 2, there with his parents, mother-in-law, brother and other family members meant a lot to Anderson.
“A lot of people weren’t there to see this journey for real, because I had a lot of life things going on behind baseball with life and family,” he told MLB.com prior to the ceremony. “At least they get to be there to close the chapter with me.”
Anderson spent eight seasons with the White Sox after the organization selected him in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He won the American League batting title in 2019, earned two All-Star selections and helped Chicago reach the postseason in 2020 and 2021. One of his most memorable moments came in 2021, when he hit a walk-off home run against the New York Yankees in MLB’s Field of Dreams game.
These days, Anderson’s life looks much different. He officially retired from Major League Baseball in August after 10 seasons and has traded the daily pressures of the game for carpool runs, family time and several business projects. When MLB.com recently contacted him for an interview, Anderson had to work around his schedule with the kids.
“Yeah, I like this life,” he said. “It’s more chill, more quiet, more peaceful.”
Anderson has a food truck and is developing a clothing line tied to his No. 7. He has also discussed ways to work with young baseball players in the future.
Family played a major role in his decision to step away. When Anderson announced his retirement, he spoke about what his wife and children had sacrificed during his career.
“Nobody knows what I’ve sacrificed, what I was leaving at home, from my kids to my wife,” he said at the time.
Now, Anderson says he is at peace with where life has taken him.
“The ultimate goal is for me to be happy,” he said during his return to Chicago. “And I’m happy. I’m happy with where I’m at in life, in baseball, with whatever. I’m just happy. I’m at peace.”
