CLEVELAND — Monday marks the one year anniversary since the on-field brawl between Cleveland Guardians' superstar José Ramírez and then-Chicago White Sox infielder Tim Anderson.
It was a fight that sent shockwaves throughout the sports world. The fight that had more UFC/WWE in it than MLB, even down to Tom Hamilton's iconic call.
"Down goes Anderson! Down goes Anderson!"
It captured dominated national sports headlines for the better part of the next week and it mobilized the Cleveland t-shirt industry's unyielding faith to viral moments. It also could be seen as the exact moment José Ramírez's superstar status shined even brighter (for better or for worse), and the moment Tim Anderson's career came off the rails.
Approximately 20 seconds after Anderson hit the dirt, this shirt was available for purchase:
Somehow a t-shirt wasn't good enough for some.
Even minor league affiliates couldn't help but lean into the moment.
Anderson came into the 2023 season with quite a resume of his own. Between 2016-2022, Anderson appeared in two All-Star games, winning the American League batting title in 2019 and the Silver Slugger award in 2020, when he also finished in the top 10 in the AL MVP vote. However, leading up to August 5, 2023, Anderson was mired in his worst season as a pro. His power all but vanished, with a near-career low OBP and OPS.
Then the fight. It's hard to imagine a worse situation to find yourself in during the roughest statistical stretch of a career that had seen plenty of individual successes. Now he was the main character in viral moment for all of the wrong reasons.
After serving a short suspension for his role in the fight, Anderson would conclude his eight-year career with the White Sox as he went into free agency. Looking to turn his career around, he signed a one-year deal with the Miami Marlins.
Exactly one year after the fight, José Ramírez's career has continued to surge while Anderson's hangs on the brink.
Ramírez is having one of the most productive years of his career. Through 108 games at the time of writing, José has 29 home runs, 93 RBI, 22 stolen bases and an .870 OPS. He's an MVP candidate and best player on the team with the best record in baseball.
Anderson's production bottomed out in 65 games with Miami before being designated for assignment on July 2. In those 65 games, Anderson hit a career low .214 and did not hit a single home run while only driving in nine runs. He is currently listed as a free agent after being released by the Marlins.
Virality often comes with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. For better or for worse, that moment on Aug. 5, 2023, will follow both José Ramírez and Tim Anderson for the rest of their careers.
It's the moment that further cemented Ramírez in the national spotlight as he continues to rack up MVP-quality seasons, while quite possibly being the moment Anderson's career came to a screeching halt. It's also the moment that Guardians fans will remember fondly when finding the "Down Goes Anderson!" shirt at their local thrift shop in 10 years.