This story appears in the May 6, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
Tim Anderson’s baseball life is often a lonely one—even when he’s on first base, usually the most social stop on the diamond. “My conversation is limited over there,” he says. “It’s like, What’s up, dude? What’s up, man? How you doin’ today? Because we don’t have nothing in common.” He doesn’t speak Spanish; he doesn’t hunt or fish.