Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the California / Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

, and

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

between 1994 and 2010. He holds Angels franchise records for career games played (2,013), at bats (7,989), hits (2,368), runs scored (1,024),

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

(RBI) (1,292),

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, whil ...

(3,743),

extra base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...

s (796), singles (1,572), doubles (489), grand slams (8), RBI in a single game (10) and consecutive games with an RBI (12), as well as

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s by a left-handed hitter (272). A three-time All-Star, he helped lead the Angels to the

2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Lea ...

title, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2003 All-Star Game.

High school career

Garret Anderson attended Kennedy High School in

Granada Hills, California Granada Hills is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools. His ...

. While there, he was a three-sport star in baseball, football, and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. In baseball, he won two All-Los Angeles City honors and two All-League Honors, and as a junior, helped his team win the Los Angeles City Championship. In basketball, as a senior he won All-Los Angeles City honors and All-League honors.

Anaheim Angels

Anderson was selected by the California Angels in the fourth round of the

1990 MLB Draft The 1990 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft was held in June 1990. The draft placed amateur baseball players onto major league teams. 1,487 players were distributed to 26 teams. The draft consisted of first round selections, supplemental first ...

and made his major league debut on July 27, 1994. He had two hits in four at bats in that game, recording his first career hit on a single to right field off of Oakland Athletics pitcher

Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a m ...

in the bottom of the third inning. He appeared in only five games with the Angels in 1994, getting five hits in 13 at bats. In 1995, he was called up to the team on April 26 and spent the rest of the year in the majors. He hit his first career home run on June 13 against

Kevin Tapani Kevin Ray Tapani (born February 18, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001. Early life Tapani was raised in Es ...

of the Minnesota Twins. He batted .321 in 106 games with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs, and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to

Marty Cordova Martin Kevin Cordova (born July 10, 1969) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, and Baltimore Orioles. He was born in La ...

of the Twins. From that point forward, Anderson became a mainstay in the Angels lineup. Over the next eight seasons, he accumulated at least 600 at bats every year, breaking 90 RBIs and 20 home runs five times while compiling a batting average near .300. While Anderson hit a career-high 35 home runs in 2000, he drew few walks. He became only the second player to conclude a 30-homer season with more homers than walks (35 HR, 24 BB), joining Iván Rodríguez (35–24 in 1999); the dubious feat has since been duplicated by

Alfonso Soriano Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Chicago C ...

(39–23 in 2002), Javy López (43–33 in 2003),

José Guillén José Manuel Guillén (pronounced ; born May 17, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. Guillén played for ten Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in his career. Professional career Pittsburgh Pirates Guillén was signed b ...

(31–24 in 2003), Joe Crede (30–28 in 2006) and

Ryan Braun Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right field and f ...

(34–29 in 2007). In 2002, when the Angels won their first

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

championship, Anderson finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting after compiling a .306 average with 29 home runs and 123 runs batted in, including a 3-run double in the third inning of Game 7 which would turn out to be the series-winning hit. Anderson also scored a career-high 93 runs; however, the fact that he never scored 100 in a season was a result of his main weakness as a player – an inability to draw walks and achieve a high on-base percentage. Anderson had a similarly strong performance in 2003, and was named an

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

All-Star. That All-Star weekend, he stole the show by becoming the Home Run Derby Champion and voted the Most Valuable Player in the All-Star Game, the first player to win both since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991. In 2002 and 2003, Anderson tied for the American League lead in doubles with

Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American retired Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, third ...

and Vernon Wells, respectively. On April 13, 2004, Anderson agreed to a $48 million, four-year contract extension through 2008. The deal included a team option for 2009 with a $3 million buyout. Anderson began experiencing chronic ailments in 2004 that limited his playing time and production, including an arthritic condition and

plantar fasciitis Plantar fasciitis or plantar heel pain (PHP) is a disorder of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue which supports the arch of the foot. It results in pain in the heel and bottom of the foot that is usually most severe with the fi ...

in his feet. In , he began to see more regular time as a

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

to ease the wear and tear on his body. Anderson's production in 2006 was roughly on par with his 2005 production, with both seasons seeing him hit 17 home runs and drive in at least 85 runs. On August 21, 2007, he drove in a team-record 10 runs, including a grand slam and a three-run homer, in the Los Angeles Angels' 18–9 win over the New York Yankees. Anderson became the 13th player in Major League history to have 10 RBIs in a game. Anderson now holds the team record for grand slams with eight and RBIs in a game with ten. This performance has been part of a general resurgence in the second half of the 2007 season, a relief to Angels fans who may have wondered if Anderson's career was near its end after a mediocre, injury-plagued first half. Instead, Anderson has led the majors in RBIs in the latter part of 2007. On September 7, Anderson drove in a run on an RBI single, to set a franchise record for most consecutive games with an RBI with 11. The streak lasted for 12 games, during which time he drove in 22 runs. On October 28, 2008, the Angels announced they would decline their $14 million option on Anderson's contract and exercised a $3 million buyout.

Atlanta Braves

On February 24, 2009, Anderson agreed to a one-year deal with the

for $2.5 million. On April 5, 2009, in the Braves' first game of the season, Anderson collected the 2,369th hit of his career, and the first he had with any franchise besides the Angels. On July 2, 2009, Anderson hit the first career pinch-hit home run of his career. On October 1, 2009, Anderson became the 89th player to reach 2,500 base hits, getting a single off of

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

pitcher Garrett Mock.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On March 3, 2010, Anderson agreed to a minor league deal with the

. He made the 25-man opening day roster as a reserve outfielder. In his first at bat with the Dodgers, he hit a pinch-hit single off Brendan Donnelly, his former Angels teammate. His first home run with the Dodgers came on April 22, when he hit a pinch-hit 2-run homer against the Cincinnati Reds. Anderson was designated for assignment August 8, 2010 after hitting only .181 in 155 at bats, and was granted his release on August 10.

Retirement

On March 1, 2011, Anderson announced his retirement in a statement issued by the Angels. As of 2012, Anderson is an Angels pregame and postgame reporter during home games and some road games on

Fox Sports West Bally Sports West is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of Bally Sports, along with its sister network Bally Spor ...

, along with former teammate Tim Salmon. He appeared on the ballot for the

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays basebal ...

2016 election and earned one vote. In 2016, Anderson was inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame.

Career Statistics

In the postseason, in 5

American League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...

, 2 American League Championship Series and 1

covering 36 games from 2002 to 2008, Anderson batted .245 (36-for-147) with 17 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs and 22 RBI.

Highlights

Awards

* Three-time All-Star (2002–2003, 2005) * All-Star Game MVP (2003) * ''The Sporting News'' Rookie of the Year (1995) * Two-time

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...

winner (2002–03) * Top 10 in voting for

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

(2002, 4th)

Championships and accomplishments

* From 1997 to 2003, was second only to Derek Jeter in hits among all Major League players * On the

championship team * Won the Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP known as the Ted Williams Award in 2003 * Led the

in doubles in 2002 and 2003 * Holds the club record for RBIs (broke the old mark held by Tim Salmon in 2005) * Holds the club-record for most RBI in a single game, 10 (August 21, 2007) * Holds the club-record for most consecutive games with an RBI, 12 (September 7, 2007) * Collected his 2,000th career hit on July 1, 2006.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Garret 1972 births Living people Major League Baseball left fielders California Angels players Anaheim Angels players Los Angeles Angels players Atlanta Braves players Los Angeles Dodgers players American League All-Stars Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs Silver Slugger Award winners Baseball players from Los Angeles African-American baseball players Arizona League Angels players Boise Hawks players Quad Cities Angels players Palm Springs Angels players Midland Angels players Vancouver Canadians players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Sportspeople from Irvine, California 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople