Garret Anderson May Have Been The Greatest Player to Wear an Angels Uniform

 

Former MLB player Garrett Anderson passed away suddenly yesterday of an apparent heart attack. He was only 53.

On a personal note, I am also 53. This is the sort of thing which makes one sit up and take notice and take stock.

Anderson played 17 MLB seasons - 15 of them with the Angels. Whether it was the California Angels, Anaheim Angels or Los Angeles Angels, Anderson wore the uniform well and, outside of Mike Trout, might have been the greatest Angel of them all. 

Drafted out of high school by the Angels in the fourth round of the 1990 MLB Draft, Anderson would have a cup of coffee with the big-league team during the strike shortened 1994 season. In 1995, Anderson finished second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting to Minnesota Twins slugger Marty Cordova. That 1995 season was marred by the late season collapse which resulted in the Seattle Mariners' first ever post-season appearance.

Anderson reached the peak of his career between 2000-2003 driving in 100 plus runs each of these seasons. In 2002, Anderson would be a crucial figure in earning the Angels' lone World Series title. Anderson's bases loaded double off Livan Hernandez in Game 7 of that Fall Classic against the San Francisco Giants proved to be the game winner. He would finish fourth in AL MVP balloting that season hitting .306 with 29 HR and 123 RBI along with a league leading 56 doubles. In 2003, Anderson would again lead the AL in doubles with 49 and also earned the All-Star Game MVP going 3-for-4 with a two-run HR off Woody Williams en route to a 7-6 AL victory at Chicago's Comiskey Park.

Anderson played with the Halos through 2008. He spent 2009 with the Atlanta Braves and finished his career in Southern California in 2010 with the cross-town rival Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2228 career games, Anderson collected 2529 career hits for a lifetime batting average of .293 with 287 HR and 1365 RBI. Those 1365 RBI ties him with Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda for 87th on MLB's all-time list.

Those totals will likely be surpassed by MLB's active RBI leader Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers later this season. Freeman enters tonight with 1336 RBI, one ahead of Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and one behind Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. As it happens, Anderson was Freeman's favorite player growing up. The two became friends and Freeman remembered Anderson as "a beautiful man." 

While it has been nearly 20 years since Anderson last wore an Angels uniform, he remains the team's all-time leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight). Anderson's 2529 hits place him 96th on MLB's all-time list while his 522 career doubles place in a three-way tie for 50th on MLB's all-time list with Johnny Damon and Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty. Anderson hit only 2 fewer doubles than Ken Griffey, Jr. He was in some very, very good company.

Alas, Anderson would only receive a single vote on the 2016 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. There's a crowded outfield in Cooperstown. Perhaps there isn't a spot for him but surely, he warranted more than a single vote. Perhaps the Contemporary Era Committee will give him a look one of these years. 

Hall of Fame or not, Garret Anderson will always be an Angel in the outfield. R.I.P.