| Garret Anderson | |
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| Left fielder | |
| Born: June 30, 1972 Los Angeles, California |
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| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| July 27, 1994 for the California Angels | |
| Career statistics (through 2009 season) |
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| Batting average | .295 |
| Home runs | 285 |
| Runs batted in | 1,353 |
| OPS | .791 |
| Hits | 2,501 |
| Runs | 1,076 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972, in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who is currently a free agent. Prior to signing with the Braves, he had played his entire 15-year career for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is the Angels' franchise leader in games played, at bats, hits, total bases, singles, doubles, grand slams, extra-base hits, career RBIs, single-game RBIs, and consecutive games (12) with an RBI.
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High school career
Garret Anderson attended Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, California. While there, he was a three-sport star in baseball, football, and basketball. 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.
Career with the Angels
Since entering the major leagues with the California Angels in 1994, Anderson has emerged as one of the greatest players in the franchise's history. After finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1995 to Marty Cordova of the Minnesota Twins, 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 he was hitting home runs in 2000, he wasn't taking many walks. He is one of only seven players who have concluded a 30-homer season with more homers than walks (35 HR, 24 BB), the others being Alfonso Soriano (39-23 in 2002), Ryan Braun (34-29 in 2007), Pudge Rodriguez (35-24 in 1999), Joe Crede (30-28 in 2006), Javy Lopez (43-33 in 2003), and Jose Guillen (31-24 in 2003).[1]
In 2002, when the Angels won their first World Series championship, Garret finished fourth in the MVP voting after compiling a .306 average with 29 home runs and 123 runs batted in. Anderson also scored a career-high 93 runs, however the fact he has never scored 100 or more in a season is a result of his main weakness as a player: an inability to take walks and thus a low on-base percentage. Anderson had a similarly strong performance in 2003, he became an American 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.
Anderson began experiencing chronic ailments in 2004 that limited his playing time and production, including an arthritic condition and plantar fasciitis in his feet. In 2005, he began to see more regular time as a designated hitter to ease the wear and tear off of 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 '07. On September 7, 2007, 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 option on Anderson's contract.
Atlanta Braves
On February 24, 2009, Anderson agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves for $2.5 million.[1] 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 his first career pinch-hit home run of his till-then 14 season career.
On October 1, 2009, Anderson became the 89th player to reach 2,500 base hits, getting a single off of Washington National's pitcher, Garrett Mock.[2]
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 winner (2002–03)
- Top 10 in voting for MVP (2002, 4th)
Championships and accomplishments
- From 1997-2003, was second only to Derek Jeter in hits among all Major League players
- On the 2002 World Series championship team
- Won the Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP known as the Ted Williams Award in 2003
- Led the American League 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.
See also
- Top 500 home run hitters of all time
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
| Preceded by Edgar Martínez |
American League Player of the Month July, 1995 |
Succeeded by Albert Belle |
| Preceded by Cal Ripken, Jr. |
Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 2003 |
Succeeded by Alfonso Soriano |
| Preceded by Jason Giambi |
Home Run Derby Champion 2003 |
Succeeded by Miguel Tejada |
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