The Los Angeles Angels have announced the passing of Angels Hall of Famer and 2002 World Series champion Garret Anderson; he was 53-years-old.
The Los Angeles Angels have announced the passing of former outfielder Garret Anderson; he was just 53-years-old.
Anderson was drafted by the California Angels in the fourth-round of the 1990 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft out of John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Calif. and made his MLB debut on July 27, 1994, going 2-for-4 against the Oakland Athletics.
Anderson was a key member of the 2002 World Series team and was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2016. He is arguably the best player in franchise history, leading the franchise in hits (2,368), doubles (489), extra-base hits (796), total bases (3,743) and RBI (1,292).
The Angels released this statement on social media:
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Angels Hall of Famer Garret Anderson.
“Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire Anderson family.”
The reliable left fielder was truly an icon to the baseball world but had a special place in the hearts of Angels fans. He spent his first 15 seasons as a member of the Halos and was a three-time All-Star, earning honors in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
His 2002 season was special; Anderson accumulated 5.1 WAR by hitting 29 home runs with 123 RBI and he led MLB with 56 doubles while slashing .306/.332/.539 (.871 OPS) in 158 games.
During Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, Anderson roped a go-ahead three-run double in the bottom of the third inning to go up 4-1, the eventual final score. He hit .300 with 13 RBI during the postseason that year and is forever engrained in Angels history.
He won the Silver Slugger award in 2002 and 2003, finishing fourth in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 2002 and 14th in 2003.
In 2003, Anderson participated in and won the Home Run Derby back when players had 10 outs to work with. He outhomered former Angel Albert Pujols 9-8 in the final round to secure the victory, ending his night with 22 home runs.
He became just the second player ever to win both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game MVP in the same year, a feat Cal Ripken Jr. accomplished in 1991.
Anderson played one season for the Atlanta Braves and one for the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring at the age of 38. He finished his career with 2,228 games played, 2,529 hits, 522 doubles, 36 triples, 287 home runs, 1,365 RBI and 1,084 runs scored with a career slash line of .293/.324/.461 (.785 OPS).