Honoring Garret Anderson

Garret Anderson has been playing professional baseball at an extremely high level for nearly 17 years. That’s approximately 80% of my time here on Earth (yes, I’m a young one).  During this time, he has achieved a laundry list of accomplishments:

• A three time All-star (2002, 2003, & 2005)
• A two time AL Silver Slugger (2002-03
• Finished 4th in the AL MVP vote (2002)
•  All-Star game MVP and Home Run Derby winner (2003)
• Finished 2nd in the AL Rookie of the Year vote (1995)
• World Series Championship (2002)

Yet Garret still doesn’t get the respect he deserves.  "Lazy" and "lackluster" were common phrases that even Angel fans attached with the performance of the longtime Angel’s outfielder.  His hard work and dedication may have been overlooked by some, but his career numbers speak volumes.

In 15 seasons with the Angels, Anderson is the team’s career leader in almost every offensive category:

• Runs, 1024.
• Hits, 2368 (694 more than Tim Salmon, who is next on the list).
• RBIs, 1292.
• Doubles, 489 (Led MLB in 2002 with 56, Led AL in 2003 with 49).
• Singles, 1572.
• Extra base hits, 796.
• Consecutive games with an RBI, 12.
• RBIs in a single game, 10.
• Games played for the Angels, 2013.
• At bats total, 7989.
• 2nd all-time with HRs, 272.

With that silky, smooth left handed uppercut swing, Garret was truly a poor-man’s Ken Griffey Jr.  So much like Griffey Jr., that I believe GA deserves Hall of Fame consideration.  Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Anderson currently has 505 doubles, which is 44th most in MLB history.  That’s more than Hall of

Famers Jimmie Fox, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, and only one behind Babe Ruth. 

Only four active players currently have more: Luis Gonzalez, Ken Griffey Jr., Ivan Rodriquez and Manny Ramirez.  All of which deserve some serious consideration in Hall of Fame voting (Lets disregard Manny’s recent suspension for performance enhancers).

At 37 years of age, Garret certainly has some gas left in the tank.  Let’s face it; Anderson left the Angels in the offseason because he still wanted to be a full time player.  So it is fair to assume that GA could play another two years. 

For the sake of argument, let’s estimate Garret will hit 25 doubles in each of the next two seasons.  This is a conservative estimate.  Anderson’s averages 39 two-baggers a season for his career, and 28 over the past three years.

Adding 50 doubles to his totals will put GA at 21st all-time, ahead of Tony Gwynn, Rodgers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Willy Mays, Ricky Henderson and many other baseball greats.  Of the 22 who would be ahead on the list, 16 are Hall of Famers. Of the others, Craig Biggio and Jeff Kent aren’t yet eligible; Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, and Pete Rose will most likely never see the HOF for obvious reasons.

Anderson didn’t just hit doubles.  Many of his offensive statistics rank very highly in MLB history.

His 1,329 RBIs is 85th all-time.  That’s more than Roberto Clemente (HOF), Pete Rose, Todd Helton, and Ivan Rodriguez and one less than Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.  With two more years averaging 70 RBIs (he averages 103 career, and 83 over the past three years), he could pass Jim Rice (HOF), Yogi Berra (HOF), Mark McGwire, and Robin Yount (HOF).

GA currently has 2,444 career hits, 14 away from becoming 100th all-time.  He has more hits than Manny Ramirez and has played one less year.  Over his career, Anderson averaged 190 hits per season, and 146 in the past three.  Using this number (146, another conservative estimate), two more years would put him at 50th all-time, ahead of Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, and Jimmie Foxx.

While I’ll be the first to admit that #16 is my favorite Angel/MLB player of all-time, I do see both sides of this Hall of Fame query.  Garret is unlikely to reach 3,000 hits or 500 HRs.  He has never won an MVP, a batting title, or a Gold Glove.  He never led the league in runs, RBIs, or HRs.  He was never one to steal many bases, averaging only six per season.  Yet it was GA’s near 3:1 strikeout/walk ratio that was probably his biggest shortcoming. 

Despite all of this, I still believe that Garret’s career numbers will put him right at the cusp of Hall of Fame entitlement.  He certainly won't be a first time inductee, and similar to one of 2009’s inductees, Jim Rice, Anderson might have to wait till the very end of his HOF eligibility before he gets the nod. 

He may also share the same fate as players like Andre Dawson, Mark Grace, Harold Baines and other stars that have eluded HOF induction.  Players with fantastic career numbers, who consistently performed, yet were often tagged "good, but not great." 

One factor that plays in Anderson’s favor is that he has never been associated with the use of steroids or performance-enhancers.  And with the players of today’s "steroid era" under constant scrutiny, the requirements for future Hall of Fame inductees may change, possibly favoring consistent offensive players like Garret over the power sluggers commonly associated with steroid-use.

Another aspect of GA’s potential Hall of Fame credentials includes his World Series ring from 2002; a series that Anderson played a pivotal role in. In a now-famous, must-win Game 6, down 3-5 in the bottom of the eighth, Garret singled and proceeded to score the winning run on a Troy Glaus double. 

In Game 7, GA doubled down the right field line with the bases loaded, knocking in the three game-winning runs. The Angels beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1 and won their first World Series Championship.

While that is likely one of Garret’s most memorable games, I was lucky enough to be in attendance for what was certainly GA’s most prolific offensive performance, as well as my most memorable sports moment.  It was August 21, 2007, a day before my birthday, and Anderson slugged an amazing ten RBIs against the Yankees.  Two homeruns, a grand slam and a three run shot, as well as a pair of RBI doubles led to the Angel’s record ten RBI game.

That night Garret received the first curtain call of his long and often overlooked Angels career. He had become just the 13th player in MLB history to have ten or more RBIs in a single game.  He was one RBI away from tying the AL-record, and two away from tying the MLB record. 

To put this rare feat in perspective:

• More players have thrown a perfect game, 18.*
• More players have hit 4 HRs in a game, 15. *
• In fact, you are just as likely to see an unassisted triple-play.*

But most baseball fans are unaware of this fantastic achievement; just as many Angel fans aren’t aware of the amazing talent that was Garret Anderson.  In my mind, this underrated and underappreciated outfielder holds a place as one of the greatest players to ever don a halo.

Whether it is retiring #16, or inducting GA into the Hall of Fame, I am extremely hopeful that Angel fans and baseball fans alike will take notice to the great career of Garret Anderson, which continues to this day…

 -KE

*John Shiffery: "Garret Anderson and that Lucky 10 spot"

**Other Stats from Baseball-Reference.com