Garret Anderson Clears the Bases

Well look who was out near the cheap seats on Monday night at Angel Stadium...

Last night at the stadium we were walking to our seats when we saw him in the outfield television stage, sitting behind the pregame show Fox Sports West broadcast desk with Michael Eaves and Jose Mota. It was GA, Garret Anderson. My girlfriend and I raced over.

"He's cuter than ever!" she cried. It didn't even bother me, this loud female lust. I know Garret is a family man and it was just so great to see him there, on the left side of the field even, interwoven again with Angels baseball. There are so many great memories of GA but one stands out above all, the one that Rory Markus called with simplicity:
"Garret Anderson has cleared the bases."

Do you remember where you were when he did it?

It came early in Game 7 but it was the highlight of the clinching game for the team. Garret Anderson hit a bases loaded double that scored all three runs in a game that the Angels won 4-1 to win the series 4-3. Sure we would never have been there if Spiezio had not homered in Game 6. We might not have been there if Erstad hadn't homered off of Rob Nenn an inning later, either. But the Texas Rangers got to Game 7 last year and bled to death on the field in a slow agonizing torture that they are repeating ins a season-long choke now for their fans to all fully comprehend the importance of finishing what you start.

Livan Hernandez might not have been the best choice that Dusty Baker could have made to start the one game for all the marbles. He gave up Garret's hit. It was but one hit of over a thousand that he got in his career but it was the highlight of all highlights. Reflecting his understated manner, it didn't come in the 7th inning or later (so it cannot be called clutch) but like so much of what he represents in his Angels career, he got it done, whether or not the highlight reel had room for him or not.