Thursday, October 6, 2011

Player Profile: Dave Anderson


I have 27 cards of Dave Anderson. This one is from 1984 Topps.

Playing career: Dave Anderson was a backup infielder for the Dodgers and Giants from 1983 to 1992. He was a .242 lifetime hitter, whose biggest claim to fame was being in the on-deck circle before being replaced by Kirk Gibson just before Gibson hit his game-winning home run in the 1988 World Series.

Where he is now: Third base coach for the Texas Rangers.

My memories: I was quite surprised that this mediocre 1980’s middle infielder was all over the news earlier this year. The reason was that he sent Josh Hamilton on a borderline fly ball, and Hamilton was injured in the play at the plate, then blamed his injury on Anderson. Hamilton later “apologized,” saying “I threw him under the bus by telling the truth about what happened.”

Interesting stories: The Hamilton incident wasn’t Anderson’s first brush with controversy. Last year the Rangers lost a game when Anderson bumped into baserunner Michael Young with two outs in the ninth inning, ending the game on coach’s interference.

Google Autocomplete results: He is tenth when you type Dave And, after Dave and Busters menu, referring to the restaurant chain. Prominent Dave Andersons listed before the ballplayer are the founder of Famous Dave’s of America, a photographer in New York, the founder of the Anderson Institute for Leadership Excellence, and a nationally touring comedian.

Coming up next: The next profile will be Drew Anderson.

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