Remembering Garret Anderson

A tremendous player, who delivered the decisive hit in the 7th and deciding game of the 2002 World Series, Garret Anderson died suddenly and so decidedly, too soon at age 53.

Oh does this one hurt, though I never met Garret, having evoked Garrett Morris when Anderson batted and it often “worked,” most notably, when he delivered a 3 run double for the game’s final runs in the Angels (4-1) win in #7, vs the San Francisco Giants in the aforementioned 2002 World Series.

It was only the third inning, however, Garret’s hit was THE hit putting him with such as Kiki Cuyler, Yogi Berra and in terms of importance yes, Miguel Rojas, last season.

Clearly noteworthy is John Lackey’s 1 run 5 innings start followed by Brendan Donnelly (2 innings) and both Francisco (vs San Francisco) “K. Rod” Rodriguez and then Troy Percival each hurling a scoreless “inn,” as the Angels, now in their very likely 65th completed season, (’61-2026—no completed season in ’94) won in their lone World Series appearance, to date.

Days before I was walking alone, as is my life plight (maybe Garret can help in that regard, after all he could be a double angel) and thinking about (among much else) how a truly good man, one I so often spoke with, Dusty Baker has a book circulating.

My tangential mind went to that #7 (you see Dusty in the video of Anderson’s hit above) and whether Dusty had a LHP for Garret and other tough losses for Baker managed teams, before 20 years later, with some rightful tears in my eyes, I called the last out (somewhere it is, I hope) when the Astros, under Dusty, won the title.

Now days later, news Garret Anderson has died. It “spins” and we have to do and also hope the “bad pointing” does not come in our direction.