Garret Anderson, the Los Angeles Angels’ career hits leader who helped the franchise capture its only World Series title, died Friday at the age of 53, the team announced.
Anderson suffered a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, California, according to reports. No official cause of death was given.
A left fielder known for his quiet consistency, Anderson spent 15 of his 17 major league seasons with the Angels organization, entering the majors with the then-California Angels in 1994. He was a three-time All-Star, including the 2003 All-Star Game MVP and Home Run Derby champion — becoming the first player since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 to win both honors in the same year. He also finished fourth in American League MVP voting during the Angels’ 2002 championship run.
Anderson holds franchise records in games played (2,013), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489), grand slams (8) and RBIs (1,292). His 287 home runs with the club rank third in team history, behind Mike Trout and Tim Salmon. He finished his career with a .293 batting average, 287 home runs and 1,365 RBIs, closing out his final two seasons with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively.
Anderson’s defining moment came in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, when he drove in the final three runs of the series with a tiebreaking three-run double in the third inning of the Angels’ 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants — delivering the franchise its only championship. He batted .306 with 123 RBIs during that regular season, helping the then-Anaheim Angels overcome a 3-2 series deficit against Barry Bonds and the Giants.
“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success.”
Anderson was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016 and later served as a television analyst for Angels broadcasts. The team said it will honor him with a memorial patch on jerseys for the remainder of the season, and held a moment of silence and video tribute prior to Friday’s game.
Anderson was born in Los Angeles on June 30, 1972, and grew up in the Granada Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, attending Granada Hills High School before the Angels drafted him in the fourth round in 1990. He is survived by his wife, Teresa; daughters Brianne and Bailey; and son Garret “Trey” Anderson III.
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