Legendary former Los Angeles Angels star Garret Anderson has died at the age of 53, the Angels announced on Friday. The death of Anderson was unexpected and came following a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., on Thursday, according to TMZ.
The Angels shared the news of Anderson’s death with a prepared statement from team owner Arte Moreno.
“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” Moreno 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, highlighted by the 2002 World Series championship.”
The Angels will wear a memorial patch on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor Anderson.
Anderson was a fourth-round pick by the Angels in 1990. He made it up to the majors in 1994, though 1995 was his first full season in the bigs. He made an immediate impact by batting .321 as a rookie, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Anderson continued to be a reliable outfielder for the Angels. He batted .293 with 287 home runs during his career. Anderson made the All-Star team in 2002, 2003 and 2005. He led the AL in doubles in both 2002 and 2003, and won the Silver Slugger award in both seasons.
Anderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2002, the same year he helped the Angels win their first and only World Series ever, by slugging a tie-breaking 3-run double in Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants.
Anderson, who played 17 seasons in MLB, including one with each the Braves and Dodgers after 15 seasons with the Angels, is the Angels’ franchise leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight).
Anderson had some other spectacular moments in his career. He had a 10-RBI game in 2007, and in 2003, he won both the Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP.
After his playing career ended, Anderson became a broadcaster for the Angels. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
