Larry Andersen

From SoSH

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Andersen's Moments in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Transactions 5 External Links

Overall Career

Over the course of his 17 years in the majors, Larry Andersen appeared in 699 games with six teams, all but one in relief. He finished his career 40-39 with a 3.15 ERA and 49 saves.

As the waiver trading deadline approached in 1990, the Red Sox were looking for relief pitching. GM Lou Gorman found a match with the Houston Astros, who were looking for a young third baseman. The 37-year-old Andersen, signed by the Astros as a free agent in 1988 and in the midst of a good year (5-2, 1.95 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 50 appearances), was available.

With Boggs entrenched at third in Boston, both Scott Cooper (.266/.331/.393 at AAA Pawtucket that season) and Jeff Bagwell at AA New Britain (.333/.423/.457 on the year) were candidates to head south. According to legend, Gorman suggested the inclusion of Bagwell in the trade rather than Cooper. Gorman has denied this, stating that the Astros demanded inclusion of Bagwell in the trade. In the end, it was Bagwell that Gorman dealt to Houston for Andersen in a deal completed on August 30, 1990.

The deal is not regarded as Gorman's finest hour. Though Andersen pitched well in a Sox uniform (1.23 ERA, with 3/25 BB/K in 15 games during the stretch drive), he signed with San Diego after the season. Bagwell went on to a stellar 15-year career with the Astros, hitting .297 with 449 homers and 1,529 RBIs. Bagwell won NL Rookie of the Year in 1991 and the NL MVP in 1994.

Andersen's Moments in the Sun

Andersen pitched in two World Series, both with the Phillies. In 1983, he appeared in two games against the Orioles. In Game 2, he gave up three hits and an earned run in a 4-1 loss (a Mike Boddicker complete game for Baltimore). In Game 4, a 5-4 loss in Veterans Stadium, he pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth giving up a single hit.

In 1993 against Toronto, he made four appearances. In Game 1, he threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning in mop-up duty for Curt Schilling in the Phils' 8-5 loss at Skydome. He surrendered 2 runs in the ninth inning of the team's 10-3 loss in Game 3 and 3 runs in an inning and a third of their messy 15-14 loss in Game 4, before pitching a scoreless 2/3 in the Phillies' 8-6 loss in the decisive sixth game.

Neither time did Andersen come away with a ring.

Trivia

• After retiring he was a minor league pitching coach in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Transactions

• June 8, 1971: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 7th round of the 1971 amateur draft.
• December 21, 1979: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Larry Littleton and John Burden.
• October 29, 1980: Sent by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a PTBNL to the Seattle Mariners for Odell Jones.
• July 29, 1983: Purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Seattle Mariners.
• May 13, 1986: Released by the Philadelphia Phillies.
• May 16, 1986: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros.
• November 12, 1986: Granted Free Agency.
• December 21, 1986: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros.
• November 9, 1987: Granted Free Agency.
• January 8, 1988: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros.
• August 30, 1990: Traded by the Houston Astros to the Boston Red Sox for Jeff Bagwell.
• December 7, 1990: Granted Free Agency.
• December 21, 1990: Signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.
• October 26, 1992: Granted Free Agency.
• December 18, 1992: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• October 29, 1993: Granted Free Agency.
• January 18, 1994: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• October 28, 1994: Granted Free Agency.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis