Brian Anderson (pitcher)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Brian Anderson


width=150
position=Starting pitcher
bats=Switch
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1972|4|26
Portsmouth, Virginia
deathdate=
debutdate=September 10
debutyear=by|1993
debutteam=California Angels
finaldate=May 8
finalyear=by|2005
finalteam=Kansas City Royals
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=82-83
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.74
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=723
teams=
*California Angels (by|1993–by|1995)
*Cleveland Indians (by|1996–by|1997)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|1998–by|2002)
*Cleveland Indians (by|2003)
*Kansas City Royals (by|2003–by|2005)
highlights=

Brian James Anderson (born April 26, 1972 in Ashtabula, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Kansas City Royals, posting a career ERA of 4.74. He is also noted for having a great pickoff move. Anderson attended Wright State University. He was also the second pick in the 1997 MLB Expansion Draft.

At Geneva High School in Geneva, Ohio, Brian Anderson was a four-year letterman in baseball, a three-year letterman in golf, and a two-year letterman in basketball.

Anderson's by|2005 season ended prematurely when he tore an elbow ligament, necessitating Tommy John surgery. Anderson attempted a comeback in by|2006 with the Texas Rangers, but while rehabbing his surgically repaired elbow, he re-injured it, requiring him to undergo a second surgery if he was to resume his pitching career.

In by|2007, Anderson occasionally filled in as a broadcaster for the Cleveland Indians on SportsTime Ohio, as well as doing several spring training games and a weekly highlight show. [http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070117&content_id=1781446&vkey=pr_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle]

On February 1, by|2008, the Tampa Bay Rays signed Anderson to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. During spring training however, Anderson left the mound in the middle of a game, and followed that with an MRI. The MRI revealed he had a torn ulnar collateral ligament, as well as a torn flexor mass muscle, both in his left elbow. Rays manager Joe Maddon commented by saying, "It can't be repaired; he's done. It's really a big disappointment." [http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080313&content_id=2424896&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb]

He is now the assistant to the pitching coach and works in the front offics for the Rays. He served temporarily as the color commentary broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays during a 10 game west coast road trip, teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats while Staats broadcast partner Joe Magrane was away on assignment as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

External links

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=110230&y=1993 MLB.com profile]
*baseball-reference|id=a/anderbr02