| Matt Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1976-08-17)August 17, 1976 (age 49) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 25, 1998, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 1, 2005, for the Colorado Rockies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 15–7 |
| Earned run average | 5.19 |
| Strikeouts | 224 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Matthew Jason Anderson (born August 17, 1976) is an American formerMajor League Baseball (MLB)relief pitcher. The first overall pick in the1997 MLB draft, he played for theDetroit Tigers andColorado Rockies between 1998 and 2005.
Anderson attendedSt. Xavier High School, which was also attended by MLB playersPaul Byrd,Chris Burke, andJack Savage. After high school, he went on toRice University. In 1995, Anderson was aSouthwest Conference all-star. In 1996, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theChatham A's of theCape Cod Baseball League, and was named the league's top pro prospect.[1][2] In 1997 he was aWestern Athletic Conference all-star and a First Team CollegeAll-American. Anderson set Rice University records for careerwins (30) andsaves (14), and also posted a 1.82earned run average (ERA) during his final year with the team. In the 1997 amateur entry draft, Anderson was selectedfirst overall by theDetroit Tigers. He eventually signed with the team for a $2.5 million signing bonus.
Anderson was named the 24th best prospect in 1998 byBaseball America. In 1998, he was called up by the Tigers from the minors, where he had an ERA under 0.70. In his first Major League season, he went 5–1 with a 3.27 ERA in 42 games. He alsostruck out 44 batters in 44 innings pitched. Anderson's numbers were never again as impressive as those of his rookie season, although he was able to record 22 saves (with a 4.82 ERA) in 2001.
In May 2002, Anderson tore a muscle in the armpit of his throwing arm while throwing a bullpen session.[3] Earlier the same day, he had participated in a Tigers-sponsored fan octopus-throwing contest along withJeff Weaver, leading to the perception (though disputed by Anderson) that he'd torn the muscle in hopes of winningDetroit Red Wings playoff tickets.[4] After returning from the injury, he was unable to hit 90 mph on hisfastball in his remaining days in Detroit, after regularly topping 100 mph on the radar gun, including a high mark of 103 mph twice.[5]
After spending all of 2004 in AAA for the Tigers, Anderson made his final appearances in the bigs in 2005. Andersonwalked 11 batters and gave up 19hits in 10innings with theColorado Rockies that season.
Anderson started the 2006 season with the Triple-AFresno Grizzlies in theSan Francisco Giants organization. After going 1–2 with a 9.17 ERA in 29 games in relief with them, he was released by the Giants and signed with theBridgeport Bluefish of the independentAtlantic League, where he went 1–1 with a 4.11 ERA in 15 games.[6]
After not pitching at all in 2007, he was signed to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation tospring training for 2008 by the Chicago White Sox. He did not make the team and pitched for theCharlotte Knights, the White Sox's Triple-A team.
On January 14, 2011, Anderson signed a minor league contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies.[3] On April 2, 2011, he was released.[7]
