Rick Anderson (baseball player)

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For the former New York Mets pitcher and Minnesota Twins pitching coach, see Rick Anderson (baseball).

Rick Anderson (1953-1989) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was born in Inglewood, CA and attended high school in Gardena, CA.

Anderson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. In 1979, Anderson was named the International League Pitcher of the Year with Columbus Clippers. He made his Major League debut with the Yankees on September 18, 1979. This was the only game in which he pitched for the Yankees, as he was traded to Seattle Mariners over the off-season. After developing arm problems during the 1981 season, Anderson was released, effectively ending his career.

Anderson died from atherosclerosis brought on by obesity on June 23, 1989. When his body was discovered in his Wilmington, California home, he weighed over 400 pounds and was holding a letter from a fan. ^[1]