Larry Andersen

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Larry Andersen
Pitcher
Born: May 6, 1953 (1953-05-06) (age 55)
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 5, 1975
for the Cleveland Indians
Final game
July 31, 1994
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics
ERA     3.15
Strikeouts     758
Games     699
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Larry Eugene Andersen (born May 6, 1953 in Portland, Oregon) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and current color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1975 through 1994, Andersen played for the Cleveland Indians (1975-1979), Seattle Mariners (1981-1982), Philadelphia Phillies (1983-1986, 1993-1994), Houston Astros (1986-1990), Boston Red Sox (1990) and San Diego Padres (1991-1992). He batted and threw right-handed.

He possessed an average fastball, but had an outstanding slider (Andersen admitted that he actually had better command of his slider than his fastball). He is perhaps best known, in addition to his work with the Phillies broadcast team, as being the player who was involved in one of the most lopsided trades in sports history. In 1990, he was traded to the Red Sox for minor league prospect Jeff Bagwell. While Andersen played only one season for the Sox, appearing in 15 games and recording 4 saves, Bagwell became a legend in Houston, hitting 449 home runs with over 1500 RBIs and a .297 average. Bagwell would go on to win the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year award, as well as also being honored with the NL MVP in 1994. Many Red Sox fans lament this trade as being one of the most recent examples of their front office blunders, dating back to the trade of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees earlier in the 20th century.

In a 17-season career, Andersen posted a 40-39 record with 49 saves and a 3.15 ERA in 699 games pitched. His best season was 1987 wherein he recorded Nine wins, 97 strikeouts, and 101 2/3 innings pitched, in 67 games – all career highs.

In 1995, Andersen was a player/coach for the Reading Phillies after failing to make the Major League club out of Spring Training. He spent the following two seasons as the pitching coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons before joining Philadelphia's broadcast team prior to the 1998 season. Andersen occasionally provides color commentary when the Phillies are featured regionally on FOX Saturday afternoon telecasts. In the 2007 season, he began doing play-by-play work on Phillies radio broadcasts.

[edit] Post-season appearances

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Preceded by
Richie Ashburn		 Philles Baseball commentator (with Harry Kalas)
1998-2006		 Succeeded by
Gary Matthews