Craig Anderson (right-handed pitcher)

Norman Craig Anderson (born July 1, 1938) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets.

Anderson signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent prior to the 1960 season. He made his Major League debut on June 23, 1961 as a member of the Cardinals.

Anderson was selected by the New York Mets in the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft on October 10, 1961. Anderson played 1962-1964 with the Mets. He led the 1962 Mets in appearances and saves. It was a team that ended up with a record of 40-120, the most losses by any Major League Baseball team in one season.

In 1962, Anderson was the winning pitcher on both ends of the first double-header the Mets ever won on May 12. After winning both games against the Milwaukee Braves,^[1] Anderson lost his last 16 decisions for the season. The losing streak would end at 19 games when Anderson's Major league career ended on May 31, 1964. In that double-header, Anderson was the first Mets pitcher to record two wins in a single day; only two other Mets pitchers since have accomplished this: Willard Hunter and Jesse Orosco.

On September 18, 1963, Anderson was the losing pitcher in the last baseball game ever played at the Polo Grounds. The Philadelphia Phillies behind pitcher Chris Short beat the Mets 5-1.

In 82 games (17 starts) Anderson finished with a career record of 7 wins, 23 losses, 94 strikeouts in 192.1 innings pitched, 34 games finished, and an ERA of 5.10.

Anderson attended Anacostia High School from 1953-1956. He played football, basketball and baseball.

Anderson attended Lehigh University. At Lehigh, Anderson played football and baseball. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1960 and then went on to earn an M.Ed. in Business Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1966.

Upon retirement from major league baseball in 1966, Anderson worked at Lehigh University for 34 years as an athletic administrator, varsity baseball pitching coach, and the first director of the Athletics Partnership. Under Anderson's coaching, MLB player, Paul Hartzell, advanced to the California Angels in 1976.

Anderson has two children and lives in Florida with his wife, Judy. His son, Michael, was drafted in 1992 as a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He played 3 years in the minor leagues.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)