CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Matt Anderson had it all. He had a 100 mph fastball. He was voted an All-American at Rice University, and he was selected 1st overall in the June, 1997 MLB draft. 

For all of this, the 6′4″ right hander received a $2.5 million signing bonus.

The kid from Louisville was a real prodigy and in his first pro season, he made the leap all the way from Class A – where his ERA was 70 – to the Detroit Tigers. This was one year after his draft, on June 25, 1998. His fastball was clocked twice at 103 miles per hour, and he ended his rookie season with a 5-1 record and a 3.27 ERA in 42 relief appearances. Anderson struck out 44 batters in 44 innings pitched. 

Anderson ran into some trouble that October, however, when he signed for an overnight package that contained marijuana. He admitted smoking the bud, but told the police that the delivery was intended for a teammate/roommate. 

Matt Anderson was a bit of a lad – laid back and sporting a pierced tongue – to mixed reviews in the Motor City. Later he grew curly locks which he refused to cut.

courtesy of tigersandthedreamweaver.blogspot.com

Matt Anderson never equalled his rookie season, but stayed in the Show until May of 2002 when his hockey brain kicked in.

The Tigers were having an octopus-throwing contest at Comerica Park, and Anderson was hoping to win tickets to a Red Wings playoff game. 

So, he chucked the eight armed cephalopod, didn’t win, tore a muscle in his pitching armpit, and had to go on I.R (And the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup.).

The Tigers said that he would be out for three months but Anderson never recovered. He only pitched in a total of 11 innings that season – with a now slow 90 MPH fastball – and only 23 the season after that. 

Anderson pitched in the minors in 2004 and only 10 innings for Colorado in 2005 and that was it.

Hockey was bad for him.