Andy Hansen
From BR Bullpen
Andrew Viggo Hansen (Swede)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 190 lb.
- Debut June 30, 1944
- Final Game September 13, 1953
- Born November 12, 1924 in Lake Worth, FL USA
- Died February 2, 2002 in Lake Worth, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Andy Hansen signed as an amateur free agent with the New York Giants before the 1943 season. The 6' 3" 18 year old righthander would spend his first season with the class D Bristol Twins of the Appalachian League, appearing in 16 games and building a 12-3 record while pitching 115 innings. He would be with the Jersey City Giants of the IL in 1944 going 8-4 with a 1.89 ERA and would also appear with the New York Giants going 3-3 with a 6.49 ERA in his first look at major league hitters.
Andy was with Jersey City again in 1945 getting into five contests and going 1-3 and again spent time with the major league Giants, winning 4 and losing 3 with a 4.66 ERA before the Military Service called him into the United States Army, where he served the rest of 1945-46, during the final days of World War II.
"Swede", as Andy was sometimes called, was used primarily out of the bullpen in his six year stay for the Giants (1944-50) and for the Philadelphia Phillies (1951-53), who drafted him on November 16, 1950 in the Rule V Draft. During this 9 year run Hansen built a 23-30 record in 270 games. His best seasons were in 1948 when he had a 5-3 mark and a 2.97 ERA for the Giants and in 1951 when he went 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA for the Phillies.
After the 1950 season, he was with the Baltimore Orioles of the IL in 1951 when he was called up by the Phillies. On the final weekend of the season that year he beat the Dodgers 4-3, handing Brooklyn a critical loss and helping his former Giants team move into a first place tie.
Andy would finish out his pro baseball career in in 1954 with the Hollywood Stars of the PCL, appearing in three games with no decisions, ending his minor league tour with a 22-11 record and a 1.89 ERA. After baseball, Hansen became a postal worker for 30 years and died February 2, 2002, at age 77 in Lake Worth, FL.
[edit] Sources
Baseball Players of the 1950s
BR Minors page
