Brian Anderson (anderbr03)
From BR Bullpen
Brian Nikola Anderson
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 205 lb.
- School University of Arizona
- Debut August 16, 2005
- Born March 11, 1982 in Tucson, AZ USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Brian Anderson is an outfielder who was traded in mid-season 2009 to the Boston Red Sox. He broke in with the 2005 White Sox, was a regular during 2006, spent much of 2007 in the minors, and in 2008 returned to the major league team as a back-up outfielder.
He was selected by the White Sox in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft, after his junior year in college at the University of Arizona. He was a second-team All-American outfielder according to Baseball America. The right-hander's .366 batting average and .668 slugging percentage earned him a spot on the Pac-10 All-Conference team. Anderson pitched 10 games for the University of Arizona in 2002, and later saw a few mound appearances in the minor leagues. He recorded plenty of strikeouts, but surrendered a number of hits.
He made his pro debut later that summer, and hit .388/.492/.592 with 13 RBI in 13 games for the Great Falls White Sox before a wrist injury ended his season. He split the next year between the Winston-Salem Warthogs (.319/.394/.531) and Birmingham Barons (.270/.346/.416), hitting a combined .298 with 12 homers and 73 RBI for the two clubs. Baseball America rated him the #3 prospect in the Carolina League, the #11 prospect in the Southern League and the 11th-best outfield prospect in the minor leagues.
Anderson moved up to AAA in 2005, batting .295/.360/.469 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI for the Charlotte Knights. In August, he was called up to Chicago to replace the injured Scott Podsednik. He hit two home runs in 36 at bats, but his batting average fell to .176. The White Sox won the 2005 World Series, and Anderson, though not included on the postseason roster, could be seen celebrating alongside Aaron Rowand after Podsednik's winning home run in the second game of the series.
The White Sox shipped Rowand, the club's center fielder, to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2005 season; the move opened starting spot for Anderson. The former first round pick started very slowly in 2006, hitting under .200 in the months of April, May, and June. He hit a more respectable .257 in the second half after White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker identified flaws in his swing to raise his season average to .225. He hit 8 home runs and drove home 33 runners in 365 at bats.
Anderson began the 2007 season as a backup to Darin Erstad, getting only 17 at-bats before being sent down to AAA Charlotte. The White Sox suffered numerous injuries, but Anderson was never recalled, sparking rumors that the center fielder fell out of favor with the organization. He hit .255 in 200 at bats with Charlotte. However, his strong performance in spring training the following year impressed White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, and Anderson returned to the major league roster in 2008 as a backup outfielder, being used primarily as a defensive replacement.
