Major League Baseball Player. A catcher, he appeared in two seasons with the majors, with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1953). An all-conference football tackle at the University of Kansas, he entered the New York Yankees' minor league system in 1939 and was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942. His baseball career was interrupted by World War II service in the US Army (1942 to 1945), where he attained the rank of Master Sergeant. Returning to the Dodgers, Anderson was their starting catcher in 1946, playing in 79 games and hitting .256 with 2 home runs. He caught the only no-hitter in the National League on April 23, 1946, off of Ed Head. He remained starting catcher until July, when he was replaced by Bruce Edwards. For the next seven years he was back in the minors, playing for the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Browns and St Louis Cardinals organizations. "I'm really a minor leaguer", he mused at the time. "And it isn't too bad, believe me. It's better to be playing every day than sitting on a major league bench. And I've earned more money than major league bench sitters". In May 1953, Anderson was summoned to the Cardinals' ML catching staff to fill in for the injured Del Rice, batting .286 in 18 games. On July 17, 1953, he tagged out former Dodgers teammate Jackie Robinson in an attempt to steal home. He managed Cardinals minor league teams until he retired in 1955, with a lifetime batting average of .261. His later years were spent in the insurance business.
Major League Baseball Player. A catcher, he appeared in two seasons with the majors, with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1953). An all-conference football tackle at the University of Kansas, he entered the New York Yankees' minor league system in 1939 and was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942. His baseball career was interrupted by World War II service in the US Army (1942 to 1945), where he attained the rank of Master Sergeant. Returning to the Dodgers, Anderson was their starting catcher in 1946, playing in 79 games and hitting .256 with 2 home runs. He caught the only no-hitter in the National League on April 23, 1946, off of Ed Head. He remained starting catcher until July, when he was replaced by Bruce Edwards. For the next seven years he was back in the minors, playing for the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Browns and St Louis Cardinals organizations. "I'm really a minor leaguer", he mused at the time. "And it isn't too bad, believe me. It's better to be playing every day than sitting on a major league bench. And I've earned more money than major league bench sitters". In May 1953, Anderson was summoned to the Cardinals' ML catching staff to fill in for the injured Del Rice, batting .286 in 18 games. On July 17, 1953, he tagged out former Dodgers teammate Jackie Robinson in an attempt to steal home. He managed Cardinals minor league teams until he retired in 1955, with a lifetime batting average of .261. His later years were spent in the insurance business.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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