Garret Anderson

Garret Joseph Anderson was born on June 30, 1972, in Los Angeles, California — a city he would one day make proud on the grandest stage in baseball. Raised by a single mother and grandmother in the San Fernando Valley, young Garret grew up with a quiet determination that would define everything he became. A three-sport standout at Granada Hills Kennedy High School, he led his team to the Los Angeles City Championship as a junior and caught the eye of scouts across the country. The California Angels selected him in the fourth round of the 1990 MLB Draft, and from that moment, his path was set. Anderson made his major league debut on July 27, 1994, and over the next fifteen seasons with the California, Anaheim, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, he became the defining player of the franchise. His numbers alone tell part of the story — 13 franchise records including 2,368 hits, 1,292 RBIs, and 489 doubles — but they miss what teammates knew instinctively: known simply as "GA," Anderson was the calming center of gravity in the Angels clubhouse. He never showboated, never sought the spotlight, and never placed himself above the game. He was, as those who played alongside him often said, a lunch-pail superstar who didn't act like one. The pinnacle came on the night of October 26, 2002. With the Angels on the brink in Game 7 of the World Series, Anderson stepped to the plate and lined a three-run double that broke the game open — delivering the only championship in franchise history. The following summer, he was named both Home Run Derby Champion and All-Star Game MVP, the first player to accomplish that double since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991. After retiring in 2010, Anderson remained woven into the Angels' fabric as a television analyst, and in 2016 the franchise honored him with induction into the Angels Hall of Fame. Beyond baseball, he and his wife Teresa co-founded the Determine to Dream Foundation, reflecting a lifelong commitment to community and family. Tim Salmon, his closest friend and teammate, said it best: his biggest legacy was who he was as a man. Garret Anderson passed away on April 16, 2026, at his home in Newport Beach, California. He was 53. He is survived by his wife Teresa and their three children, Brianne, Bailey, and Garret "Trey" Anderson III. The Angels retired his number and the game mourned a player — and a person — who did everything right.