| Year: | 2009 |
| Sport(s): | Baseball |
Rick Anderson
2009 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee - Former Student Athlete
Rick Anderson graduated from Mariner High School in 1975. He played for EvCC in 1976 and 1977, went on record to win 19 games in his two year career for the Trojans. After EvCC, Anderson transferred to the University of Washington, playing for the UW baseball team in 1978 where he threw a no hitter against Oregon State. A year later Anderson was a minor leaguer in the Mets organization where he again threw a no hitter against Shreveport in 1979. He broke into the big leagues in 1986, making his major league debut with the New York Mets. After playing with the Mets for a season, Anderson joined the Kansas City Royals, where he played until 1988.
After retiring, Anderson accepted a job as pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Twins.
After thirteen seasons as a minor league coach, the last seven at the AAA level, he was named the Minnesota Twins' pitching coach for the 2002 season, where he coached with former Met, and minor league roommate, Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire. From 2002-2010, Twins pitchers posted the third-lowest ERA in the American League, at 4.11. Anderson's philosophy for the pitching staff was to pitch to contact and limit walks in order to win. Consequently, no major league team was more stingy with free passes. For instance, from 2008-2010, the Twins issued 1,255 walks; the St. Louis Cardinals were a distant second on that list, at 1,433. In fact, from 2003, Anderson's second year, through 2010, the Twins issued the least or second least walks every season, although in the preceding six seasons (1997-2002, Anderson's first season and the five preceding seasons), they were no worse than the fifth least walks allowed. From 2011-2014, they ranged from fifth to eleventh fewest free passes. Anderson coached for the Twins for twelve years.
On October 2, 2014, following the termination of Gardenhire, it was announced that Anderson would not be returning as the Twins pitching coach.
On November 2, 2017, Anderson was named the bullpen coach for the Detroit Tigers for the 2018 season. On June 27, 2018, Anderson was promoted to pitching coach for the Tigers.
Rick and his his wife Rhonda, have two daughters, Cortnie and Ashley and a son Ricky.
Additional Recognition: Minor League AAA Pitcher of the Year