Allan Anderson

Allan Lee Anderson

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 186 lb.
• High School Lancaster (OH) High School
• Debut June 11, 1986
• Final Game October 6, 1991
• Born January 7, 1964 in Lancaster, OH USA

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Biographical Information

On June 7, 1982 Allan Anderson was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 1982 amateur draft. He signed with the Twins and scout Floyd Baker on August 18. The left-handed pitcher made his first pro appearances with the 1983 Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League (Rookie) and the 1983 Wisconsin Rapids Twins of the Class A Midwest League. He went 1-3 for Elizabethton and 0-4 for Wisconsin Rapids. He then appeared with the 1984 Visalia Oaks of the Class A California League where he went 12-7 in 26 appearances, pitching 188 innings and producing a 2.86 ERA. He led the hitter-friendly California League with 5 shutouts and was 8th in ERA. His big problem was control, as he walked 105. His next season saw him go to 7-11 with the 1985 Toledo Mud Hens in 27 games, pitching 176 innings with a 3.43 ERA.

Age 22 found him getting his first look at the major league hitters when the 1986 Minnesota Twins worked him for 21 games. He went 3-6, pitching 84 innings and amassing a 5.55 ERA. The 1986 Toledo Mud Hens also had him for eleven games and he went 2-5 in 67 innings with a 3.43 ERA. From 1986 through 1991, six straight seasons, Allan would be with the Twins, going 49-54 in 148 appearances, pitching 818 innings with a career 4.11 ERA. During this time, with the exception of 1989 and 1990, he spent time pitching in the minors. Despite this timeline, he was not a member of both the 1987 and 1991 World Series winning Twins squads.

Anderson had two very good years in the majors. The first came in 1988 when he was 16-9 in 202 innings with a 2.45 ERA that led the 1988 American League, becoming the first Twins pitcher to do so. He followed that up in 1989 with a 17-10 mark behind a 3.80 ERA. In both 1988 and 1990, he had the lowest walk rate in the AL, showing that he had significantly improved his control from his 1984 California League campaign.

His last pro season would come with the 1993 Oklahoma City 89ers of the AAA American Association where he went 2-8 with a 5.32 ERA. He also had 7 appearances with the Charlotte Knights of the AAA International League with no decisions and decided to call it a career. His minor league record shows he spent nine years with eight different teams coming up with 34 wins, 48 losses and a 4.74 ERA. Allan's best season would have been 1984, where he was 12-7 with a 2.86 ERA.

Anderson was pitching coach of the Charleston RiverDogs in 1994. He is now a real estate agent and auctioneer.

Notable Achievements

• AL ERA Leader (1988)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (1988 & 1989)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1988)
• Won a World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1991 (he did not play in the World Series)

Sources

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Third Edition
SABR Minor League Database
Baseball-Reference.com