Garret Anderson Will Always Have a Place in Angels Fans Hearts

They say "never meet your heroes" but if Garret Anderson was your hero that did not apply. GA, as he was affectionately known, was as genuinely good of a guy as he was a ballplayer. And he was a tremendous ballplayer.

Anderson passed away at the age of 53 today and will be sorely missed by Angels fans. His consistent production from 1994 through 2008 helped lead the team through the greatest era in Angels baseball history. His post retirement broadcasting career kept him in the Angels family until his final day. At every step of the way his warm smile and genuine nature made him feel like part of the family.

Angels On SI wishes to send our deepest condolensces to his wife Teresa and their three children as well as to the myriad of teammates, loved ones, and friends.

Garret Anderson ranks among the greatest Angels players of all time.

Anderson played more games for the Angels than any other player in history. He leads the club in hits, extra base hits, doubles, total bases, and RBI. He was a 3 time All Star and a key member of the 2002 World Series team.

In the deciding Game 7, Anderson's bases clearing double proved to be the difference in the World Series. "Anderson clears the bases!" is shown before every Angels game to this day and will live on forever.

Following his Game 7 heroics, GA won the 2003 Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP, giving the national audience a glimpse of the greatness Angels fans had the pleasure of watching every night.

Garret Anderson was a class act off the field as well.

He never sought attention for himself but he was quite active in the community through the Angels foundation and baseball clinics. There are not a lot of videos and pictures of Anderson visiting kids in the hospital because Anderson wanted those private moments to stay private. He also taught at a lot of baseball clinics and was active in several charitable endeavors.

I personally witnessed his charitable giving at the OC Youth Sports Foundation dinner a few years ago. No cameras, no press, just Garret Anderson making sure local kids had the same access to playing sports he did.

Returning the Angels as a broadcaster, Anderson was able to show off more of his personality than he did as a player. The more fans got to know him the more we loved him.

There simply are no words for today.

Baseball players become part of the lives of fans and a community in a way that is unique among sports. They are in front of us or in our living rooms 162 nights per year. They don't wear helmets, they sign autographs, and many of them are available at Spring Training.

Garret Anderson was simply a huge part of the Angels family for over 30 years. Whether you met him or not, you feel like you know him. His legacy on and off the field will live on in highlights and the countless lives he changed.

This is a tribute to GA. I mention this only as such. I met Anderson a handful of times and he was always a great guy. We spent about 15 to 20 minutes talking about fatherhood and family at the charity dinner. He loved having real conversations, not just focusing on his playing days. I was not writing for SI at the time. I was just a guy and GA wanted to be treated like a normal guy.

Angels fans will mourn today and in the future. The team will wear a commerative patch for the remainder of the season. Lots of digital ink will spilled. But really, there are no words for today.

We will miss you, GA.

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