The Time I Got Fatherly Advice from Garret Anderson

On the field, Garret Anderson was all business and rarely showed emotion. But if you got him away from the cameras he was a very genuine and enjoyable person. I had the pleasure of meeting Garret Anderson a handful of times. Hopefully sharing these experiences give you a glimpse of the real person behind all the top flight statistics.

In public settings GA was very reserved, but away from the cameras he was more open.

The first time I met GA was at Angels Fan Fest in 2007 where he shook hands and took pictures with a ton of fans. Promotional things were never his forte and while he was sincere and polite he was also rather reserved. If there wee more than a handful of words exchanged that day I would be surprised.

That picture of me, him, and my now wife has been on our refrigerator for 19 years now. GA is my favorite player from that era. My wife knew nothing about baseball at the time but she headed to Fan Fest with my anyway. The picture serves as a reminder of a happy day and the beginning of our relationship.

I ran into him in the broadcasting area years later. He was just as focused and determined at that job as he was on the field. But while the game was going and there were no cameras on him he was just one of the guys. That smile and laugh his teammates talked about was on full display.

In this case I was visiting Victor Rojas in the broadcast booth and Garret was waiting to do the post game. He kept his eyes on the field, constantly looking for something to discuss. But between innings he joked with his colleagues and as usual offered me a handshake and a smile.

And then there is the night that will always stick with me.

Jeff Joiner and Garret Anderson | Jeff Joiner

The most meaningful interaction I had with Anderson came at the OC Youth Sports Foundation dinner in 2019. With his teammates and away from the cameras his full personality was on display.
He sat with Tim Salmon a few tables away and you could see the genuine bond their two families shared.

We had a brief interaction prior to the dinner. Just a quick handshake and hello as I could tell he wanted to be with his teammates. But we both left the dinner a little late and ended up towards the end of the valet line together. There was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass me by.

In line we had a good 15-20 minute talk. Just me, him and his lovely wife Teresa. Our talk went from helping kids to our childhoods to fatherhood. GA loved being a father more than anything on earth. My son was very young at the time and GA and Teresa lit up with joy about what I was experiencing while sharing stories of their own kids. They laughed full heartedly while talking about their kids and Anderson lit up far more than any time he talked about baseball.

Yes, I spent 20 minutes with my favorite Angel of his era talking about our kids. The most clutch hitter in Angels history giving me a couple of tips on fatherhood that all proved to be true.

As we got to the front of the line I offered to let the Andersons go in front of me but they refused. Finally I told him how much I loved watching him play and how cool it was to have a conversation with him which he acknowledged and accepted graciously.

He agreed to the selfie above and we went our separate ways.

Anderson was a genuine fan favorite because he was a genuine person. On the field he was fiercely competitive, stoic, and all business. He did not seek the limelight. But when the cameras were away and he had time to interact with people he was amazing.

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