Dwain Anderson

Oakland A's

Anderson signed with the Kansas City A's as an amateur free agent at age seventeen after playing at El Cerrito High School. He spent seven seasons in the Athletics' farm system, batting .249 with 31 home runs and 250 RBIs, before a September call-up in 1971. He debuted in the second game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, singling off Ray Corbin and scoring Oakland's only run. On September 18, his ninth-inning triple broke a 2–2 tie against the Milwaukee Brewers.

St. Louis Cardinals

Anderson began his Cardinals tenure as a pinch hitter and late-inning defensive replacement for Dal Maxvill. As his average neared .300, Maxvill was traded to the A's. Anderson then hit his only major league home run off Bob Rauch of the New York Mets, but suffered a season-ending injury just over a week later. He ended the season batting .267 and was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

The next spring, he battled Mike Tyson for the starting shortstop job but a poor spring relegated him to backup utility infielder. He appeared in eighteen games, almost exclusively as a pinch hitter, batting .118. After becoming a defensive liability, he was traded to the San Diego Padres on June 7 for Dave Campbell.

Cleveland Indians

Anderson appeared in two games for the Indians, spending most of his time with their Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City 89ers. On June 21, he was traded to the New York Mets for Brian Ostrosser, but never played in a major league game for the Mets. He batted .264 with two home runs and 14 RBIs for Triple-A Tidewater before retiring.

Did You Know?

• Anderson's ninth-inning triple on September 18, 1971 broke a 2–2 tie and led the A's to a 4–2 win over the Brewers.
• He was traded four times in his MLB career: from the A's to the Cardinals, then to the Padres, Indians, and finally the Mets.
• Anderson made his MLB debut in the second game of a September 3 doubleheader, singling off Ray Corbin and scoring Oakland's only run.