Goat Anderson

Edward John Anderson

• Bats Left, Throws Right

• Debut April 11, 1907
• Final Game October 6, 1907
• Born January 13, 1880 in Cleveland, OH USA
• Died March 15, 1923 in South Bend, IN USA

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Biographical Information

Goat Anderson was a regular outfielder in his single season in the majors with the 1907 Pittsburgh Pirates. He appeared in 127 games. Although he hit only .206, it should be noted that he drew 80 walks and stole 27 bases. Those walks ranked him 5th in the league, and as a result his 73 runs scored ranked 8th best. The league leader in runs scored that year, Spike Shannon, received 172 more at-bats than Anderson.

On the other hand, Anderson drove in only 12 runs and had little power, giving him an awesomely low slugging percentage of .225. Defensively, his range factor and fielding percentage were a little bit below the league average. He mostly played right field. The 1907 Pittsburgh Pirates won 91 games that year, with veterans Fred Clarke and Tommy Leach filling out the outfield with Goat. It was an old team: even though Anderson was 27, the other outfielders were older, and the average age was 28.6.

Anderson developed a sore arm during spring training in 1908, which led to his release. Tommy Leach moved to third base, and the outfield was occupied by Clarke, Roy Thomas, and Chief Wilson. The team missed Anderson's walks and stolen bases, getting fewer of each in 1908, but the team won more games.

Goat died of cancer at age 43. He is sure to make the "All Barnyard Team", with players such as Goose Goslin, Rabbit Maranville, and Chicken Hawks.

Related Sites

Baseball History Daily story on Goat Anderson

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