John Anderson (anderjo01)

John Joseph Anderson
(Honest John)

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut September 8, 1894
• Final Game October 2, 1908
• Born December 14, 1873 in Sarpsborg, Norway
• Died July 23, 1949 in Worcester, MA USA

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Biographical Information

"Anderson, Brooklyn's new man, is a strapping fellow . . . of good appearance. He stands high as a fielder and base runner and is a steady batter. Anderson numbers pitching and catching among his accomplishments, but he is not wanted for box work." - Sporting Life, September 8, 1894, about rookie John Anderson

Outfielder/first baseman John Anderson played fourteen years in the majors and was known for his bat and his speed despite inferior fielding.

Anderson was the first (of three) major leaguers from Norway. He was born in Sarpsborg, near the border with Sweden (John's mother was Swedish). He moved to the United States with his family when he was 8 years old and they settled in Worcester, MA, which had a large Swedish immigrant community at the time.

"Honest John" reached the majors with the Brooklyn Grooms in 1894. In 1898, he was traded to the Washington Senators before being returned to Brooklyn late in the season. That year, he led the National League with 22 triples and a .494 slugging average. After playing for the Milwaukee Brewers when the American League was still a minor league, Anderson remained with the Brewers in 1901 when the circuit attained major league status. He posted his best numbers that year, a .330 average and 99 RBI. With the Washington Senators in 1906, he led the American League with 39 steals.

There is one Hall of Famer on the list of the ten most similar players to Anderson - Jimmy Collins. There has been one other player with the same name in the majors, that being John Anderson (1958-62).

Notable Achievements

• NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1898)
• NL Triples Leader (1898)
• AL Stolen Bases Leader (1906)

Related Sites

• John Anderson at the SABR Bio Project
• Baseball History Daily story on John Anderson
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for John Anderson