Dwain Anderson facts for kids

Dwain Cleaven Anderson, born on November 23, 1947, is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop, a key position in baseball. Dwain played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams between 1971 and 1974.

Dwain Anderson's Baseball Journey

Dwain Anderson was a talented baseball player from El Cerrito High School. He signed with the Kansas City A's in 1965 when he was just seventeen years old. He spent seven seasons playing in the A's "farm system," which means he played for their minor league teams. During this time, he showed great skill, hitting well and helping his teams score many runs. His hard work paid off, and he was called up to the major leagues in September 1971.

Playing for the Oakland A's

Dwain made his first appearance in a major league game on September 3, 1971. It was during the second game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins. In his second time at bat, he hit a single off pitcher Ray Corbin. He then managed to score the only run for his team in that game.

A few weeks later, on September 18, Dwain helped his team win a big game. In the ninth inning, he hit a triple that broke a tie score. This hit led the A's to a 4–2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

He started the next season back in the minor leagues. But when second baseman Dick Green got injured, Dwain was called back up to the major leagues in May 1972. He played in three games but didn't get any hits. Soon after, on May 15, 1972, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Moving to the St. Louis Cardinals

When Dwain joined the Cardinals, he often played as a pinch hitter. This means he would bat in place of another player. He also sometimes came into the game late to play defense at shortstop. The regular shortstop, Dal Maxvill, was getting older.

As the season went on, Dwain's batting average was around .300, which is very good. Because of his strong performance, Maxvill was traded away. Soon after, Dwain hit his only major league home run! It was against Bob Rauch of the New York Mets. However, just a week later, Dwain got an injury that ended his season. He finished the year with a .267 batting average and was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. This is a special honor for new players who have a great first year.

In 1973, Dwain hoped to become the starting shortstop. But he didn't play as well during Spring training. So, he became a backup player who could play different positions in the infield. He played in eighteen games for the Cardinals, mostly as a pinch hitter. His batting average was lower, at .118. He also started to have some trouble with his defense. Because of this, he played less and less. On June 7, he was traded again, this time to the San Diego Padres.

Playing for the San Diego Padres

A memorable moment in Dwain's time with the Padres happened on July 8. He used a special play called a squeeze bunt in the eighth inning. This play helped Dave Roberts score the winning run against the Chicago Cubs.

However, Dwain's batting average was still low, at .149. He soon saw his playing time in San Diego decrease. After the season ended, he was traded one more time, to the Cleveland Indians.

Joining the Cleveland Indians

Dwain played in two games for the Indians. But he spent most of his time with their minor league team, the triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers. On June 21, 1974, he was traded to the New York Mets. However, he never played a major league game for the Mets.

He finished his career playing for the triple-A Tidewater Tides. He batted .264 with two home runs and fourteen RBIs before he retired from baseball.

Dwain Anderson played a total of 149 games in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1974. He played for the Oakland Athletics (1971–1972), St. Louis Cardinals (1972–1973), San Diego Padres (1973), and Cleveland Indians (1974).