Rick Anderson (pitcher)

Richard Lee Anderson (December 25, 1953 – June 23, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He attended high school in Gardena, California.

Anderson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. In 1979, Anderson was named the International League Pitcher of the Year with the Columbus Clippers. He made his major league debut with the Yankees on September 18,. This was the only game in which he pitched for the Yankees, as he was traded to the Seattle Mariners over the offseason. After developing arm problems during the season, Anderson was released, effectively ending his career.

Anderson died from heart failure brought on by atherosclerosis on June 23, 1989. When his body was discovered in his Wilmington, California home, he was holding a letter from a fan. During his playing days, he was listed at 6 ft tall and 210 lb. At the time of his death, he weighed over 400 lb.