The 6'2" 180-lb Anderson spent his most productive years with Buffalo of the Federal
League, going 13-16 in 1914 and 19-13 in 1915. He had an 8-8 mark for the NL champion
1917 Giants, with a 1.44 ERA. He had three saves in 1918 to tie for the NL lead.
(JM)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»October 4, 1913:
Washington manager Clark Griffith uses an unheard-of eight pitchers in an end-of-season farce game with Boston, including five in the 9th inning. At age 43, he pitches one inning himself, and coach John Ryan, also 43, catches. Griffith also plays RF, where he plays one off his head and misplays Hal Janvrin's liner into an inside-the-park homer. On the other end of the scale, 17-year-old Merito Acosta plays outfield alongside Walter Johnson in CF. Johnson then comes in the 8th inning to lob pitches to two hitters. Both batters, Clyde Milan and Steve Yerkes lace hits to send Johnson back to CF, and then, in relief, Nats catcher Eddie Ainsmith, in his only ML pitching appearance, gives up two triples to allow the base runners to score. The Sox score in the 9th on Janvrin's 2nd inside-the-park homer. Joe Gedeon, in his only pitching appearance, retires the last two batters as Washington wins, 10–9, beating Fred Anderson who goes the distance. The two runs "allowed" by Johnson will have historical repercussions: his ERA goes from 1.09 to 1.14, and Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968 will put Johnson's ERA in 2nd place on the all-time list. The eight pitchers sets a major-league record that won't be matched until the Dodgers, September 25, 1946.
»January 20, 1916: The Giants buy Edd Roush from the Newark Tip Tops (Federal League) for $7,500. Roush will hit just .188 in New York before being packaged to Cincinnati, where he will blossom into a Hall of Famer. Along with Roush come the contracts of C Bill Rariden from the Peps, infielder Bill McKecknie, spitballer Fred Anderson from the Buffalo Bufffeds (AKA the Blues), and Federal League star, the colorful Benny Kauf. The total proce is $65,000.
»October 7, 1917: In Game Two, New York's Ferdie Schupp doesn't get out of the 2nd inning, and reliever Fred Anderson is bombed in a 5-run 4th, as the 14 White Sox hits produce a 7–2 win for Red Faber. Faber's pitching is better than his baserunning; in the 5th inning, he tries to steal 3B, only to find teammate Buck Weaver occupying it. 3B Heinie Zimmerman tags both runners out, though Weaver is still safe.
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