Garret Anderson joins Angels Hall of Fame

ANAHEIM — Garret Anderson rarely wears his World Series championship ring from 2002, but the Halos’ former outfielder proudly brought it out Saturday for a special occasion, as he was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony on the field at Angel Stadium.

“I had to actually knock the dust off it,” said Anderson, who had a three-run double in Game 7 of the Fall Classic all those years ago. “It’s been sitting in the drawer. I never wear it. I made sure I had it today and wore it out. It brings back memories, and it’s almost sometimes has me thinking, ‘Did it really happen?'”

Oh yes, it did happen. Angels fans certainly haven’t forgotten. That was abundantly clear during a touching ceremony to welcome Anderson as the 14th individual inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

Anderson received standing ovations from the crowd before and after a brief speech in which he thanked those who made an impact on his decorated big league career.

One of the most productive hitters in franchise history, Anderson remains atop the Angels’ all-time list in a number of offensive categories: at-bats (7,989), runs (1,024), hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489), RBIs (1,292) and games (2,013). He ranks second with 272 home runs, trailing former teammate and fellow Angels Hall of Famer Tim Salmon (299).

Anderson was never an outspoken player during his 15 seasons with the Angels, from 1994-2008. So it wasn’t a surprise that he couldn’t put into words exactly what his induction truly meant to him, though he did his best to communicate his feelings.

“When …

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