Photo courtesy of Larry Andersen.
Larry Anderson
Now living in Cahaba Heights, Larry Andersen is working on a book about his experiences in baseball and the military.
When Larry “Andy” Andersen signed a baseball contract with the Yankees organization in the fall of 1947, the article in the New York Post overshadowed the signing of another draftee named Whitey Ford.
“Before we signed, I was a bigger prospect than him,” the Cahaba Heights resident said jokingly. “But he went on to the major leagues.”
A New York native, Andersen was offered full athletic scholarships to Florida, Holy Cross and Manhattan colleges when he graduated high school. However, he couldn’t turn down the lure of the big leagues.
Signing a contract at age 19 instead of going to college remains one of Andersen’s biggest regrets. Looking back, he realizes how much he could have improved his game in college and may have made it all the way to the major leagues.
In February 1948, Andersen headed to Florida for spring training. When he arrived, he saw just how many other talented players were out there. Playing at the catcher position, Andersen said he could throw a ball through a car wash and make it come out dry.
“You don’t know how good you have to be to play professionally,” Andersen said. “You have to be very, very good. Better than anyone in your town and six towns around you. You’ve got to be special if you’re going to play pro ball.”
Andersen would spend the next 11 years playing in the minor leagues before his career ended in 1958.
Part of that time was spent serving in the military. In joining the Marine Corps, Andersen said it wasn’t until he began training at Parris Island that he realized what he had done. He continued to play on baseball teams at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton. All the military branches had teams with major league players on them.
“All services are big on athletics,” he said. “We were recruiting Marines in every city we went to. It’s publicity. Sports in the military was awesome.”
Andersen spent his eight months of service in Korea. He drove a truck and remembers having mortars shot at him.
“I was in combat for eight months, 250 days, and was never scared,” he said. “When you’re 22, you’re invincible.”
Andersen has memories of playing against major leaguers including Harry Agganis, Art Houtteman, Sam Calderone and Bob Skinner. While playing for Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he was hit in the eye by a pitch from Johnny Antonelli, a left-handed pitcher who later played for the New York and San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Andersen would lose that eye to glaucoma 51 years later.
After the armistice was signed in August 1953, Andersen had to stay until December. He arrived back in California on the same boat on which he left: the General Hays. After receiving his discharge on January 8, 1954, Andersen and two buddies were going to take a several week road trip across the country, but his father told him to get home in a week or not to bother coming back.
“One of my other greatest regrets in life is what would’ve happened if I’d gone on that trip,” Andersen said. “But I wasn’t going to disobey my dad, even at 24 years old.”
In late February of 1954, Andersen drove to Ocala, Florida, to join up with the Birmingham Barons at spring training. Several months later, he was sold to Montgomery where he caught 111 games and hit .262.
After leaving the world of baseball, Andersen worked in insurance until his retirement in 1995.
Andersen and his wife Faye were married for 59 years. They had four children and seven grandchildren. Faye passed away in September 2013 from colon cancer.
These days, Andersen enjoys driving his 17-year-old Lincoln around Cahaba Heights while listening to the “Paul Finebaum Show.” Andersen said he is also working on a book about his life.
