John Anderson

Who was John Anderson?

John Joseph Anderson was a Major League outfielder and first baseman. Nicknamed "Honest John", Anderson played for six seasons in the National League from 1894 to 1899 and then in the American League from 1900 to 1908.

Anderson was born in Sarpsborg, Norway; he was the first of only three Major League baseball players to have ever been born in the country. He first appeared in the National League in 1894, when he signed with the Brooklyn Grooms. He spent the next three full seasons with Brooklyn and was primarily used as an outfielder, and batted over .300 in both 1896 and 1897.

During the 1898 season, he was sold to the Washington Senators, only to be sold back to Brooklyn four months later. Nevertheless, he managed to have one of his best seasons, leading the National League with 22 triples and also leading the league in slugging percentage and extra-base hits. Anderson stayed in Brooklyn for the 1899 before being purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers of the newly formed American League.

Anderson was one of the league's best hitters in the AL's first year as a Major League in 1901. As the Brewers' first baseman, he finished second in the league in base hits and doubles, trailing only Nap Lajoie in both categories, ranked third in runs batted in behind Lajoie and Buck Freeman, and was sixth in the league with a .330 average.