Garret Anderson, who starred in the 2002 World Series with the Angels and excelled during a 17-year career in the major leagues, died of acute necrotizing pancreatitis, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday, citing the Coroner Division of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Anderson, 53, a three-time All-Star, who played 15 seasons with the Angels from 1994 to 2008 before spending one year with the Atlanta Braves and one with the Los Angeles Dodgers, died on April 16 in Newport Beach, California.
Anderson’s wife, Teresa, previously told ESPN that she believed the outfielder had died of a heart attack.
Sgt. Gerard McCann of the sheriff’s department said that Anderson’s death was classified as natural, The Orange County Register reported.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, necrotizing pancreatitis occurs “when pancreatitis inflammation is so severe that it causes tissue death (necrosis).”
“You need to have a pancreas that’s healthy in order for the other organs to survive,” Dan Cupido, a retired Riverside County chief deputy coroner, told the Register.
He added that acute necrotizing pancreatitis “is a demon.”
“When it gets bad, it gets really bad, and you can go really quick,” Cupido told the newspaper.
Anderson’s signature moment came in the 2002 World Series, when his three-run double in Game 7 helped the Angels to their only world championship, the Times reported. The extra-base hit put the Angels ahead to stay in a 4-1 victory against the San Francisco Giants.
Anderson owned 13 Angels team records and appeared in at least 140 games in 11 seasons, according to the newspaper. He is the team’s all-time leader in games (2,013), hits (2,368), RBI (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight), according to the Register.
His calm demeanor was admired by his teammates, who said he was a stabilizing force in the clubhouse, the newspaper reported.
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