Anderson joins coaching staff

ROGER MOONEY
rmooney@bradenton.com

DUNEDIN – Not long after Joe Maddon received word that Brian Anderson’s pitching career was over, a casualty of three torn ligaments in his pitching elbow, the Tampa Bay Rays manager called the pitcher with an idea for Anderson’s immediate future.

“He called the next day and said, ‘I wish you could be a part of it on the field,’ and on and on and on, ‘but this isn’t dead yet,’ ” Anderson said.

Maddon’s idea was to have Anderson join the coaching staff as an assistant to pitching coach Jim Hickey.

“We wanted to keep him in the organization,” Maddon said. “He’s a bright, young man. We’re not quite sure how this is going to work.”

Anderson’s duties vary. He will assist Hickey with the pitchers and will act as a liaison between pitchers and catchers.

“He’s not the assistant pitching coach,” Maddon said. “He’s the assistant to the pitching coach.”

Maddon was channeling Dwight Schrute’s title on the TV show “The Office,” which happens to be Maddon’s favorite show. Schrute is the assistant to the regional manager, Michael Scott, and not the assistant regional manager.

Anderson will also do some scouting, break down video and work with vice president of baseball Andrew Friedman.

“It’s a nice way for me to get a feel for an organization from top to the bottom,” Anderson said. “I’ve had the playing side for quite a while, and now I get to see how the other side works and go from there. Maybe at some time there is a niche that I stumble on and they’re like, ‘That’s it. That’s what you’re going to do full time.’ Who knows what will happen, but until then it will be a little bit of everything.”

Anderson signed a minor league contract and was invited to camp. His rehab from consecutive Tommy John surgeries progressed ahead of schedule, and Anderson found himself pitching in a pair of games. The first went well. The second lasted three batters.

Anderson walked off the mound at Al Lang Field on March 12 after feeling pain in his pitching elbow.

Tests the next day confirmed he tore the ulnar collateral ligament and flexor muscle in his left elbow. He officially retired.

But Maddon, who was behind the move to bring the 35-year-old into the organization, wanted to keep Anderson around.

“You’re always looking for bright young people,” Maddon said. “We got one. We don’t want him to get away.”

Anderson said he’s “honored” to be asked to join an organization in such a capacity given that he was an active player for a month. Maddon said Anderson’s tenure with the team is irrelevant. It’s his personality, experience and knowledge of the game the Rays want to tap into.

“You wouldn’t just do this with anybody,” Maddon said. “We feel he has the intelligence and the experience to take this position forward.”