For Marauders' Anderson, Help Was Just a Phone Call Away

Mired in the worst slump of his four-year professional career, a phone call home may have provided Calvin Anderson with the best advice.

It wasn’t the 6-foot-7, 253-pound Bradenton Marauders designated hitter’s father, Fred — a former NFL defensive lineman who played in 16 games for the 1978 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and in 21 more for the Seattle Seahawks from 1980-82 — dispensing the knowledge on the other end. Rather, it was mom Darla Anderson diagnosing the root of her son’s struggles and finding a solution.

Anderson’s average dipped to .178 on the season after he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in an 11-10 loss to the visiting Dunedin Blue Jays on May 20. After sitting out the next day’s game against the Blue Jays, which was the Marauders’ fifth straight loss in what turned out to be a seven-game drought, an eight-game road trip didn’t seem to be the most enticing proposition for Anderson.

While the Marauders claimed just one victory in four games against the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium and were swept by the homestanding Daytona Cubs, Anderson started to turn things around on the road trip. He was 10-for-30 with three home runs, six doubles in the eight games and drove in two or more runs in four other contests.

"I couldn’t really figure out the issue," Anderson said. "I just think I had too many things going on at once. I was trying to do too many things at the plate — worry about mechanics and worry about this and worry about that. My mom told me to go back to what comes naturally to me at the plate, so I wouldn’t have to experiment with things at the plate. I just went made things simple and easier. Then, I started hitting the ball harder and the confidence came back."

Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12^th round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft after hitting at least .328 in each of his three seasons at Southern University, Anderson was assigned to the State College (Pa.) Spikes. He smacked a home run in his first professional game and ended up batting .265 with six home runs, two triples, 10 doubles, 28 RBI and 23 runs scored in 45 games as either the Spikes’ first baseman or designated hitter.

Starting in his second season with the West Virginia Power, Anderson batted .318 in April 2009 and hit seven of his career-best 12 home runs in the first two months of the season. He was named a Midseason South Atlantic League All-Star and was victorious in the home run derby competition that was held in conjunction with the league’s all-star game.

After finishing a 101-game 2009 campaign with a .274 batting average, Anderson’s next stop was Bradenton and the Marauders of the Class-A Advanced Florida State League. Of his 73 RBI, 38 came in the months of May and June when he hit .320 and .313, respectively.

There were other highlights, including a grand slam against the St. Lucie Mets last August 26, but Anderson also struck out 141 times in 125 games to bring his career strikeout total to 308. Following a season that saw him hit .259 with 11 home runs and 29 doubles for the playoff-bound Marauders, Anderson started working more in the outfield when spring training commenced at Pirate City in Bradenton.

Listed as an outfielder during his second stint with the Marauders, Anderson has served as the team’s primary DH in 2011. However, he continues to brush up on his infield and outfield play in pre-game workouts.

"I’m getting comfortable (in the outfield) and learning a few things every day about different reads," Anderson said. "It’s a lot easier than it was in spring training. Spring training was pretty difficult when I was first learning it. Now, I’m getting comfortable going back on a ball, but there’s still a long way to go."

By taking the initiative to make himself a better prospect, Anderson hopes to continue his climb up the ladder and eventually reach the major leagues. If he reaches the bigs, there is always the dream of duplicating his father’s feat of helping bring a world championship to Pittsburgh.

"I never thought that I would wear the same colors (as the Steelers), but it’s a pretty cool feeling to wear the same colors as my dad," Anderson said. "I’m just hoping that one day I can experience what he experienced at the highest level."