Phillies

Matt Anderson Didn’t Hurt His Arm Throwing an Octopus, More Confirmation of Doc’s Ridiculous Workout Schedule

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jan 20th, 2011 · 1:43 PM EST

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Great article on ESPN.com from Jerry Crasnick, who details the comeback attempt of Matt Anderson.

The widely circulated story about the Phillies' new reliever is that he hurt his arm taking part in a weird octopus promotion for the Tigers.

Fans were asked to come onto the field to see how far they could throw the octopi, a tradition at Red Wings games. The winner would get a limo ride and tickets to a playoff game. Anderson, along with teammate Jeff Weaver, volunteered to take part in the event. Later that day, while throwing a bullpen session, Anderson tore a muscle in his armpit. It has become a legend of sorts that Anderson hurt his arm throwing the octopi, but he says it had nothing to do with his underhand throws of the sea creature, and everything to do with lat pull-downs.

For the Phillies, it seems the move was low-risk, high-reward:

Scout Del Unser recently watched Anderson throw three times in Arizona and kept lobbying the Phillies to sign him before word spread among other clubs. After general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stretched the team's budget to the max with the Cliff Lee deal in December, he was happy to take a flyer on a low-risk, high-upside power arm. If Anderson makes it to the majors this year, he will earn a modest salary of $500,000.

 

Anderson was in Clearwater on Friday with Charlie Manuel, Rich Dubee, and some Phillies pitchers (I'm guessing mostly prospects). At 6:30 A.M. Doc rolled up:

One morning Anderson rolled in at 6:30 and saw a BMW pull up, and out stepped Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, who maintains a grueling work regimen even in the offseason. The two pitchers spoke, and Halladay shared the story of his early days in Toronto, when he was such a mess that the Blue Jays sent him all the way to Class A Dunedin for a refresher course. A decade later, Halladay is on his way to the Hall of Fame.

If memory serves me correctly, that would be this Beemer

Gangta.

Good read.