Angels hire former Dodgers infielder Dave Anderson as triple-A manager

The Angels have hired former Dodgers infielder Dave Anderson to manage their triple-A affiliate at Salt Lake, General Manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed Tuesday.

Anderson, 54, served as the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league infielder coordinator in 2014 after spending the previous five years as the Texas Rangers’ third base coach and first base coach.

Anderson, then the Rangers’ third base coach, had a much-publicized run-in with former Texas outfielder and current Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton in April 2011 after Hamilton broke a bone in his arm on an ill-advised head-first slide into the plate against the Detroit Tigers.

Hamilton, told by Anderson that no one was covering home, tagged up and tried to score on a popup in foul territory down the third base line. Hamilton suffered the injury, which sidelined him for six weeks, when catcher Victor Martinez scrambled back to apply the tag at the plate.

After the game, Hamilton called the play “stupid,” and he remained frustrated the following day, calling the play “dumb.” But he eventually apologized to Anderson and took responsibility for the play.

“I let my emotions get ahead of thinking things through,” Hamilton told reporters at the time. “The more I think about it, the more I understand that I take responsibility for what happened because I had the choice not to go or the choice to go. I just appreciate Dave having confidence in my ability to think I could make that play.”

A former Dodgers teammate of Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, Anderson will replace Keith Johnson, who was reassigned to a roving infield coordinator position after spending the past four seasons as Salt Lake’s manager.

Anderson was a .242 career hitter in 10 major league seasons, including eight (1983-89 and 1992) with the Dodgers. He played for the San Francisco Giants in 1990-91.