Dodgers draft pick Chris Anderson said to be ‘bulldog competitive’

Shades of Orel Hershiser?

The Dodgers can only hope.

In talking about first-round draft choice Chris Anderson on Thursday night, Logan White, the Dodgers’ vice president of amateur scouting, said the big right-hander had “three quality major league pitches and a bulldog-competitive makeup to go with it.”

If Anderson ends up “bulldog competitive” like Hershiser, who drew the “Bulldog” nickname from Tom Lasorda, the Dodgers made quite a catch.

Anderson, who had a 7-5 record, 2.49 earned-run average and 101 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings this spring for Jacksonville (Fla.), is a former Gatorade and Louisville Slugger player of the year for Centennial High in Lino Lakes, Minn.

In a statement released by Jacksonville, Coach Terry Alexander said Anderson “has shown an ability to change speeds and keep opposing hitters guessing. This combined with a plus fastball makes him tough to beat.

“When Chris is on, he can be dominant at any level. All this young man has done is everything that we have asked of him. As good as he is on the field, he is a better person off of the field. Chris has the size, the strength, the ability and the desire to play this game for a very long time.”

The Dodgers’ first pick in the draft has been a pitcher in 10 of the last 11 years.