Cleveland’s Anderson Hears the Bell, Comes Out Firing

Before the American League championship series even started, Cleveland Indian reliever Brian Anderson said he would “get the chills” every time the bullpen phone rang.

So what was Anderson’s reaction when the phone not only rang Wednesday, but included orders for Anderson to warm up in the ninth inning of a 0-0 game against the Baltimore Orioles?

“I said, ‘Wait a minute guys, this isn’t my role,’ ” Anderson said. “I thought I was a long reliever, a mop-up guy. But my job, no matter the situation, is to try to get hitters out.”

Anderson did that job almost flawlessly, striking out two of four batters in the 10th inning to gain the victory in the Indians’ 1-0, 11-inning, series-clinching victory over the Orioles.

The left-hander fell behind leadoff batter Eric Davis, 3-1, but fooled him with a changeup and blew a high fastball by him for strike three. Anderson then struck out Jeffrey Hammonds, walked Cal Ripken Jr. and got B.J. Surhoff to fly to center for the third out.

The scoreless inning capped a remarkable ALCS for Anderson, who wasn’t even activated for the division series but came through with 6 1/3 splendid relief innings against the Orioles, giving up just one run on one hit in 20 at-bats (.050 average) and striking out seven.

“I grew up a Cleveland fan and never saw them go to the playoffs,” said Anderson, a former Angel pitcher and a native of Geneva, Ohio. “Getting a chance to be in this situation, having a hand in a Cleveland team going to the World Series, is unbelievable. I can’t even put it into words.”

*

The fact that Tony Fernandez, a platoon player this year after being a starter for most of his 14-year career, hit the game-winning homer in the 11th inning Wednesday was very satisfying for Indian Manager Mike Hargrove and indicative, he said, of the rewards that come with being unselfish.

“Tony Fernandez has put aside his ego and his personal interests to help this ballclub win this year,” Hargrove said. “He has accepted the role I asked him to accept.”

*

There were numerous most valuable player candidates from the ALCS, including Oriole pitcher Mike Mussina, who gave up one run on four hits and struck out 25 in two starts; Oriole center fielder Brady Anderson, who batted .360 with two homers, and Indian catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., who had four RBIs and the winning hit in Game 4.

But in a vote of a panel of media members, the MVP award went to Indian center fielder Marquis Grissom, who had two, four-strikeout games but won Game 2 with a three-run homer and stole home for the winning run in Game 3.