CHICAGO -- Just call Garret Anderson boom-boom.

He came to Chicago this week as the quiet cog that propels the Anaheim Angels. He left with a national reputation as a home run hitter.

One night after his surprise win in the Home Run Derby, Anderson started the American League comeback with a two-run homer and was voted the first Ted Williams Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game after getting three hits in a 7-6 victory.

"It's been a good year, and this year's not over yet," he said.

He's been somewhat of a secret on the national stage, not even making an All-Star team until last year. But his teammates on the Angels know what they have. They voted him their MVP last year for the third time in four seasons.

"I think all of Southern California has known Garret for a long time," said Mike Scioscia, the AL and Anaheim manager.

But when the cameras are turned on and the microphones appear, Anderson would rather disappear. That's becoming an increasingly tougher task.

"I think whether Garret likes it or not, he's on that stage now," Scioscia said. "He's not comfortable with it. He's not flamboyant at all, he's not a showboat."

Of course, most fans know a lot more about the Angels now, nine months after the franchise's first World Series title. But when it was time for the big postseason honors last year, Adam Kennedy and Troy Glaus walked off with series MVP awards, not Anderson.

"I think they're starting to understand Garret's talent and starting to see it," said Scioscia, who counts Anderson among the top five players in the sport.

Anderson, 31, had what might have been the biggest hit in Angels' history, a three-run double off San Francisco's Livan Hernandez that put Anaheim ahead 4-1 in Game 7 of the World Series.

On Monday, Anderson beat the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols 9-8 in the finals of the Home Run Derby.

"Yesterday was more of an exhibition, to put on a show for the fans," Anderson said. "Today, it was going back to playing baseball and doing the things that I'm capable of doing."

He's capable of quite a lot.

Starting in left field because of an injury to Boston's Manny Ramirez, Anderson struck out against Jason Schmidt in his first at-bat and singled off Kerry Wood in the fourth. With the AL trailing 5-1 in the sixth, Anderson hit a two-run homer off Woody Williams.

Then, with the AL down 6-4 in the eighth, his one-out double off Eric Gagne started the go-ahead rally. Melvin Mora ran for Anderson, who went back to the dugout. When Hank Blalock delivered the pinch-hit homer that put the AL ahead for good, the usually subdued Anderson pumped his arms.

For him, that's a big reaction.

"That is what is exciting about the game, never knowing what is going to happen," Anderson said. "To do it in that fashion, it definitely was very exciting."