As Players' Weekend returns throughout MLB -- and specifically at Fenway Park from Aug. 15-17 when the Red Sox host the Marlins -- one of the themes is appreciation, as players get the opportunity to celebrate the people who helped them in their journey to the big leagues. Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony doesn’t even blink before he cites the two people he appreciates the most, and the two he knows for sure are the ones most responsible for the fortunate situation he is in. When Anthony takes his first at-bat of Players Weekend on Friday night, he will be playing in his 54th Major League game but is just over a week removed from signing an eight-year, $130-million contract. Front and center in the photo celebrating the joyous moment in the interview room at Fenway Park were Anthony’s father, Tony, and mother, Lori. They were also there, along with his brother and sister, when Roman smashed his first career hit, a two-run double in his second career game. Lori broke down in tears as the moment overcame her. |
It was a symbol of the tight bond and appreciation that Roman Antnony has with his family. And that hasn’t lessened a bit as he’s taken his formative steps as a Major League player the past two months. “Amazing,” Anthony said. “I share everything with them. I wouldn’t be here if not for every little sacrifice they made. You may kind of take it for granted at the time, but looking back at it now, the way things worked out, I’m so grateful for them.” The root of Roman’s gratitude stems from the fact that Tony and Lori were self-made adults who didn’t have the type of support he’s so grateful to receive. “First, they had no sporting background growing up,” Anthony said. “I know both of them had to work throughout high school and throughout college to pay for school, pay for themselves, pay for their own living. Both of them kind of came from nothing. For them to have as little experience as they did in the sports world, and to put me and my siblings in every sport they could possible, and constantly support us for 21 years of my life now, I couldn’t ask for anything more.” |
Sports simply weren’t an attainable outlet for Tony or Lori when they were growing up. “They were always working,” Roman said. “I think both of them coming from nothing, having to live on their own, both moving out around, like 17, 18 years old, and being introduced to the real world and being forced to survive, and for them to do what they did and be as successful as they are is inspiring. I think I get my competitiveness from how competitive they were in order to just flat-out survive.” Tony is a financial advisor. Lori started her own business creating medical supplies and is a physician’s assistant. Roman doesn’t remember a moment in his childhood when he didn’t love baseball, and his parents fostered that in different ways. Using the good cop, bad cop analogy, Lori was clearly the good cop. |
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“Ever since I was a little boy, and I could hold a baseball bat, she was the one that was pushing me. ‘Hey, keep dreaming. Keep going. Nothing’s impossible. You’re going to be a professional baseball player and play in the big leagues.’ This is when I was around five years old,” Anthony said. “For her, just manifesting things into existence and teaching me to dream at a young age, she’s helped me so much.” Tony felt it was his job to show Roman that reaching such a dream is far from dreamy. It takes a relentless work ethic, and he never tired of reminding his son of that. “He was super tough on me at a young age, and that was part of the reason my mom needed to get me away to my own coach and be introduced to somebody else who knew more than he did, but at the same time, wasn't gonna [be so tough on me], in a sense,” Roman said. “But no, I appreciate everything now, how hard he was on me. When I look back at it, it was tough. But understanding it now, and looking back on it, I don’t think I’d be here right now if not for how hard he was on me, even as I got up to pro ball.” Perhaps the pivotal moment in Roman Anthony’s baseball development was when he transferred to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Fla.) for his junior year. To do so, the West Palm Beach native had to move about 40 miles south. That baseball powerhouse of a school has produced a collection of other Major Leaguers, including Anthony Rizzo and Jesús Luzardo. To be within the school district's boundary, Roman's dad moved with him. |
“I had played for the head coach down there [at Marjory Stoneman] in travel ball pretty much my entire life,” said Anthony. “I always knew the type of program they had and how legit it was, but I didn't know how real the whole baseball thing was for me until around that time, and I made the switch. My parents were nothing but supportive of it. “It wasn’t too far, but it's far enough [for my dad] to make sacrifices and stay with me and live down in that area with me and help me out. But again, he was fully supportive. There was never really a question about it. So it just goes to show the character of them.”
It also shows Roman Anthony’s character at 21 years old to have such an appreciation for what his parents did for him. “They put me around the right people my entire life,” Anthony said. “Gave me the best training I could my entire life. They knew I loved it and had fun doing it, and they supported that.” |
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