*The Red Sox seem intent on taking their time when it comes to promoting Roman Anthony to the big leagues — which is how it should be.
It’s escaped notice, but Anthony is actually the youngest player in the International League and won’t turn 21 until the middle of next month.
At this time a year ago, he had just begun playing at Double A, and while some players can make the sort of quantum leap to the major leagues that Kristian Campbell recently did, many stall out. Campbell, too, had the benefit of a year of college ball.
The prospect of watching a talent such as Anthony at the big league level is full of allure. There’s little in the game more exciting than watching a rookie make his mark at the major league level. The memories of some spectacular rookie debuts — Fernando Valenzuela, Mark Fidrych, Fred Lynn — can last a lifetime.
And when Anthony has the kind of game (two homers, including a grand slam) had earlier this week in Rochester, the temptation can be overwhelming.
But there’s the flip side, too. Only a year ago, the Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday was several months younger than Anthony is now, and like Anthony, ranked as the top position player prospect in the game. After arriving (at Fenway, ironically) to great fanfare, he collected two hits in 34 at-bats and was promptly returned to Triple A.
Holliday returned in July, but the next stint with the Orioles wasn’t much better, with a slash line of .218/.285/.365 for the final 50 games of the season. He continues to struggle this season, with a .625 OPS.
That’s not to suggest that Holliday is a bust, with his career ruined by a premature promotion. But at the very least, he should serve as a cautionary tale.
The moral of the story: what’s the rush?
For now, quite apart from a nagging shoulder issue, there’s no obvious spot for Anthony. Maybe an injury or sustained underperformance will change that.
But the Red Sox want Anthony to stay for good once he arrives. The best way to ensure that he does is to remain patient.
*Trading for tackle Kolton Miller of the Las Vegas Raiders sure would make things a lot easier for the Patriots, freeing them up to address other areas of need with their draft picks. But it’s probably too good to be true.
*Wonder whatever happened to Andrew Benintendi?
*Interesting late-career strategy by Coach Bill: find someone else to handle the job of annoying and aggravating everyone you encounter.
*He’s not the big splashy name, but I’d be OK with Jay Pandolfo becoming the next coach of the Bruins. He’s enjoyed great success since taking over at BU and he already has plenty of experience as an NHL assistant.
Better the B’s turn to Pandolfo over a host of NHL retreads.
*It seems apparent that if the Celtics are going to repeat as NBA champs, they’re going to need a monster spring from Jayson Tatum. The uncertainty surrounding Jaylen Brown’s knee makes this more clear than ever.
That’s setting the bar awfully high for Tatum. But the best players sometimes have to be better.
*A year ago, I envisioned Trevor Story having a huge season. Turns out, I may have only been a year early.
*You could make the argument that Don Sweeney and Cam Neely are deserving of a mulligan after this season, since they’ve had the Bruins consistently in the playoffs and often competing for Cups, if not winning them. But for Charlie Jacobs to say “It’s hard for me to wrap my head around why people call for (their) heads.”
To begin with, how about failing to get out of the second round eight times in the last nine years? How about a seemingly never-ending parade of free agent busts? How about abysmally poor drafts for much of the last decade?
And while we’re at it: Jacobs needs to ditch the whole “Our only goal is to win Stanley Cups,” schtick like winning has been habitual for the franchise. When the B’s have won exactly one championship in 50 years of Jacobs’ ownership, that’s a tough sell.
*The Knicks, believing that this spring is going to be any different than the previous 52, is just adorable.
*They’ve had one winning season in the last 10 years. They recently removed some commemorative bricks purchased by fans from outside the ballpark. And they removed a logo honoring their most iconic player. Can’t the Pittsburgh Pirates do anything right?
*I thought running backs were completely disposable in the NFL? Why, then, are some calling for the Patriots to take one with the fourth overall pick?
*How long before Aroldis Chapman triggers some kind of brawl with his habit of staring down hitters who make the final out? The “unwritten rules” have loosened up a lot and while players are OK with some emotion, but most players still object to being shown up.
*Recommended reading now that baseball season is underway: Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals and Cooperstown: A Baseball Memoir by Bill Madden; The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented and Reinvented Baseball by John W. Miller.
*Stanley Cup first-round picks: Toronto in six; Tampa Bay in seven; Washington in five; Carolina in six; Los Angeles in seven; Dallas in seven; Winnipeg in five; Las Vegas in four. But what do I know?
*If it makes you feel any better, the Patriots, according to Bookies.com, will have the easiest schedule of any NFL this season, with their opponents having averaged just 7.7 wins last year — or, almost four more than the Patriots themselves managed.
*The whole ‘will-he-or-won’t-he’’ surrounding Aaron Rodgers has me on the edge of my seat. How about you?
