Roman Anthony did not expect to be suiting up for the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Anthony, who was unexpectedly promoted just hours prior to their matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, expected to follow his bi-weekly routine and embark on an hours0-long bus ride to the middle of nowhere.
Boston had other plans, however.
“We were getting ready to get on the bus,” Anthony told reporters after arriving to Fenway Park, as seen on NESN. “(WooSox manager Chad Tracy) sent us a message and said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna delay the bus. Something might be going on at the top.’ Didn’t really think anything of it. Was waiting around in the food room with a few of the guys. Then all of the sudden, he came out and said, ‘You’re going to the big leagues.’ From there on out, it has been a little bit of a blur. But it was amazing. You dream of that every single day. To finally hear it was awesome.”
How does the 21-year old feel about the unexpected change?
Story continues below advertisement
“(It’s) better than being on the bus to Lehigh Valley right now,” Anthony said.
Anthony might not be making that trip, but all of his equipment is.
Marcelo Mayer losing his keys and needing a ride from Worcester to Boston will never be topped, but his former roommate’s stuff was left on the bus forcing him to scramble to find a glove, a bat and borrow a now-former teammate’s pair of cleats.
Who cares at this point, though? Anthony now gets to call himself a big-leaguer.
Story continues below advertisement
“It’s amazing,” Anthony said. “This fan base is so strong and they’ve shown me love throughout the entirety of my career, whether that be in rookie ball all the way up to whatever it was. To finally be able to experience that tonight at the big league level is something I’m really looking forward to. It’s something I’m looking forward to for a long time.”
