"I think I’m going to love playing here," Anderson said in the hours before his major league debut and just moments after giving his parents a huge hug in front of the Red Sox’ dugout.
The 22-year-old was the latest addition to Boston’s expanding roster. He got the call late Sunday night, a reward for the positive steps he made in the minors in 2010.
After slumping to .233 with Double-A Portland last year, producing just nine home runs in 447 at-bats, Anderson, in the words of his new manager Terry Francona, "tore up" the Eastern League to start this season.
Anderson hit .355 with five home runs and 16 RBIs with the Sea Dogs before earning a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket roughly one month into the year. He hit .218 (41-for-188) for the PawSox through the end of June but settled in as the summer dragged on. Anderson batted .303 in July and .305 in August.
September will be spent auditioning for his future — not that he is looking too far down the road.
"I’m just focused on right now," Anderson said when asked whether his first major league experience could translate into a role with the big club in 2011.
Realistically, it has not been forever that we have been hearing about Anderson. He has been in the system for just three years. But in an organization a bit slim on power hitters in recent years and with fans hungry for the next big bopper, Anderson’s progress has been heavily tracked. That has included an incredible amount of attention paid to not only his highs, but also his lows.
The 2009 campaign produced plenty of those, but also offered Anderson an opportunity to learn what it takes to be successful. And it’s not just having a nice-looking swing.
"Sometimes not as well as I would’ve liked to and sometimes I was really proud of how I handled it," Anderson said when asked about dealing with the ups and downs. "When I handle it well is when I’m emotionally detached. It’s a failed action but I’ve not failed as a human being. It’s not like having a bad swing doesn’t turn into being a bad player which doesn’t turn into being a bad person."
The mindset is a sure sign of maturity and equips Anderson with all he needs to prepare properly for his new role.
Francona indicated that that role has yet to be defined. With Mike Lowell fighting through a rib injury and with lingering hip problems, there is playing time to be had at first base. If by some chance the Red Sox go on a prolonged winning streak, Anderson could find himself smack in the middle of a playoff push.
It would be a far cry from last September, when he was finishing up a difficult campaign that had many wondering if all the hype was just hot air.
"You know, I’m just happy with the way I’ve handled the downs, and the ups as well," the Oakland, Calif., native said. "I feel like I’ve progressed in a lot of areas I wanted to progress and I’m happy with that."
Among those areas of improvement is his defense. Anderson set out to build confidence in that part of his game and succeeded in doing so while at Pawtucket.
"Wanting the ball hit to you is a lot better than not wanting the ball hit to you. I’ve had that feeling a lot this year," he said.
Anderson admitted he didn’t immediately understand the expanded roster process in the majors, which allows teams to call up any players on their 40-man roster once Sept. 1 arrives. When he did not get a call on that day he wondered if that was it, unaware that the process can continue later in the month and that the organization simply wanted him to finish out the schedule at Pawtucket in order to get regular playing time.
Again showing the maturity he has gained in the past year, Anderson awaited his fate with an open mind.
"I was either packed to come here or packed to go home," he said. "But it was a win-win for me. Either I come here and have this incredible experience or I have a beautiful drive home and see some family along the way."
Turns out he will see his family anyway. They’re the ones watching him play first base for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
