{"id":191711,"date":"2026-03-14T18:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T18:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/191711\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T18:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T18:17:09","slug":"for-florida-man-roman-anthony-chance-to-play-at-miami-ballpark-represents-a-career-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/191711\/","title":{"rendered":"For Florida man Roman Anthony, chance to play at Miami ballpark represents a career milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

FORT MYERS, Fla. \u2013 The goal remains the gold, but for Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, getting to the World Baseball Classic semifinals<\/a> comes with layers of meaning beyond just what he\u2019s trying to accomplish as a member of Team USA.<\/p>\n

As a kid from South Florida, Anthony\u2019s coming of age as a baseball fan took place at LoanDepot Park in Miami \u2013 the same venue where he\u2019ll take the field as a member of Team USA on Sunday. While Anthony got to check off a number of firsts in his rookie season with the Red Sox in 2025, he never got the chance to play in Miami or the state of Florida because he was on the injured list at the end of the season when the Red Sox traveled to Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

Before Anthony left Fort Myers for the WBC at the end of February, he took a moment to consider what it would mean to advance to the semifinals \u2013 with the US set to play the Dominican Republic on Sunday night \u2013 and play close to home.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou talk about getting to represent this country, and then not only that, but now you\u2019re in Miami and playing close to home, playing for the best country in the world, for me, it\u2019d be an unbelievable experience that I\u2019m looking forward to,\u201d said Anthony. \u201cA lot of friends and family I\u2019m sure would try to get out there. I haven\u2019t played there yet in the big leagues, and haven\u2019t really gotten to play anywhere close to home yet, so it\u2019d be exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony experienced the 2023 WBC as a fan, driving across Florida from Fort Myers with other minor league teammates to experience the international competition as a spectator. <\/p>\n

There will surely be an element of accomplishment in setting foot as a player in the ballpark where he used to aspire to one day take the field. Anthony was at least somewhat measured in assessing this hometown milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201c[LoanDepot Park] is definitely one where you see it and you go there as a kid and you dream of playing there. But not only there \u2013 also everywhere else. All of them \u2013 playing all 30 [big league ballparks],\u201d said Anthony. \u201cI was never really too big of a fan of any one [team] growing up. But I watched a lot of Marlins games there, watched [Christian] Yelich play there, watched [Giancarlo] Stanton play there, Jos\u00e9 Fern\u00e1ndez, Dee Gordon \u2013 all these guys growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Anthony \u2013 who is hitting .316 with a .435 OBP, .474 slugging mark, and one homer in the WBC \u2013 is in a position where another kid from South Florida might attend the game at LoanDepot and look to him as a vision of possibility. Anthony doesn\u2019t take that full-circle development for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to set that example anywhere I play at any time,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cI feel like there\u2019s always somebody who\u2019s watching. It might be a fan, it might be someone\u2019s first game, or someone\u2019s first experience of getting to see me in person. I don\u2019t take that lightly. I take pride in going out there and playing my tail off every single day with what I\u2019ve got that day to try and make sure I not only maximize what\u2019s inside of me, but for everyone else watching as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @alexspeier<\/a>.<\/p>\n