The Roman Empire battles the Evil Empire at Fenway Park this weekend.
The latest version of the Roman Empire dawned at Fenway Park in Boston on Monday. Roman Anthony — son of Anthony Anthony and brother of Anthony Anthony Jr. — botched his Red Sox debut by whiffing on a slow roller in the outfield that led to a run.
All hail the “Roman Emp-Error.”
Anthony quickly atoned for that gaffe by driving in the eventual winning run on Tuesday night in the first inning.
“Vivat Romanus!”
Latin is not my 2nd language. Six-plus years of Greek School were punishment enough. I remain the only child in the history of St. Athanasius Church in Arlington to be held back a year.
Purgatory, I have tasted your torment.
Anthony’s younger sister Lia stole the spotlight just by showing up at Fenway Tuesday. Her Instagram feed is … colorful. Both Anthonys are younger and far more attractive than Jordon Hudson.
Roman Anthony has given the Red Sox a storyline this season. He is the reason to watch. Anthony is part of a triumvirate of baubles the Red Sox have dangled before their fan base for several seasons.
Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer. Roman Anthony.
We call them the “Gold Dust Triplets.”
Venimus! Vidimus! Vicimus?
We’ll see.
Fred Lynn and Jim Rice earned “Gold Dust Twins” status 50 years ago.
Anthony, befitting of his expectations, now wears the same No. 19 once worn by Lynn.
“I hope it works out well for him. That number was really good for me, and I hope it’s good to him,” Lynn told the Herald on Tuesday. “He knows what he could do.”
Lynn won Rookie of the Year and AL MVP honors in 1975. The Red Sox lost the World Series to the Reds in 7 games. He says Anthony’s biggest challenge will be learning how to navigate the cavernous, jagged, and curvy confines of Fenway’s evergreen outfield.
“Guys that can hit, they’ll get a hit. That’s been my credo forever. And it shouldn’t stop just because you’re coming to the big leagues — unless you have some sort of mental issue. If the ball’s thrown over the plate; you should be able to handle it.”
Anthony, the Red Sox, and Red Sox fans must be patient when it comes to his fielding, according to Lynn. Boston leads the majors in errors.
“Getting used to Fenway Park — that’s challenging,” Lynn said. “If you’re going to play the outfield at Fenway as a young guy, there’s a lot more to learn about playing defense than there is about offense. Playing Fenway Park defensively, it takes some time. You have to get some balls out there before the game starts and see how they move around and play the angles. That takes time,” Lynn said.
Neither Roman nor Rome are to be built in a day. Rome took about 700 years. The Roman Empire officially launched in 29 BC following the murder of Julius Caesar and the fall of Antony and Cleopatra — once considered the hottest couple of the ancient world. Tony and Cleo committed suicide after their defeat at the Battle of Actium.
Ancient Egypt’s version of the 1986 World Series.
Octavius took the stage name Augustus, consolidated power, and became the first Roman emperor.
The Vandals sacked Rome in 455 — after Pope Leo cut a deal to prevent the city from being burned to the ground. The city finally fell in 476, but only after Emperor Romulus Augustus traded Mookie Betts to Constantinople.
The Red Sox took 2 of 3 last weekend in the Bronx, prompting the New York Daily News to put the Wally Head on its back page atop the headline: “Scary Stuff.”
This season, unease grips fans in both the Bronx and at Fenway Park.
“Sweet Caroline” now tastes bitter when the Red Sox are down 5-1. Unless you’re a tourist from France or Kansas.
The Yankees hold an 88-70 edge over the Red Sox across their past 158 games including the postseason since 2015. But they’ve spent nearly $4 billion on payroll since 2001 and have won just one World Series this century.
Yankees fans must miss George Steinbrenner bullying his way to championship after championship — or his late son Hank disparaging “Red Sox Nation.”
Boston fans long for the days of Larry “Runs the Red Sox” Lucchino. The late, great Lucchino cared first about winning baseball games — not about the competitive balance tax.
But the once-nuclear Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has gone colder than Ted’s head. For nine decades, New York always whipped Boston when it mattered — at the end of the regular season, in the postseason, or in the offseason.
But the Yankees haven’t beaten the Red Sox in the playoffs in 22 years — losing three straight times going back to 2004.
“Scary Stuff” across Gotham.
Baseball’s version of the Roman Colosseum, Fenway Park, has played host to the game’s greats for more than a century. That continues this weekend. (See: Aaron Judge). Fenway even carried Roman technology into the 20th century with its men’s room troughs. Many a man was humbled after just a few Schaefers.
Lynn continues to follow the Red Sox and remains active with the club as an ambassador.
His advice to Anthony is succinct: “Focus on what you’re trying to do. Don’t listen to the crowd. Don’t listen to the media. Just be you. Just be you. And things usually work out. New York, Boston, Philly. I call it ‘The Big Stage.’ If you start your career in K.C. or Oakland, there’s not as much fanfare there. There’s still pressure because it’s Major League Baseball, but it’s not Boston or New York. The spotlight is a little brighter there.”
Especially this weekend.
(Contact: Bill Speros @BillSperos and @RealOBF on X and bsperos1@gmail.com)
Coming Sunday: Fred Lynn offers his thoughts on the Red Sox, Raffy Devers, and the modern game of baseball.
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