No two paths to the MLB are
the same as was the case for Eric Anthony.
Playing baseball at Sharpstown High School in 1986 was the beginning of a
short road to the Big Leagues for Eric. The May 25, 1986 Houston Chronicle
article read “Astros
tryout camp is set June 6, 7 at Dome”.
This was what Eric had been waiting for, a chance to prove himself.
And that he did. Eric
stunned Astros scouts during batting practice by launching one home run after
another. Not just homers that cleared the fence, but artillery shots that landed
well beyond 400 feet from home plate.
The Astros drafted Eric the next month in the regular June draft of 1986.
Countless players toil for years in the minors and many never make it to the
next level. This was not the future
for Eric. Starting in the Astros
Gulf Coast Rookie League, Eric’s abilities shined through.
By July of 1989 Eric had made it through to the Astros’ Double A Columbus
team. The Houston Chronicle wrote “All
summer, every time Astros General Manager Bill Wood went on a radio talk show,
one certain question was "When are you going to bring up Eric Anthony?"
Eric lead the minors that year with 28 home runs.
That was a pace to beat his previous season’s high of 37 home runs.
But beating the previous year’s mark would not be possible this year
because Eric got his chance at the Majors on July 27, 1989.
In Eric’s second
game in the Astrodome in 1989 he got his first hit off of Giants' pitcher
Rick Reuschel. Not just a hit, but
a tape-measure home run that landed 414 feet from home plate.
Eric was not just a raw talent. He
was and is still today a student of the game.
In a 1990 interview he said, “I know I have to upgrade my concentration
level. It’s something you learn
from experience. I want to be an
intelligent hitter, to think about the situation while I’m in the on-deck
circle.” That trait of an
intelligent player continues today as Eric teaches young players what to be
aware of to be successful in the game.
With all that talent, Eric didn’t rest on his past accomplishments.
Then Astros’ hitting instructor, Rudy Jaramillo spent countless hours
working with Eric. “Eric would be
the first to tell you that he didn’t know himself,” Jaramillo said in a March
16, 1993 interview. “He didn’t know
his swing. But now he does.”
As the season passed the business of baseball moved players like pieces in a
chess game. Eric was traded the
next year to Seattle for Mike Hampton and Mike Felder.
The following seasons took Eric to the Cincinnati Reds, the Colorado
Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But now Eric calls Houston his home and his love for baseball still remains.
He continues coaching and developing young players at Big League Baseball
Academy.
