Anthony Alford fell in love with the game of baseball as a young kid playing at Dean Griner Park in Columbia. So it’s only fitting that Alford returned home to perhaps watch youngsters do the same.
With help from the MLBPA-MLB Youth Development Foundation, the former Petal standout and Southern Miss quarterback hosted part two of the Mississippi Dream Weekend baseball clinic series Sunday afternoon at the park. Alford took nearly 100 campers ages 6-14 through skills development drills alongside several current and former professional ballplayers, including fellow Toronto Blue Jay Jonathan Davis, Hattiesburg native Fred Lewis, and three-time MLB All-Star and Dream Weekend founder Curtis Granderson.
Also in attendance were Columbia natives DeMarcus Evans and Ti’Quan Forbes, who represent the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox organizations, respectively, and former Petal coach Larry Watkins to name a few.
Alford says it’s a big deal to have so many big names participate. He also believes the experience will give campers hope that they, like himself and others, could one day make it to the major leagues.
“I’m using that platform I have to inspire them and make them feel like ‘If he can make it out of here, I can too’. Because this is where I started playing at,” Alford said. “This is one of the first parks I started playing at. I fell in love with the game, and it’s only right I come back and give back to these guys.”
Alford’s dream came true in 2017 when he was called up to the major league level by the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted him in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Some five years later, Alford made his MLB debut at Camden Yards in Baltimore. To this day, he vividly remembers the feeling of stepping onto the Orioles’ outfield that night.
“I tell people that I felt like I was in a movie when I got out there on the field,” Alford said. “My body went numb, but eventually you get used to it and realize it’s still a kid’s game.”
Since then, Alford’s dealt with a myriad of obstacles, including a stint in the minors in 2018, and also hamstring and wrist injuries. All of that has only magnified his excitement for the 2019 campaign.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Alford said. “It was kind of an up and down season for me last year in Triple A and the big leagues. But I’m really looking forward to this year and the opportunities that come with the year. Just ready to get out there and compete. Four months have been a long time of doing nothing.”
Alford will report to Blue Jays spring training in Dunedin, Florida next month.
