FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -Lars Anderson paid little attention to the Red Sox pursuit of Mark Teixeira even though the talented prospect’s position would have been tied up for a long time if the team succeeded.
The 21-year-old first baseman’s name, though, drew plenty of attention for a player with just two years in professional baseball.
The lanky slugger is amused by the talk that Boston is set at first base because of his potential. After all, he’s never played above Double-A and is in just his first major league spring training camp.
“Am I really disappointed that he didn’t sign? No,” Anderson said. “But if he signed, I wouldn’t work any differently. I’d be doing the same thing.”
Teixeira ended up signing an eight-year contract with the New York Yankees. Anderson, who took an $825,000 signing bonus with Boston in 2006 rather than attend the University of California at Berkeley, has a much clearer path to the majors than if Teixeira was in his way.
t’s not even a reality?” said Anderson, rated the 17th-best prospect by Baseball America. “There’s so many things you can’t control in this game and something like that is definitely one of them.
“I can control how I prepare and I control how I work.”
He’s getting more of a chance to do that in games now that first baseman Kevin Youkilis is playing for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.
“I’ve never been in a big league camp when the starting first baseman has left for the World Baseball Classic, so my experience has been limited at that,” Anderson said, “but I think every hour here is an opportunity for something.”
He eventually could replace Youkilis if third baseman Mike Lowell doesn’t return when his contract expires after the 2010 season and Youkilis moves across the diamond.
“That’s a lot of projection,” Anderson said with a grin. “That’s a long way away.”
A trip to the majors may be closer – perhaps as soon as late this season, depending on how he performs after being named Boston’s minor league offensive player of the year in 2008.
“He’s focused on doing some things to continue to round out his game and he’s done a good job of staying focused,” Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen said. “As he accomplishes those things, the results will take care of themselves.”
ecially if he adds to his 195-pound frame. Hazen thinks that will happen as his body matures and he gains coordination with the extra weight.
His defense is improving and he has the mental approach the Red Sox want.
“He works hard. He’s disciplined. He’s one of the best makeup guys, one of the best students of the game, I think, that we have in camp,” Hazen said. “He has a pretty diverse set of interests, pretty philosophical, very intelligent, has a pretty good perspective on the game.”
Unlike some players, Anderson doesn’t “eat, drink and sleep baseball” all the time, Hazen said.
When he goes out with teammates Josh Reddick and Zach Daeges, also prospects in their first Red Sox camp, they try to “decompress” and not talk only about baseball, Anderson said.
Boston drafted him in the 18th round in 2006. In 2007, he hit 11 homers with 78 RBIs in 134 games at Single-A Lancaster and Greenville.
Last year, Anderson had 13 homers, 50 RBIs and a .317 batting average at Lancaster, then was promoted to Double-A Portland on July 16 where he hit five homers with 30 RBIs and a .316 average in 41 games.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a guy who hits big home runs and towering fly balls that go out,” he said. “I’ve always tried to hit line drives, and sometimes those line drives go out.”
eams. After Wednesday’s day off for Boston, Anderson could be back in the lineup Thursday against Puerto Rico in a World Baseball Classic tuneup.
For now, he’s trying to improve fundamentally and not worrying too much about the nuances of the game.
“I’m just trying to keep pace with the basics and I’m not trying to do too much searching for that stuff,” Anderson said. “I’m trying to get ready for my season, but also just trying to keep pace and get comfortable.
“So I think once you start searching for those little finer things, you’re itching for trouble sometimes.”
He does study other hitters and tries to pick up hints.
“I imitated Albert Pujols’ hands at certain junctures of my career, but I always liked the way Shawn Green swung the bat,” he said. “I feel comfortable being myself.”
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