Playing third base, defense has improved during season. Do Braves redraft and honor this broken promise?
The Braves' 16th round pick last year, when an amateur mistake in their bookkeeping cost his signing (see below). He was named SEC Co-Player of the Week on April 24th.
Anthony went 11-for-16 with nine RBI, six runs scored and a pair of steals during Auburn's four games last week, during which the Tigers went 3-1. After going 2-for-4 in a midweek win against Kennesaw State, Anthony buoyed Auburn's offense against Arkansas and finished the weekend 9-for-12 with a home run (his first of the season), three doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored. Anthony had multiple hits in each of Auburn's four games last week. During Sunday's series-clinching win, Anthony was 4-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of doubles. It was his first career four-hit game.
Anthony arrived at Plainsman Park hitting just .192 in SEC play Friday night with just four extra-base hits. But he managed to attack Arkansas pitching to the tune of a .750 batting average (9-for-12) in the series. For the season, posting .276-2-33 with 7-9 SBs.
=============
AUBURN — Josh Anthony would like everybody to forget Thursday ever happened. Before committing to sign for the Atlanta Braves after they picked him in the 16th round of this month's draft, the junior college All-American had it all figured out. He was an Auburn man. He'd now like to stick with that original thought. In a week where he’s informed the Auburn coaching staff that he’s coming to school and then, less than 24 hours later, said he’s accepting a contract offer with Atlanta, Anthony has reversed his decision again and will enroll at Auburn.
Anthony said once again Friday evening on Twitter that he will enroll at Auburn on Aug. 16 to play the 2017 season at Plainsman Park.
“I'll be going to the SEC for a year,” Anthony said on Twitter on Friday night in response to a Braves fan.
On Wednesday following the draft, he said that he would attend Auburn next year. On Thursday, the Atlanta Braves increased their signing bonus and Anthony informed Auburn's coaches that he was going to accept the offer. According to Anthony's text message to the Montgomery Advertiser, Atlanta's latest offer included much more than slot value for a 16th-round selection and includes any future college costs if he doesn't reach the major leagues. By Friday, that Atlanta offer was no longer valid and Anthony was once again back where he started: bound for Auburn.
"I mean, I'm disappointed but I hold no hard feelings toward the Braves. I'm focused on being at Auburn next year," Anthony said Friday night in a phone interview with the Montgomery Advertiser. Anthony confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser that Atlanta executives called him Friday morning to say they could no longer honor their offer. Anthony said Braves officials informed his father that if they signed Anthony to the agreed upon amount that would put them over Major League Baseball's bonus pool cap and force them to potentially lose a future draft pick.
"They told me that if they honored the deal then that would put them in the tax and so they couldn't do it," Anthony said. "I was ready to sign and they revoked the offer."
Not soon after Anthony was informed of the situation by Atlanta executives, Auburn head coach Butch Thompson called to say the Tigers would still honor his scholarship agreement. Anthony confirmed that it wasn’t a medical issue that caused the contract offer to be voided because he had yet to take a physical with Atlanta's team doctors.
“I kind of jumped the gun, and we’ll leave it at that,” Braves scouting director Brian Bridges said. “It was wishful thinking on my part, and I tried to make a decision that wasn’t…. It just didn’t work. And he’s a great kid. I wish it would have worked.”
Anthony, a 2016 junior college All-American out of Western Oklahoma State, was already being recruited by Auburn assistant coach Brad Bohannon before Auburn head coach Butch Thompson hired Bohannon away from Kentucky in October. The fit became perfect when Anthony realized he could play 45 minutes from his hometown of Columbus, Georgia, and play for the coach who was his primary recruiter.Anthony said Wednesday he’d been given an indication he’ll primarily play third base next season at Auburn. Anthony hit .444 for Western Oklahoma State with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs and putting up similar numbers in his freshman season. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder, who also has experience at second base and catcher, was considered one of the nation’s best junior college hitting prospects after leading Western Oklahoma State to back-to-back appearances in NJCAA Division II World Series.
Reply With Quote