Roman Anthony gets thumbs up from Red Sox legend Fred Lynn over new jersey number
Roman Anthony was rocking a new number on the back of his Red Sox jersey on Tuesday night, much to the delight of former Boston legend Fred Lynn.
Anthony made his debut Monday night at Fenway Park sporting the No. 48 he wore in the minor leagues last season. He went 0-for-4 at the plate with a walk and an RBI in his debut, and many Red Sox fans were worried he was suffering from "The Curse of Pablo Sandoval."
Ahead of Tuesday's game, Anthony was able to swap out those digits for the No. 19, which he had on his back as he was tearing the cover off the ball for Triple-A Worcester this season. The switch paid off immediately, as Anthony went opposite field for a two-run double in his first at-bat Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the first Major League hit for the top prospect in baseball and gave Boston an early 2-0 lead.
That was Anthony's only hit on the night, as he went 1-for-4 in the 3-1 Boston victory. But the right fielder later showed off some fine leather with a sliding catch in the sixth inning, giving fans an excellent view of that No. 19.
The number brought Anthony some good mojo Tuesday, making him the latest Boston player to enjoy some success in the No. 19. The most famous player of them all was Fred Lynn, who was a superstar for the Red Sox for 10 seasons. Lynn broke onto the scene in 1975 and won both Rookie of the Year and MVP, and was a nine-time All-Star over his 17-year career.
He's also a big fan of Anthony's, and is A-OK with the rookie taking over the famous number.
"The #19 was good for me. Hoping it's good for Roman, too," Lynn posed on X.
Red Sox and the No. 19
No. 19 belonged to Lynn from 1974-80. After a bit of a lull, it's been a pretty good number for the Red Sox over the last 20 years.
Josh Beckett was Boston's No. 19 from 2006-12, when he won 89 games, made three All-Star teams, and helped the Red Sox win a World Series in 2007.
After Beckett, the number went to Koji Uehara, who saved 79 games for Boston from 2013-16. He closed the door on seven wins during the 2013 postseason when he had a 0.66 ERA for the Red Sox, en route to a World Series title.
Jackie Bradley Jr. also rocked the No. 19 for Boston from 2017-20 and 2022. In 2018, Bradley Jr. won a Gold Glove in centerfield and was the MVP of Boston's ALCS win over the Houston Astros, leading up to the team's last World Series title.
Pitcher Sean Newcomb was the last Red Sox player to wear No. 19 for Boston this season, before he was DFA'd and traded to the Athletics. The number should be on Anthony's back for a while, and we'll see if the phenom can enjoy the same level of success as some of the other No. 19s in Red Sox history.
