Former Emporia State pitcher Ryan Anthony was supposed to throw in a workout next Tuesday for the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League. One phone call Friday morning changed Anthony’s plans, both for this weekend and for Tuesday.
“I got something better to do,” he said.
Anthony signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians organization Friday, and today, the Overland Park native is off to Niles, Ohio, where he’ll report to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, one of the Indians’ three A-ball affiliates.
“I feel like I’m ready, because I’m starting on Tuesday, I’ve been told,” he said.
The 6-foot-4 lefty was surprised when he got the offer Friday morning from the Indians, saying it came out of the blue because he hadn’t talked to Cleveland in a while. He had thought the Indians might be a possibility to select him during last week’s MLB draft, but he went unselected.
“I’m glad they called me this morning,” he said, “because I had to go buy a suitcase.”
Anthony went 8-3 this season with a 3.38 ERA, 74 strikeouts, three complete games and two shutouts in 16 appearances. His work earned him a spot on the All-MIAA second team, but a wrist injury made his appearances less and less frequent in the season’s final weeks as ESU made its run to the National Championship game.
Before Anthony got his offer, Indians area scout Steve Abney called ESU coach Bob Fornelli. Abney asked Fornelli if he thought Anthony was healthy, and if he’d be a good signing. Fornelli answered yes to both questions, then later got a call back letting him know the deal was done.
“I think if he stays healthy, he can play for awhile,” Fornelli said. “You never know when you get up there — it’s just a matter of how you do day in and day out. He’s a kid that could go in there and make an impact. He has pro potential — he’s just gotta get it out of himself.”
The wrist injury was thought to be tendonitis, but Anthony says he’s now 100 percent after both physical therapy and rest.
“I did therapy for a while,” he said. “I did it until I came home on Monday, and I just been resting. I started throwing this week, so (I’m) just working back into it.”
Being a lefthander, it’s no surprise Anthony has taken notice of the Indians’ ace, 6-foot-3 lefty Cliff Lee, the reigning American League Cy Young award winner.
“I like the way he pitches,” Anthony said. “He’s obviously a good guy to base yourself off of. He won the Cy Young last year and won 22 games. So I’d like to do that one day.”
Anthony admits he was discouraged after not being selected in the draft last week. Now though, he’s filled with both nerves and excitement — in just three days, it appears, his professional career will begin.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” Anthony said. “So hopefully, I can just work my way up, maybe... stay there as long as I can. Stay there until they tell me to leave.”