Lars Anderson - TJ Perreira
A pitcher could drill first baseman Lars Anderson in the ribs with a fastball.
A base runner could spike him when he tags the bag.
A clubhouse manager could grind his bats into sawdust.
But nothing aggravates the 22-year-old Anderson more than mentioning all the hype he received heading into and during the 2009 season and his stats at Portland.
Anderson split the 2008 season between Lancaster and Portland, where he combined to hit. .317 and 18 home runs, replete with 80 RBI. That prompted Baseball America to name him Boston’s No. 1 prospect.
But in 119 games last season with the Sea Dogs, Anderson’s batting average fell to .233 with a commensurate drop in his power numbers (nine home runs and only 51 RBI).
“It’s funny because that is so last year,” said Anderson, who was promoted to Pawtucket from Portland on April 29. “Why are we not talking about this year? (2009) is pretty much like ancient history.
“For what it’s worth, I really disliked all of that stuff. If anything, it made me more of a recluse — which I don’t know if that’s the right word. I don’t think I embrace that kind of stuff as much as other people.
“How do you rank a first baseman over a shortstop or a second baseman,” queried Anderson as he warmed to the subject, “or how do you compare a pitcher and a catcher? Last year happened just like the year before happened and the year before that.”
What happened prior to his promotion to Pawtucket was a reasonable facsimile of Anderson circa 2008.
In 17 games with Portland, he hit .355 with five homers, 16 RBI and an Eastern League-leading slugging percentage of .677.
“What I see now is a guy that’s been playing the game at full speed with a ton of confidence,” said PawSox manager Torey Lovullo. “In baseball terms, the phrase we use is he’s ‘locked in.’ He’s not just locked in offensively. He’s also locked in defensively.
“I saw that he was on a warpath from a mental standpoint in spring training to make this happen. That’s what every young player wants to have happen. All that time he spent in the off-season … the dedication that he’s shown has started to translate.
“Another part of that comment is you want a young player to struggle,” continued Lovullo. “You want him to experience some adversity so, at some point he can go back and say ‘Hey, I’ve been down that road. I’ve taken the wrong road and felt sorry for myself and it cost me an entire year.’
“When you got through that once, you tend not to want to go through it again. I think Lars learned a valuable lesson last year.”
Interesting point, and one which Anderson was not about to refute.
“Any experience, be it good or bad or perceived as good or bad, is just an experience,” he said. “You don’t have to put a label on it. But it’s an experience and it’s something you learn from.
“If last year I had outstanding statistics (which, of course, he didn’t) or if I had sub-par statistics, it’s an experience you can learn from no matter what it is.”
The obvious question is what might Anderson have learned from the experience of a less-than-commendable 2009 season?
“It’s a matter of letting my body do what it’s naturally supposed to do and letting my mind rest during the action,” said Anderson, quite matter-of-factly.
Lovullo, for his part, literally buried anything about Anderson that referred to his 2009 season.
“I totally blocked out anything that I heard,” he said. “I totally blocked out anything that I wanted to say to him. I wanted to let him go out there and play. My job as a new set of eyes is to let these young players go out and have some fun.
“Once I start to see things where I can re-direct some of their thoughts, I can help them out. But it’s really up to them. They’re the ones that have to go out and play. What I told Lars was to go out and have fun and play hard. Those are non-negotiable for me. Those are things you have to go out and do every single day.
“If I sense you’re not having fun or I sense you’re not playing hard,” continued Lovullo, “that’s when you’re going to hear from me. But he’s been great ever since he got here.”
Anderson partially attributes his improved mind-set to discussions he’s had with Boston’s sports psychology coach, Bob Tewksbury — discussions that always didn’t have to do with hitting a curveball on the outside corner.
“We talk continuously,” said Anderson. “We’ve talked about life … what it’s about without trying to figure it out.
“We bounce the magic of the world off each other.”
In a word, those discussions are more cerebral than anything.
“I think young players tend to look at the wrong things,” said Lovullo. “Having experienced what he’s gone through will take him to the next level of his thinking which should be ‘I have to go out there for myself. Block out distractions. Block out what’s being read or said about me and perform.’
“That’s the bottom line. Baseball America is great. The rankings of prospects are great. It highlights some of the special talents these players have. But it doesn’t get you to the big leagues. It doesn’t advance you to the next level.
“What young players like Lars will learn,” added Lovullo,” is if I can block out those distractions and just focus on what I have to do every single day, I’m going to be in pretty good shape.”
Ironically, Anderson wasn’t in good shape — physically — around mid-May when a flu bug sidelined him for four games. But he wasn’t using that as an excuse.
“I’m pretty sick right now and I have a golf ball-sized lump on my shin,” he said. “But every year you’re banged up. Every year there’s something going on. Ask anybody in here. Everybody’s banged up.”