THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have long been enraptured by Anthony Gose’s raw ability, and they can only hope their newly acquired outfield prospect becomes something like the player he models his game after.
"My favourite player is Carl Crawford, I think he’s an outstanding baseball player, from what I’ve heard he’s an outstanding person, and I see my game going more towards him," Gose said Friday during a conference call. "But at the same time, I’m going to be Anthony Gose."
The 19-year-old was acquired Thursday from Houston, which picked him up hours earlier from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Roy Oswalt trade. The Astros wanted a first baseman so they flipped Gose, whom the Blue Jays tried to acquire on several occasions, to Toronto for triple-A prospect Brett Wallace.
Gose, assigned to single-A Dunedin, was caught off guard by being moved twice in the same day, but is flattered by his new team’s persistence in getting him.
"It says a lot, not only about Toronto but also about the Phillies not wanting to trade me, it made me feel wanted to another level," he said. "It really means a lot to me."
A rare blend of speed, athleticism and baseball sense, Gose is a work in progress who feels his development this season has come in "baby steps."
Heading into play Friday, he was batting .263 for Clearwater, Dunedin’s rival in the Florida State League, with 17 doubles, 11 triples, four home runs, 20 RBIs and 36 stolen bases. A second-round pick in 2008, he led all minor-league players with 76 stolen bases in 2009.
Much has been made of his poor stats — he’s been caught stealing 27 times to go with his pedestrian batting average — but Gose says he’s deliberately taken steps backwards in some areas in order to take a few steps forward down the road.
"When you’re learning something new the success may not be there right away, results aren’t always instant," he said. "I feel I’ve made tremendous progress from last year to this year.
"Defensively I feel I’ve gotten better, better routes to the ball, I’ve worked on making better throws to the bases. Baserunning I feel the adjustments I’ve made have just made myself better, better reads of the pitcher, getting better jumps. …
"Offensively I feel that I’ve progressed also, maybe not in statistical means, but mentally at the plate, and also physically, mechanically, I feel I’ve progressed to some degree and it will all come together."
While Gose looks up to Crawford, the Tampa Bay Rays all-star left-fielder, he also received some sound counsel from Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
"One of my favourite players that I’ve really gotten to know this year is Jimmy Rollins, he took me off to the side and talked to me about the game and helped me out tremendously," said Gose. "Those type of players mean a lot to you. J-Roll, I guess you can say after being talked to by him, that has its own meaning."
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, moved quickly to fill the void left at triple-A Las Vegas by Wallace’s departure, picking up first baseman Mike Jacobs from the New York Mets for a player to be named in a minor-league deal.
Jacobs takes over at first for the 51s and also provides some depth for the Blue Jays.
