Jays prospect feels blessed after fire hits family home
Everything lost in Dec. 28 blaze, but no one hurt
For top Blue Jays’ prospect Anthony Alford, a painful 2016 ended on a devastating note. And all he can hope for now are happier days in 2017.
Early on the morning on Dec. 28, Alford’s family home in Columbia, Miss. — where the outfielder’s mom Lawanda, dad, Anthony Sr., and younger sister, Ayanna, lived — burned to the ground in a fire. As a result of the blaze, basically everything the family owned — clothes, baby supplies, pictures, furniture, awards — was lost.
“Pretty much everything I won from high school — trophies, plaques, my two state championship rings — were there,” said Alford from his own home in Sumrall, Miss., which is about a 25- minute drive from Columbia.
“I pretty much gave all my awards to my parents as a thank- you for all their support over the years,” added one of baseball’s top outfield prospects. “The things that meant the most to my parents were the state championship rings ( from Petal High School), my Gatorade Player of the Year trophies and the jerseys I gave them, my Toronto Blue Jays jersey and my Ole Miss jersey.”
EVERY TIME THEY GOT IT OUT, THE FLAMES KEPT COMING.
Still, Alford is thankful and feels blessed nobody was hurt. Alford said his pregnant sister woke up to the sound of popping and realized the house was on fire.
“She was able to grab one outfit, some pants, a shirt, some shoes, but that was all,” said Alford, who has taken his family into his own home until they get back on their feet. “When I got there, the house was in flames. It took seven to eight fire trucks to put it out because every time they got it out, the flames kept on coming back up.”
Alford was drafted in the third round in 2012 by the Jays. Most teams backed away due to his college football commitment to Ole Miss, though in 2015 he decided to focus exclusively on baseball. At 22, he is still considered a strong prospect.
As f or the fire, a GoFundMe site has been set up to help the Alford family get back on their feet. Alford said he has heard from many people in the Jays’ organization, including Kevin Pillar, Jose Bautista and Devon Travis. “A lot of people have reached out to me,” he said.