Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Anthony Alford dives for the ball on a single from the Minnesota Twins’ John Ryan Murphy during a spring training game on March 8, 2016.Chris O'Meara/The Associated Press
They gathered at a tony downtown Toronto restaurant on Wednesday night for a dinner and a fundraiser in support of a rising young athlete they had heard of but never met.
There was a silent auction with baseball-themed memorabilia helping to raise money in support of Anthony Alford, a top prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays whose family home in Columbia, Miss., burned to the ground just after Christmas.
"A lot of people from this city came together, some people came from Montreal, just supported the family," the soft-spoken Alford said on Thursday, still a bit in awe at the generosity shown to him, primarily from strangers.
"My family, they're very thankful for what the city has done for us," Alford said. "We're just really grateful."
Alford was speaking from the Blue Jays clubhouse in Rogers Centre, the facility where he and 10 other Blue Jays prospects have spent the past week at a rookie-development camp, being shown the ropes and what life can be like at the big-league level.
"The main objective of the camp is to acclimate these players to the faces, the facilities, the city – what they will go through from day to day as a big-leaguer in Toronto," said Gil Kim, the Blue Jays director of player development. "I think the mission here is to make these guys feel as comfortable as they possibly can."
Alford is just 22 and he is still trying to make his mark in a game he only took up on a full-time basis three years ago after giving up on football, which he played at the Division I level in the NCAA.
Obviously a tremendous athlete, Alford was selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, the 112th pick.
Alford likely should have been selected higher, but teams were scared off after he declared he also wanted to continue playing football along with baseball.
He signed a $750,000 (U.S.) contract with the Blue Jays on the condition he could also continue to play football, which he did for two seasons at the University of Southern Mississippi and then the University of Mississippi.
After the 2014 U.S. college season, Alford, who played quarterback and safety, gave up on football and decided to pursue his baseball career full-time.
Last season, playing with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto's Class A affiliate, was trying enough for the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder.
The sturdy and speedy centre fielder strained his knee in the opening game of the season, which kept him out of the lineup for about three weeks. In June, he suffered a concussion after colliding with a teammate in the outfield. That sidelined him for another couple of weeks.
But all that seemed minor compared to the disastrous fire that engulfed the family home in Columbia in the early morning of Dec. 28, 2016.
Alford's 16-year-old sister, Ayanna, was the only person home at the time and fortunately got out of the house unharmed. Everything was destroyed.
By the time he arrived from nearby Sumrall, Miss., where he lives, Alford said the home was a smoking pile of rubble. He said authorities still don't know what sparked the blaze.
"My 16-year sister, she was at home asleep," Alford said. "She said she heard a popping noise and she woke up and the house was on fire. I'm just glad no one got hurt. Material things can be replaced, but a life can't be replaced."
His sister, mother and father, have been staying at his house since.
Word of the fire quickly spread to the Blue Jays organization and players, including Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis, started lending a hand, primarily through their popular social-media platforms.
Soon a GoFundMe site was established to help the Alford family get back on their feet. A goal of $20,000 was set and more than $14,000 has been collected thus far.
"I think it had a lot to do with social media," Alford said. "Thanks to guys like Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis, who brought awareness and helped get Blue Jays nation behind [the cause]. They really reached out and help support and sent kind words. Like I said, we're really thankful for that."
Alford's play on the baseball diamond was spotty. He finished the season at Dunedin with a .236 batting average, although he did have 18 stolen bases in 92 games.
But his play took off late in the season, when he hit .280 in August, and it was a tear he maintained into the Arizona Fall League. In 23 AFL games he hit .253 and was selected as an all-star.
Alford says he does not know what plans the Blue Jays have for him or at what minor-league level he will start the season.
But he said he is encouraged by the progress he made late in 2016 and is anxious to get back on the field.
"He's in a very good spot all the way around and we're excited about this year," Kim said. "We think it's going to be a pretty big year for him."
On Thursday, second baseman Darwin Barney and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera both agreed to one-year contracts with the Blue Jays, avoiding arbitration. The team said Barney's deal was worth $2,887,500, while Carrera's is for $1,162,500.
Barney, who earned $1,050,000 last season, batted .269 with four homers, 19 RBIs and 13 doubles in 104 games.
The utilityman played at least 25 games each at second base, third and shortstop while making 32 starts at second – his most at any position. He also played five games in left field and pitched an inning.
Carrera batted .248 with six home runs, 23 RBIs and seven stolen bases over 110 games in 2016.
With a report from The Canadian Press