Matt Vautour: Roman Anthony’s new deal makes him the face of the Red Sox

Roman Anthony looked the part as he sat there showing off a sharp blue suit and maturity beyond his years.

The 21-year-old Red Sox rookie outfielder met with the Boston media on Wednesday for a press conference that officially announced his 8-year, $130 million contract extension and unofficially made him the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

Financially, it was a good deal for the Red Sox. If salaries continue to escalate, Anthony might seem pretty underpaid by the time they have to decide on his option for 2034. With a lockout looming after next season, it made sense for Anthony, too. He was probably smart to lock in life-changing money in case the new CBA throws up roadblocks for earning potential in new deals.

But the eight-year deal was symbolic too. Among the core players, whom the Red Sox have locked up for several years, Anthony got the longest deal and the most average annual value.

He’s the face of the Red Sox and joins Drake Maye, Jayson Tatum and David Pastrnak as one of the faces of the next wave of Boston sports.

Anthony replaces Rafael Devers, who held the role by default before being traded earlier this summer after clashing with management. Devers was the highest-paid and most talented player, but struggled to assume the leadership and spokesman roles expected of a player of his stature.

Anthony isn’t being looked to for leadership yet. But the long-term Red Sox futures of Alex Bregman and Trevor Story are uncertain and the team is certainly hoping Anthony will assume the role eventually.

Off to a strong start, he hasn’t needed to handle any real adversity yet and until he does, any real judgment of him is incomplete.

But the way he handled Wednesday was a good step. Press conferences are awkward for everybody, especially when the person behind the microphone is talking about themselves and not a game they just played.

Sitting between Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow, two team executives who have both made ill-advised public comments this year, Anthony came off extremely poised, either like a natural or someone who’d been prepped well.

Anthony thanked his teammates, coaches and the front office, and professed love for playing in Boston, all of which was to be expected.

What stood out was his casual confidence. Is he surprised at how well things have gone this early in his career?

“It’s hard to say I was surprised. I believe in myself in every way.”

That was the line of the press conference.

Anthony didn’t sound cocky in that moment. And if he had, that would have been O.K. There have been plenty of braggadocious athletes who’ve backed up their big talk.

But Anthony was just being honest. His confidence comes off as matter-of-fact.

Asked what the incentives and escalators (which can increase the value of the contract significantly) in the deal meant to him, he responded:

“I don’t know what the future holds but I do believe I will be the best version of myself every single day,” he said.

Bloody Vrabel

Get ready to hear about Mike Vrabel’s camp fight every week for the rest of the year.

It’s safe to assume that every television broadcaster calling a Patriots game will share that story like they’re the first ones to tell it and like they saw it with their own eyes.

There’s no video of Vrabel diving into the scrum and coming out bloody on Wednesday afternoon.

The Patriots obviously have some footage of it somewhere because every single thing at a football practice is recorded. But since the media and the fans are barred from shooting at training camp, there is nothing for public consumption.

In fact, to have seen the entirety of the incident, someone would have needed to be watching pass blocking instead of the ball.

Chris Mason, who was watching the blocking, wrote:

“As Drake Maye dropped back to pass, Washington sent a blitzer and running back TreVeyon Henderson was tasked with picking him up … Henderson took the Commanders defender to the ground, and the two began rolling around tussling on the grass. Trying to diffuse the situation, Mike Vrabel sprinted off the sideline and ran into the fracas, trying to separate the two.

Things intensified when Will Campbell saw what was happening. The first-round tackle jumped on the Commanders defender with Vrabel still in the mix and then a whole melee broke out. When the players were pulled apart, Vrabel was at the bottom of the pile, and rose with blood running down his cheek.”

It will be Chris Hogan-used-to-play-lacrosse times 10.

The next statue?

Now that Tom Brady’s statue is being unveiled in Foxborough on Friday, who will be the next New England sports legend to be immortalized in bronze?

A statue is a step beyond a retired number. Maybe even two steps. The elite among the elite.

Bill Belichick would make a lot of sense, but his relationship with Robert Kraft might need to thaw a bit first.

How about a David Ortiz statue in front of the old ticket office near the entrance to Jersey Street? I’m thinking with his arm raised in the pose from the end of his rousing post-marathon bombing speech.

Or a bronze Larry Bird (lining up a free throw) about 20 feet behind the flying Bobby Orr statue in front of TD Garden.

A terrifying near-tragedy involving a mascot?

The race among sports teams to one-up each other on social media almost led to a scary confrontation. The Seattle Kraken sent Buoy, their mascot, to Katmai National Park in Alaska to shoot a video of the teal troll fly fishing in a river.

Katmai has gotten increased publicity in recent years due to the popularity of Fat Bear Week, when the grizzlies, who inhabit the park, are ranked by their size before hibernating.

Despite their considerable girth, those bears still move pretty well. So when the Kraken crew spotted one appear at the far edge of the river, there was ample reason for concern. The bear growled and stood on its hind legs — never a good sign — and began moving toward Buoy and friends, who were forced to flee. They moved quickly without running — running will often entice a bear to chase — out of the water, before the bear chose not to continue its pursuit.

• Watch the whole thing right here.

Real Jeopardy! Clue

Sports clues from actual editions of America’s favorite quiz show. As always, mind the date

CATEGORY: Bit Roles $600:

This Toronto Blue Jays strikeout king had a role in “Cobb” playing — what else? — a pitcher

— Answer below

The Top 5

The Gingergaard All-Stars Top 5 Red-Headed Boston Athletes

In Honor of Dustin “Gingergaard” May’s first start on Wednesday, let’s honor Boston’s best redheads. These players are ranked by the greatness of their hair and the significance of their contribution.

5 – Alexi Lalas

4 – Bill Walton

3 – Dan Koppen

2 — Wade Boggs

1 – Dave Cowens

Notable: Red Auerbach would obviously be the coach of this team.

Honorable mention: Bobby Kielty, Larry Izzo, Denny Doyle, Conan O’Brien, Bob Sweeney, Craig Kimbrel, Alex Verdugo, Brian Scalabrine, Justin Turner

Today in Boston Sports History

Aug. 8

1992 — Larry Bird played his final basketball game. The Celtics legend had no points on one missed shot in 12 minutes for the Dream Team, which captured the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics. Bird, who’d been battling a back injury, retired shortly after returning to the United States.

Improving the world

Part 1 — Nice moment before Tuesday’s Red Sox game that saw Max, an 11-year-old from Princeton, throw out the first pitch as part of a ceremony recognizing Team Impact.

Team Impact is an organization that pairs kids living with serious illnesses and disabilities with college athletic teams. The kids become part of the team for a season, going to games and practices. It’s special for the kids, but equally so for the athletes.

Max, who has battled T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) showed off a pitch that should have made the WPI baseball team he’s been paired with proud.

Part 2 —Want to make the world a little better by eating ice cream? Next Friday, a portion of all ice cream sales at Flannel Cow Creamery in Mansfield are going to help an 11-year-old huge soccer fan named Flynn battling Osteosarcoma. Great cause. Great ice cream.

Try the Peanut Butter Oreo.

Lightning round

• When I accidentally put an “e” on the end of Dustin May’s name, he can blame the Patriots quarterback.
• It appears that Kraft got custody of Jon Bon Jovi in his divorce from Belichick.
• Jordan Hicks has not-on-the-playoff-roster energy.
• There have to be people in Methuen who bought Georges Niang jerseys right?
• The roll-call thank yous to open press conferences keep getting longer and longer.

Real Jeopardy! Question:

Who is Roger Clemens?

Finally…

Happy National Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor’s Porch Day (this is actually a thing) to those who celebrate.