Quick off the bench
Former OSU player Jacoby Ellsbury provides speed, power and smarts for the Red Sox
Brian Meehan The Oregonian
October 09, 2007
Jacoby Ellsbury flew from first to third Sunday in the eighth inning of the Boston Red Sox's 9-1 elimination of the Los Angeles Angels. Boston manager Terry Francona had inserted the former Oregon State star into the game to pinch run for Manny Ramirez. Ellsbury quickly showed why he has become a valuable and versatile weapon off the bench in Boston's playoff drive. From third, he scored on J.D. Drew's sharp grounder to first base -- completing the play with a reckless, head-first slide that recalled a swimmer vaulting off the blocks. 
Ellsbury has soared from Double A ball out of spring training into the postseason with the American League East Division champion Red Sox. His talent and performance earned him this chance and fulfilled a plan that team executives mapped out in spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. "We knew in spring training that there was a chance he could be our speed guy off the bench in the postseason," general manager Theo Epstein said. "And we hoped for that because you don't want to spend an asset on something like that. "But he is ahead of schedule," Epstein said. "We thought he probably would end the season in Triple A. But he arrived and made such an impact. It wasn't as much surprising as it was impressive. But when you take off-the-chart athletic ability and off-the-chart aptitude, you have a chance to make an impact." Ellsbury's play and demeanor have won the respect of teammates. "I think Jacoby is going to become a fantastic player," center fielder Coco Crisp said in the wild visitors' clubhouse after Boston's sweep of the Angels. Crisp compared Ellsbury to a former teammate, Cleveland star outfielder Grady Sizemore. "But he is faster than Brady, I think." That's quite a compliment, considering Sizemore hit .277 with 24 home runs and 33 steals for a division winner. "I think Jacoby is one of the fastest guys in the American League," Crisp said, "but I wouldn't say he is the fastest; we have a lot of fast guys in the league. Maybe we should round up all the guys for a race sometime." Ellsbury's speed, skill and baseball savvy have sparked an enthusiastic welcome from teammates, coaches and one of baseball's most passionate fan bases. And although Ellsbury is not starting, Francona emphasizes that Ellsbury has a chance to make an impact with his glove, his feet or his bat each time he takes the field. The Madras High School graduate took New England by storm this September after sweeping through the minor leagues in record-setting fashion. 
He started out fast, hitting .452 in 17 games with the Double A Portland ( Maine) Sea Dogs. When he was promoted to Triple A Pawtucket (R.I) on May 4, he had the highest batting average in the minor leagues. At Pawtucket, he set a franchise record with a 25-game hitting streak. In 87 games, he hit .298 with 14 doubles, two home runs and 33 steals in 39 attempts. Ellsbury played in six games with Boston earlier in the season, before the Red Sox called him up on Sept. 1 to finish the season. Ellsbury responded by improving his numbers. He hit in 13 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Red Sox rookie outfielder since Jim Rice hit in 13 in a row in 1975. For the season, he hit safely in 27 of the 32 games in which he had an at-bat. He batted .361 in September, 10th highest in the American League and was 9 for 9 in steal attempts. And in perhaps the most exciting development, Ellsbury showed flashes of power, homering three times in 116 at-bats in the majors, versus twice in 432 at-bats in the minors. Once Ellsbury mixes power into his baseball arsenal, he has a chance to become a five-tool player, the rarest of big leaguers who blend hitting for average and hitting for power with foot speed, throwing and fielding. "He has played great baseball," Francona said. "When he came up and Manny went down, it lessened the impact for us because of the way he has played left, the way he has run the bases and the way he has hit."
Fenway Park traditionally has been a haven for power hitters not speedsters. But with the addition of players such as shortstop Julio Lugo (33 steals), Crisp (28) and Ellsbury -- plus the league's top pitching staff -- Red Sox fans are witnessing the emergence of a new brand of ball.
Ellsbury says his experience at Oregon State in the College World Series prepared him somewhat for postseason play. But nothing prepared him for Boston where the fascination with the Red Sox is equivalent to a century's worth of "Blazermania." "In Boston, I get attention wherever I go," said Ellsbury, 24. "It has been very different but I am enjoying it. Even on the road, we get a huge following. Red Sox Nation extends way beyond New England." On the field, Ellsbury, who has been clocked at 3.8 seconds to first, prepares as if he is going to play every day. And he has tried to remember another basic lesson, too: have fun playing this game. 
The fun was thick Friday night at Fenway Park when Boston beat the Angels in Game 2 of the AL division series. Ellsbury reveled in the euphoria of the Boston dugout when Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the game. "That was my greatest single moment in sports, to be a part of that," Ellsbury said. He was so wound up he didn't sleep on the transcontinental flight to Orange County. The team arrived at its hotel about 6 a.m. Saturday. Ellsbury managed a nap before showing up -- bleary-eyed -- for a workout around noon. In batting practice before Game 3, Ellsbury looked sharp and provided a glimpse of what might come in the future. He took 30 cuts and hit 20 balls on the nose, including two that flew through a stiff wind into the right field bleachers. Given his rapid development, it's not hard to imagine Ellsbury becoming a leadoff hitter who could add 15 home runs and 40 steals to a potent Boston lineup. In the meantime, he's Boston's speed weapon off the bench. Notes: Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, a former Arizona State star, said, "The Red Sox have realized that the Pac-10 is the best baseball conference in America. With guys like Jacoby and Jed Lowrie here, it is great." Pedroia was referring to Stanford product and Salem resident Jed Lowrie, a switch-hitting shortstop who finished the season at Pawtucket and was named the Red Sox's top offensive minor leaguer.
"He had a really under-appreciated season," Epstein said of Lowrie. "It is hard to find middle infielders in professional baseball. And with another good development year, he has a chance to establish himself as a premier prospect. He plays all over the infield. He can play second, he can play short. He gives you a real professional at-bat from both sides of the plate. He grinds his at-bats and he's smart" .