February 5, 2008...10:53 pm
The Facts in the Case of Jacoby Ellsbury
-October 27th, Denver Colorado, Coors Field, Second Base.
After smacking his third double of a four hit night, a Navajo Indian crouches in a lead. He has reached base in more than half his World Series at-bats.
–Some time in the 2005 off season.
It began with the name. Jacoby Ellsbury. Possibly the only name that could better the poetry of Coco Crisp.
-June 7th, 2005, MLB Draft Day, The Boston Red Sox draft room.
Across the league, general managers worry of the public opinion to be lost with a ‘Brien Taylor’ bust and the rewards to be reaped by uncovering the next Pedro. The Sox haven’t won a World Series in a whole 8 months, so things are getting pretty drastic. So, with the 23rd pick of the draft, Theo Epstein makes a hair splitting decision that would be ridiculed by no one for generations to come. The Red Sox wipe Jacoby Ellsbury off the board. An unknown man minutes before hand, Ellsbury will now become known by five additional people throughout the world. If one of these people should happen to be an etymologist, he would swear Jacoby a descendant of a Polish Jew. He’d also be wrong. Neither Jewish nor Polish, or European for that matter, he’s a Mormon Navajo of Madras, Oregon.
He’s not the type of player that is suppose to play for the Red Sox. The Red Sox aren’t suppose to get good looking, fast, young, elegant, and charismatic players. The Red Sox are suppose to have awkward, clumsy, fat, slow, hyper, lanky, goofy, old or just plain wierd players (see Mo Vaugn, Manny Ramirez, Gabe Kapler, Nomar Garciaparra, Bill Mueller, Todd Walker, Hideo Nomo, Tim Wakefield, Lou Merloni, Brian Daubach, Kevin Youkilis, Trot Nixon, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar, I could go on). Jacoby Ellsbury looks like a Yankee. He really does, now he doesn’t act like one, nor does his name sound like one, but he certainly plays and looks like a Bronx Bomber.
And Red Sox Nation loves him and why shouldn’t they?
-October 28th, Denver Colorado, Coors Field, Luxury Suite.
Theo Epstein peers down on his closer in the final pitches of a second championship in four years after none in eighty-six. Yesterday he got flack from WEEI about the likes of Edgar Rent-a-reck, Lugo and Coco. Tomorrow isn’t looking much better. Yet, with every hit, every catch and every smile Jacoby Ellsbury is responsible for, Theo’s approval heightens.
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