Ellsbury not running from big moments
Jacoby Ellsbury looked up at plate umpire Gary Cederstrom, momentary disbelief on his face, ready to argue his case. He knew he was safe at home, Jorge Posada having left his mitt up, clutching the ball, seemingly forgetting to tag the onrushing Ellsbury even as he lay in wait for the runner. But Dustin Pedroia collected the substitute left fielder, as both runners quickly realized the call had gone their way.
It has all gone Ellsbury's way lately, including last night, when he surfaced in the fifth inning. Ellsbury ran for Kevin Youkilis after Youkilis was hit in the wrist with a Chien-Ming Wang pitch. With a tight turn around third base on a double by David Ortiz - "He gets there quick, doesn't he?" Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson reported telling third base coach DeMarlo Hale - Ellsbury set off for home.
But instead of knocking Posada over - as Eric Hinske had just done, resulting in an out but an eventual hospital visit for Posada - Ellsbury took a circuitous route. He went around the perhaps still-dazed catcher, avoiding the big hit, and sliding in safely.
Perhaps he learned from Hinske. Or perhaps he learned from experience, having tried a headfirst slide on former major leaguer Sal Fasano in a PawSox game Aug. 18, getting thrown out and banged up, a double no-no as his shoulder crashed into Fasano's knee.
"I was thinking about it," Ellsbury said after the Red Sox' 10-1 win yesterday. "The situation, it's not worth it for me to get hurt, or Posada. But you like the aggressive play out of Hinske, it fired us up. For me, [I] was better off just sliding. I didn't know where the ball was coming from.
"I play hard, so anything's possible, but I'm sure management was happy that I did [slide feetfirst]. They got on me a little bit for going into Fasano."
So he went around Posada, and was safe - more of that charmed existence that has surrounded the outfielder in his initial major league campaign.
Ellsbury was not in the starting lineup, sitting in favor of Hinske and his .455 lifetime average against Wang. It was only after Youkilis was hit by a pitch that Ellsbury, the newest hero of Fenway Park, walked to first base to take Youkilis's place and get immediately involved.
Just an inning later, after scoring the tiebreaking (and eventually winning) run, Ellsbury stood at the plate and stroked a single to left, bringing home Coco Crisp with the Sox' third run of the game. An inning later there was Ellsbury again, his single to center this time scoring two as the rout was on.
Two plate appearances. Two hits. Two runs scored.
"He always seems to give us a lift," Mike Lowell said. "He's an exciting player. He hits lefties. He's not overmatched. He's been coming up with real big hits and his speed is an added bonus. On that ball David hits, no one - I shouldn't say no one - very few guys can score from first on that, especially with the arm Melky Cabrera has, and a good relay and everything. Speed is a huge factor when you have it on your side."
Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 13 games, every game since being called up Sept. 1. Since then, he's hitting .426 (20 for 47) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 runs, and four stolen bases. Between Boston and Pawtucket, Ellsbury has hit in 38 of his last 40 games, starting July 21.
So while it's easy to lionize a 24-year-old rookie with a swing (and a presence) like a veteran, it's important to remember that, as the saying goes, no one should be judged in spring training or September.
"He's a young player, still in the development part of his career," Johnson said. "He's earned the right to develop and move to each level. Because he has, I think you've got to enjoy what's going on right now, see the projection and the potential he has."
The Red Sox most certainly have been enjoying it.
"You never know what you can do until you get up here," Ellsbury said. "I have a lot of confidence and I trust my abilities. But until you do it, and do it at a big level, you're not sure of what you're capable of." 