Heist was the height of cool

Jacoby Ellsbury did it last night. He stole home - and in the final game of a Red Sox-Yankees series to boot. Think this one might stir some emotions in the rivalry for a while?

Replays will be watched for the next day or two - or three.

One person watching was one of Ellsbury's biggest fans - Tommy Harper.

"It was exciting," said Harper, who still holds the Red Sox season record for steals (54) and who has worked with Ellsbury. Harper was watching the game at home when he saw the steal and then watched the replays to see how it unfolded.

"You had the see the full view of it and when you do you see that the Yankees were in one of those shifts. The third baseman was over where the shortstop was and so you're leaving the base runner over at third with nobody watching him. At that point you should call a timeout and get back to a normal situation. Jacoby was down near the coaches' box. So that was the perfect situation," Harper said.

Ellsbury's theft was the first straight steal of home by a Red Sox since Billy Hatcher turned the trick off Anaheim lefty Chuck Finley April 22, 1994 at Fenway. Ellsbury stole it with the bases loaded with two outs off lefthander Andy Pettitte to increase Boston's lead to 3-1. Pettitte has been victimized in the past - in May 2007 when Aaron Hill stole home. Hill took off down the third base line and Pettitte caught Hill in his periphery and altered his delivery just like last night. In both cases his throw was way too late.

"That one was a little different in that I was in the stretch and Aaron took off. This one was my fault. Jorge [Posada] told me right before the pitch was thrown, 'Hey look over there' and I just didn't do it," said Pettitte. "I wanted to concentrate on the hitter with the bases loaded and I just blew it. I knew he was fast but something like that you realize how fast. I won't take that for granted anymore, I'll tell you that."

Pettitte shrugged off any notion that steal upset him and led to J.D. Drew smashing a double to drive in another run. He did say he was upset with the 0-2 pitch he left too fat over the plate to David Ortiz earlier in the inning; he doubled off the Green Monster.

"Listen, that's a great play for them, but I've got to limit the damage right there and I didn't," Pettitte said.

Harper recalled stealing home three times, once with the Red Sox in May 1973 at Fenway against Kansas City righthander Dick Drago. Harper said Drago "had a slow delivery." Harper recalls Drago checking over and once he did "he started his delivery with his head down and by the time he looked up I was almost to the plate." Harper once stole second, third, and home in the same inning while with the Seattle Pilots.

Harper added, "a situation like Jacoby might come up two or three times in his entire career and he took advantage."

The Sox bench was buoyed by the theft.

Manager Terry Francona gave Ellsbury a big hug and attaboy slap on the back. It was a huge play and an embarrassing one for the Yankees who stood in disbelief.

"[Pettitte] needs to check in," said manager Joe Girardi. "He knows to check and he just didn't do it . . . It shouldn't happen. It shouldn't happen, but it did."

Ellsbury acknowledged he made the decision on his own after convincing himself he could make it one pitch earlier. He said he often kidded with third base coach DeMarlo Hale about his confidence in pulling off the rare feat.

"I always have to reel him back in," said Hale. "In most cases the risk is far too great to attempt it, but tonight everything fell into place. I tip my hat to him. These opportunities just don't come along too often. He got his and he executed it perfectly."

Ellsbury said with the Yankees shifting to shortstop he was able to get a big lead. He stretched it to the coaches' box and "right when I saw him rock back, bring his right foot back, that's when I took off. He has to go home at some point, so it's basically a footrace to the plate."

Ellsbury, who said he last stole home before college, was going to slide feet first, but stumbled and then quickly decided to go head-first, which normally he doesn't prefer. After he scored Ellsbury said, "I was fired up. I usually don't show that type of emotion. The guys were fired up and it was pretty exciting for me."

Ellsbury said the toughest part was "getting the courage to go. I guess in that situation, bases loaded, you've got to make it. It could be one of the worst base running mistakes if you don't make it, but I was pretty confident that I could get in there and make it so that's why I went."

After all, all things aligned. Lefty pitcher. A shift on with the lefthanded hitting Drew at the plate. A pitcher who failed to check the runner.

You had to be loose to pull off what Ellsbury pulled off. It's big enough just to steal home, but he stole home before a packed Fenway, helping the home team complete a Yankee sweep.

Hey, it wasn't Dave Roberts stealing second in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, but this one was the best theft since.

"It took my breath away," said Sox starter - and winner - Justin Masterson.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.