Ellsbury has winged feet, fast hands
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- For a man with winged feet, the secret apparently rests in his hands.
"It was nothing with my swing," Jacoby Ellsbury said last night at Angel Stadium, where he went 3 for 5 in the Red Sox' 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. "It was more about my timing and being ready to hit, keeping my hands back and waiting for the inside pitch. I really didn't change anything with my swing."
With all due respect, we beg to differ.
The results have changed drastically.
Of course, timing is everything in life, so maybe it is all as simple as this: October is here. Ellsbury now has made seven consecutive postseason starts since manager Terry Francona inserted him into the lineup for Game 6 of the 2007 American League Championship Series, and we all know what has happened: the Sox have gone 7-0. (Overall, Boston has won eight straight postseason games.) During that time, Ellsbury has gone 12 for 32 (a .375 average) with eight runs scored, five RBI, five extra-base hits, and three stolen bases, adding some mercury to what was a heavy-handed, cement-shoed Red Sox offense.
The hands? Ellsbury has those in the right place now, making those terribly vague "adjustments" that all players must make. In this case, the simple truth was that opponents detected a flaw in Ellsbury's swing, explaining why the dynamic Boston leadoff man all but had his face plastered on a milk carton during the middle of the season. From June 16 through Aug. 29 – a span covering roughly 10 weeks and 58 games – Ellsbury batted .232 and struck out 42 times (against just eight walks). Teams kept pounding him inside, Ellsbury kept making outs, and pitchers weren't about to change as long as Ellsbury didn't give them a reason to.
During that span, he worked extensively with Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan, who freely acknowledged that Ellsbury was having difficulty handling the hard stuff in. Magadan, too, spoke of Ellsbury's "timing," which was to say that Ellsbury was not getting to pitches he needed to reach. Magadan stressed that Ellsbury had the bat speed to handle such pitches, and that the young outfielder merely needed to be "ready" to hit.
One digression here: Hitting is a terribly complex skill, and much of it is innate; you can either do it or you cannot. The fastball in is the hardest pitch for any player to hit because it requires the head of the bat to travel a longer distance in a shorter period of time, and the simple truth is that Ellsbury was late getting to the ball because of what Magadan and Ellsbury described as timing (or readiness), which is to say that he didn't have his hands in then proper position to launch.
So what has happened since that precipitous dip in Ellsbury's performance? He has started handling the inside fastball and pounding the inside pitch. In Game 1, Ellsbury led off the game with a double off the top of the right field wall. (Fastball in.) Later in the game, he added a bunt single. (Don't forget those legs, young man.) Though right fielder Gary Matthews misplayed an Ellsbury at-bat into a three-base error in the seventh, the ball was a smoking liner. (Fastball in.) In the ninth, Ellsbury then drove in a key insurance run by yanking another single to right (guesses on the pitch?) and then scored the final Boston run.
Along the way, Ellsbury made a brilliant, diving catch of a Mark Teixeira blooper to help stifle a Los Angeles rally in the pivotal bottom of the eighth.
Quite simply, he was everywhere.
"He takes the game over with his speed," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia duly noted of Ellsbury.
But in this game, his bat was equally as big a factor.
Of course, we all know what Ellsbury means to the Red Sox offense, especially now, in this era free of both steroids and Manuel Aristides Ramirez. (We are not suggesting those two things are related.) Throughout baseball, and in Boston, power is down. The Red Sox must find different ways to score and win because they have different players at a different time, and Ellsbury has the tools to cope. In his last 25 games, Ellsbury is batting .380 with a .583 slugging percentage and 24 runs scored. He is 11 for 14 on steal attempts. The Red Sox leadoff man is hitting, running and playing defense, and there is not a more dynamic player on the Boston roster when he is doing all three.
A year ago at this time, Ellsbury made his postseason debut along with fellow October novices Pedroia, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, and Jon Lester, and America watched with awe as the Red Sox won a second world title in the span of four seasons. Unlike the 2004 Sox, the 2007 team was splattered with youth, a fully functioning demonstration of Theo Epstein's master plan. Now the Sox are back in the playoffs again and the young guys are rolling right along -- Ellsbury is technically a rookie, remember -- and they only continue to win as they learn and develop.
"I think the biggest thing is knowing what to expect before you get here -- the expectation of winning," Ellsbury said when asked about the team's rich player development system. "The individual stats are great, but at the end of the day it's about winning -- and the veteran guys here are really good about helping the younger guys."
In turn, the younger guys listen.
In the Boston clubhouse, after all, they believe in taking matters into their own hands.
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Hoorah, Jacoby! The Navajo Indian boy again shows his prowess in the post-season. If he keeps this up the Sox have an excellent chance to repeat as MLB champions. Out here in Red Sox Navajo Nation (New Mexico/Arizona),we are behind Jacoby and the Sox all the way.
Jak-ob-eye Ellsburr-eye - He sees the ball well, at bat or in field. What an incredible talent. HE gets on, we win...simple as that. Glad to see he's managed through his timing and adjusted to pitching, sign of a suberb player!! Now if we can get Drew, lowell and papi going....And heckuva time for pedrioa to slump a bit...
Thanks, for that, MAZZ. As you know, there are quite a few disbelievers (i.e. on the forum) about the Ellsbury projections. In my opinion, as long as Sox fans don't place undue expectations on the kid, he'll continue to grow and flourish. In fact, he is now, as you described.
Hopefully, our boy Buch can join the gang next time 'round. Perhaps, he's a few adjustments away, as well?
Hey SOFTLAW....this one's for you!!!!!!!
Ellsbury is hands down the most exciting player to watch these days. Now, I love Pedroia and Papelbon and they remain my favorite players, but Ells is like a bolt of lightning and gets the whole team pumping their fists and shouting at the top of their lungs with excitement. Oh, and btw, can we please give Ellsbury Dirt Dog status? He throws his body on the line all the time just to make outs and the kid has a big heart and loves to play ball.
Jacoby was dead on in his comments on expecting to win. Mike Lowell mentioned that last year after the World Series, and those words were the most important ever spoken by a Red Sox player. He said, "We're the Boston Red Sox and we EXPECT TO WIN." This is because of the Red Sox organzation's philosophy and their tireless work towards winning another championship.
Last night's win was truly one of the better postseason games ever.
Random question on Ellsbury. Is he adding to his rookie postseason totals from last year, or despite this being his true 'rookie' season, does this count as a 2nd year player for postseason stats?
Does Ellsbury have a shot at Rookie of the Year, or is Longoria's name already inscribed on that award?
Thanks Maz, 'ya big nerd
Has anyone heard a final decision on the scoring of the 3-base error on an Ellsbury liner last night? TBS guys seemed to think there'd be a review of the scoring after the game, that it might get changed to a triple since Matthews lost it before it got to him.
Let's give credit where credit is due. Ellsbury, Lester, Papelbon, Pedroia, Youkilis, and to a lesser extent (so far at least) Lowrie are the clear fruition of this ownership's "build from within for long term talent and cost certainty, while patching from outside in short-term fixes" business model. There is no doubt that it is working and this organization is destined to consistently be in a position to compete for a penant every year. There will not be a one and done (FLA Marlins, DET Tigers) type spending spree to spend, spend, spend to win one and then dismantle and start over.
What a game by Ellsbury! He will pose a huge problem for the Angels and inspire Pedrioa and the rest of the guys for that matter. But Ellsbury's youth and talents are magnified and on full display in the post season.
I think of a young Dimaggio full of the confidence in his physical gifts and on the perfect stage to perform what comes totally natural. Red Sox fans and indeed all of baseball should marvel at what we are witnessing from this kid. There is no guarantee that the kid can keep it up throughout the playoffs, and as mentioned by Maz at times this year he struggled but, what a start and if he keeps it going it will be historic and awesome!
Bob from VA,
Official scorer left it as E7
Um, somewhere in the article you might also want to mention the 2 stolen bases he had in the game...
If the Sox front office ever again make noise about trading Ellsbury (like they did pre-season this year) ... the Nation shall have no mercy on them.
Nothing against Jocobe fans, i dont like him that much. He's a great young player but he never smiles. It makes me think that he's playing for money not for the fun of the game or for the fans.
Ellsbury reminds me of a young Brett Erickson, in his pre-Whiner Line days.
Great article on 'Coby. As for the FEW dillusional haters on the forum, his nickname is 'Coby not Jake??? Only true fans know that! He's not a firefighter for Boston! Although Iam sure BFD would love to have him!! lol Anyway 'Coby is def. having a great post season-but lets not start pourin' the pressure on the rook' again! Just let him and the SOX play and see what develops. It's been a heck of a ride so far!! It's a team full of stars and potential stars dont start putting pressure on any one individual. It's tough enough just making it to the playoffs!! Keep up the great work fellas and RED SOX NATION will be behind you 110%!!!
No surprises here. Jacoby tore it up while he was a Beaver at OSU, and he's making Terry F look like a genius. A lot of attention was paid to Bay's essential homerun, but the real gamer last night was Ellsbury. Oregonians are justly proud...maybe we would have been better off if the other guy lost the coin toss and we're named Boston instead of Portland....! At least I'd have an excuse for rooting for the Sox..fans of whom I rather loathed during Mariner games...but, well, you know that sorry story. Go JE and Go Sox!
Pleased in Portland.
GO SOX!
Im another one of those Jacoby fans from Az. I just love this team and all the young guns who are gettin it done. and before you dismiss me as some young awestruck kid, I saw Pumpsie Green play in Fenway. LOL Ellsbury and Pedroia and Youk and on and on it goes. Where does it stop? with another banner, of course, and that won't be the only one for these kids. Red Sox Nation can stand tall and proud with the fine young men now on the Sox rosters. One of the hardest things in sports is for a team to repeat as champions. The C's and Sox have a chance to do so and I hope they do. Now if only the Pats will start to catch up. LOL
Finally someone has shed some light on the mechanical adjustments JE has made. It was obvious something 'clicked' for him early September. Best of all... his hitting has improved across all parts of the plate, not just inside!
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