I’m a firm believer in the adage that the opposite of love isn’t hate: it’s indifference. Think about it. After all, there’s that proverbial thin line between love and hate — both involve passion, while indifference is the opposite of passion. And when do you really know you’ve moved on from a relationship? When seeing the person or hearing about them elicits no emotional reaction whatsoever. Anyhow, this brings me to Yankee center fielder — and former Boston Red Sox — Jacoby Ellsbury.
This is his third season of his seven-year, $153 million deal with the Yankees. And the results are not great. Unlike Johnny Damon, who left Boston for New York and was one of the best Yankee free-agent signings of all time (and one of my favorite Yankees ever), Ellsbury has been pretty mediocre. (Squawker note: I was against this deal from the beginning!)
Look at Ells’ 2016 numbers compared with Jackie Bradley Jr., his replacement in Boston. (And yes, I know Bradley is just now becoming a decent hitter. But he is great defensively, and costs a heck of a lot less, too!)
Ellsbury: .235/.278/.341
Bradley: .272/.326/.481
But the funny thing is that Ellsbury still gets booed at Fenway Park. I don’t get it. I really don’t. Frankly, Red Sox fans ought to be glad he’s gone, given how much it would have cost to re-sign him. Plus, he helped them win two rings, so they ought to be thankful, in my view. And finally, he has not been a star for the Yankees. In my view, the best statement to stick it to Jacoby would to be indifferent to him. The boos in this instance show that some fans have still not gotten over him leaving, when frankly, they ought to be happy he’s a Yankee!
So why all the boos still? I threw this question out to my Red Sox fan Facebook friends. Here are a few of their comments:
Jerry from Colorado: “Agree – probably sheer ignorance. Ellsbury, like Pedroia, was popular because he played hard and played very well *when* he was healthy. But unlike Pedroia, he was injured much of the time and could not stay in the lineup for very long to have much of an impact on the team. New York is discovering this as well. And now, age is catching up so his productivity is going to drop no matter what anyway….”
Johnny from Sarasota: “No one wanted the Sox to resign him at that money. the boos are very simple. the NY on the cap.”
Mike from Boston: “It’s always about the NY. The only Yankee I never booed was Mike Easler because he was one of my all-time favorite players and people, and he left because he was traded. And the reverse is true. I couldn’t stand Don Baylor when he was a Yankee, but loved him when he came to Boston. And I continued to root for him after he left. It’s almost always about the laundry.”
Ben from New York: “I’m not a big fan of booing players. That being said there’s more to the Ellsbury boos than just the free agent departure. Ellsbury was never THAT beloved by Red Sox fans in the first place. He was always seen as frail and inconsistent. I’m with you Lisa, when he signed with the Yankees, I wasn’t thrilled about the Sox losing him, but I’d have been more upset if they had matched or even worse exceeded the Yankees offer to retain Ellsbury.
Red Sox fans should be glad that they most likely got to experience Ellsbury’s best seasons prior to his departure via free agency. He was a part of both the 2007 and 2013 World Series Champion squads. He did have some great years, and he made some memorable plays. Any player that bolts Boston for the Yankees will always draw boos, but in this case you’ve got a good point. Boras and Ellsbury did the Red Sox a favor AND it came at the Yankees expense.”
Joseph from Connecticut: “Jacoby is like Fredo…..dead to me. Not worth the effort to boo. He’s due for a contract extension soon isn’t he?”
John from Brooklyn: “It comes down to Ellsbury wearing the rival uniform. Damon always said he’d never sign with the Yankees and turned around and did just that. So that brought on tons of vitriol. Ellsbury never said he wouldn’t go to NY, and most fans knew the Sox wouldn’t resign him. But he took the best offer out there, and that was NY. Many fans don’t realize players are businessmen ultimately. To me, Ellsbury is just another Yankee player. But like Damon, Red Sox fans will remember him for being part of a championship team (two actually) once Ellsbury retires.”
David from Maine: “Weighing down the Yanks with that bloated contract is one of the best things Ellsbury ever did for Boston. I’d cheer him every time I saw him.”Sully from California: “Never boo a World Champion Red Sox….How could a Sox fan boo a player that helped our team to a title ? Or 2 in the case of Ellsbury? Insanity.”
Cindy from New England: “When we’re spurned, even with players to whom we’ve grown indifferent, we hold tight to the grudge. Well, at least I do. I’m only now coming around to forgiving Adam Vinitieri for leaving. I’m a legit Masshole that way.”
Ben from Virginia: “Roger Clemens, on the other hand, remains in the same category as Benedict Arnold.”
And there you have it, folks!
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