I have to admit-it's happened to me. Jacoby Ellsbury has won me over. I no longer feel the Sox have a choice. Unless something unusual happens, the Sox have to re-sign him.
Earlier this season, the feeling seemed to be that Jackie Bradley Jr was waiting in the wings for Ellsbury's spot. In spite of twice leading the league in stolen bases and establishing a Bosox season record with 70 in 2009, he was seen as inconsistent and injury-prone. During 2010 and 2012, he suffered from shoulder and rib problems and appeared in only 92 games. His batting average and stolen base numbers dropped badly. His near-MVP year in 2011 (32 homers and 105 rbi's) was seen as a fluke, which it probably was. We heard that with agent Scott Boras, Ellsbury would demand a contract that exceeded his abilities.
However, Jacoby has shown me a lot in 2013. Going into Friday's action, he not only leads the majors in stolen bases with 32, but has been caught only 3 times. After a slow start, his batting mark is up to .292, and his 93 hits second on the team. He has 19 doubles and a league-leading 7 triples. He is something very valuable- a true leadoff hitter. His on-base percentage is .356, one of the highest of his career. He covers as much ground in center field as anyone in baseball. He only has one homer, but power men like David Ortiz, Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli make up for that. He also set a team record with 5 stolen bases in a game. He was injured for a short time after that, but has missed only 7 games.
A big reason for keeping Ellsbury is the apparent lack of base-stealing ability , both on the team and in the high minors. Dustin Pedroia is second on the Sox with 11, but without Jacoby, the team total would be less than 30. Youngsters like Bradley Jr and Julio Iglesias have speed, but don't come close to him as base-stealing threats. If Ellsbury suddenly disappeared, the Townies would be like their longtime selves-slow, station-to-station baserunners. Fenway or not, base stealing matters. A stolen base in Boston has as much value as in Oakland or Baltimore.
A quiet, soft-spoken guy, Ellsbury will never be a folk hero on the Sox. He is not currently an MVP candidate, but his value to the team is huge. As I've written before, the sight of him in a Rays or Orioles uniform would be sad. The Townies let Jonathan Papelbon get away; they shouldn't make the same mistake with Jacoby Ellsbury.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
