J.D. Drew

Even though he was not the best player on the Sox last year, J.D. Drew is nevertheless an important part of the team’s lineup.  He has his origins back at Florida State where he was an All-American and won several prestigious awards such as the Dick Howser Trophy in 1997, given to the college baseball player of the year, and the Golden Spikes award in the same year, given to the best amateur baseball player.  Both these awards were also won by fellow Red Sox player Jason Varitek when he played for Georgia Tech.  Drew became the first college player ever to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season.  His college career was outstanding, and it actually outshone his professional one.

            Drew was drafted second overall in 1997 by the Philadelphia Phillies, but he and his agent had agreed not to sign for less than $10 million, a hefty sum for a rookie to demand, even one with such good college stats.  He played baseball in a league outside of the MLB in ’97, and in 1998 he was re-drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals fifth overall.  Because of his conflict in Philly, his first major league appearance there greeted him with waves of boos.  Every year he was in St. Louis from 1998-2003, Drew landed up on the disabled list for one reason or another.  Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was disappointed in Drew’s lack of commitment, saying that Drew had “settled for 75%” of his talent.  Drew’s stats showed how much he was slacking: he only broke a .300 seasonal batting average once in six years there, and 2001 (his best St. Louis year) wasn’t even that stupendous.  It’s no wonder that he was traded after the ’03 season to the Atlanta Braves.

            In Atlanta, Drew displayed a much better commitment to the game, if only for one season.  His single year with the Braves displayed a stronger, more skilled side of Drew not seen often enough in Philly.  He had a .305 average with 31 home runs and 96 RBIs.  In comparison, the most RBIs he got in one season with the Cardinals was 73, and he never got more than 30 HRs.  After the ’04 season, Drew spent two years with the L.A. Dodgers.  He was injured again halfway through 2005, but in 2006 he was part of something that has been seen only five times in MLB history: back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs.  He was the second homer-er in a lineup of Jeff Kent, Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson.  Surprisingly, that’s not the last time we see Drew be a part of four home runs in a row. 

            Drew was signed to the Sox last year for 5 years and $70 million.  He was downright awful for the better part of the season, putting up his least home runs since his rookie year.  However, he did make history by being the only player to be in two back-to-back-to-back-to-back home run sets, this time with Manny, himself, Mike Lowell, and Varitek.  His most clutch moment with the Sox was in the postseason, during Game 6 of the ALCS.  The Sox could have been eliminated in that game by the Cleveland Indians, but for Drew’s grand slam.

            I believe that Drew’s college career made him overconfident, and this made him demand more money than he was worth.  He has made a million bucks a year since his third year in baseball, but his game play has certainly not lived up to his payroll.  I agree with LaRussa in that Drew should have applied himself more over his professional career so far.

This year, Drew is doing much, much better than last.  Already, he only has to hit three more home runs to beat his last-season drought.  He’s hitting .318, the current highest on the team, and he also has the highest on base percentage.  If only he had done as well in seasons past as he is now, he would be worth the $14 million the Sox paid him last season alone.  Fortunately, things are looking up for J.D. Drew.

Importance of Young Players

If you ask someone to name a Red Sox player, chances are you’ll hear “David Ortiz” or “Manny Ramirez”.  You’ll probably hear a “Jason Varitek” from time to time.  But these big sluggers and Sox stars aren’t the only players on the team.  Some of the most important parts of the Sox, or any team, are the young up-and-coming stars of the future.  This is what my blog has been about.

            Take Dustin Pedroia, ‘07’s Rookie of the Year.  He essentially led the Sox through the last game of the ALCS last year, securing the win with a 2-run homer and a bases-clearing double, finishing the game with 5 RBIs.  Then one game later, Game 1 of the World Series, he led off with a home run on the very first pitch, sparking a rally that ended in a 13-1 slaughter of the Rockies.  The youngster is an important on two planes: he is helpful to the Sox in winning games, and he also provides to the fans with acts such as his homer in Game 1, the first home run hit by a rookie on the very first pitch of a World Series opener.  This year, Pedroia’s leading the team in hits with 69.  He also has the only perfect attendance of the Sox, having played all 59 games this season.  However, Dustin is not the only young, dynamic player.

            Jacoby Ellsbury is one of my favorite players on the Sox, and he’s also one of the youngest.  He’s leading the team in runs scored (41) and on-base percentage (.389), but that’s not all.  He is DEMOLISHING his team in stolen bases with 27, that’s right, 27 steals.  The closest number of steals on the Sox is 7 from fellow center fielder Coco Crisp.  As stated in my Jacoby blog entry, the kid stole home from second in only his fourth major league game.  In the playoffs last year, he became only the second player to ever get two doubles in the same inning of a World Series game.  With his speed and his skill, the young Ellsbury is clearly a great asset to the Sox lineup.

            Of course, the stud veteran stars of the teams are usually the ones who rock the most, but even they had to start somewhere.  The year after Big Papi came to Boston, back in ’04, he was one of the most clutch players in the entire MLB, as we all remember.  But this season he is getting older; he suffered through one of his worst slumps of his career to start it off, and just yesterday he left the game with a hurting left wrist.  When players get older, their performance often gets rusty, and Ortiz is a good example of this.  This year is Papi’s 11^th year in baseball, and his worst since coming to Boston.  Clearly, baseball is not an old man’s sport, and the future of the game belongs to the young players of today, like Ellsbury, like Pedroia.  If they could produce just as much as they do now in the future, average teams with young players now could become the best teams of tomorrow.       

Jon Lester

 

 

Jon Lester is a hero.

 

            The left-handed pitcher made his start in the Major Leagues with the Red Sox in 2006.  Since then, he has recovered from cancer, won the final game of the World Series, and thrown a no-hitter.  He’s not the most stupendous pitcher, but his list of achievements on top of his cancer makes him a star.

            Jon Lester was born in Tacoma, Washington, where he was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2000.  He was drafted by the Sox in the second round two years later.  Jon did well in the minor leagues, with an 11-6 record and league leading numbers in strike outs and earned run average.  Lester was sought after by many teams during his rise to the majors:  In ’04 the Texas Rangers demanded he be included in a potential trade for the then-Ranger Alex Rodriguez.  Two years ago the Marlins insisted he be included in a trade for now-Red Sox pitcher Josh Becket.  Other teams tugged at him, but the Sox would not let go.  His rookie year (’06) was nothing special.  After being called up in June, he went 7-2, a decent record, with a less-than-good 4.73 ERA.

            However, with August-September came a big shock to Jon Lester.  He was placed on the DL with a sore back, but later tests showed bad news: Lester had lymphoma.  He underwent treatment during the playoffs (which the Sox did not do well in) and the off-season, and by mid-’07 he was pitching rehab games in the minors.  He pitched a scattering of games during the regular season, finishing with a 4-0 record, impressive for a man coming back from cancer.  Although he didn’t really do much MLB work in the regular season, he did well in the playoffs.  Terry Francona made a noble move and in an important situation, gave Lester the start in Game 4 of the World Series against the Rockies.  The kid pulled through, going almost 6 shutout innings.  It shows a lot about Lester’s determination and strength that he could help win the World Series when the same time a year before he was receiving treatment for cancer.

            This season, Lester made big news again, but much better then announcing he has cancer: a couple weeks ago he threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.  (It turns out Kansas City is actually in Missouri.  Go figure.)  The game actually didn’t start out looking like a potential no-hitter; the Royals players were making contact with Lester’s pitches.  Lester himself actually made an error in the second inning.  But he pulled through, and finished the 9 innings without letting up a hit.  Lester’s no-hitter was the 18^th thrown by Sox pitchers, and the first in the Majors since Clay Buchholz’s last year (see blog entry on Clay Buchholz).  It was catcher Jason Varitek’s record 4^th no-no caught.  But besides the numbers, the achievement itself is glorious: within two years of being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester had won a World Series game and thrown a no-hitter, a combination of trophies that most veteran pitchers cannot claim.  If you ever need an inspirational story, look up Jon Lester.  

*This just in: It’s just been revealed that Jon Lester’s father has lymphoma!  Bummer for the Lester family.             

Daisuke Matsuzaka

 

Fenway Park is famous for its fans posting up big red K’s whenever their pitcher throws a strikeout.  Daisuke Matsuzaka’s name lends itself to this, and his performance lets the fans put up many of the K’s.

            The famous Dice-K, as dubbed by the Boston Globe, is one of the Red Sox’s most promising pitchers.  While just in his second year in the American Major Leagues, Matsuzaka played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league since 1999.  He was born in Kanita, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori, Japan, (can’t they just say Kanita, Japan?) but spent most of his childhood at his father’s in Tokyo.  He excelled in Little Leagues in Japan, and he was accepted to baseball powerhouse Yokohama High School, where, by his second year, had developed a 90-m.p.h. fastball.  We’re talking a 17-year-old with a fastball worthy of the Majors.  In the Summer Koshien (a high school invitational baseball tourney in Japan), Matsuzaka had perhaps the most epic of all his highlights.  Here’s his “Legendary 3 Days”: Day 1, 148 pitches in a complete game shutout.  Day 2, 250 pitches in a 17-inning win.  Day 3, he closed a seven-run rally after starting in left field.  That’s three days, 413 pitches.  And in the final game, he pitched a no-hitter, only the second ever in a final.  All this at 18 years old.

            After high school, Matsuzaka was drafted by Nippon League team the Seibu Lions.  He recorded his first strikeout on a fastball clocking in at 97 mph, from an 18 year old.  In his first year, Dice K was already considered the Lions’ ace, and finished with a 16-5 record.  His fame was so great that rumors sprung up that Matsuzaka could throw the mythical “gyroball,” a pitch that may or may not exist.  It’s no wonder that American Major League teams were already interested in this superstar.

            In 2006, Dice K hired an agent for dealings with the MLB.  The Red Sox paid dearly just to talk to the legend; they coughed up more than $51 million just for negotiating rights alone, never mind salary costs.  And when the Sox and Matsuzaka finally agreed to terms, the salary wasn’t cheap-$52 million over six years.

During the ’07 season, Matsuzaka pitched well enough, but certainly not well enough for an eight million dollar salary that year.  He didn’t make many headlines through skill, it was mostly his legendary status that had critics raving.  Dice K did help the Sox clinch the division against the Minnesota Twins with an eight inning win.  He finished the season 15-12, nothing special compared to ace Josh Beckett’s 20 win season.  However, he did break the Sox rookie strikeout record with 201.

If his season performance was mediocre, the start of Dice K’s first MLB playoffs was abysmal.  He did not make it through 5 innings in either of his first two starts.  In his second start, against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, he was past the 100-pitch count by 4 and 2/3 innings.  Pretty pathetic from a player who, at 18, was pitching consecutive complete games.  Matsuzaka did begin turning his performance around at the end of the ALCS, winning Game 7 against the Indians and putting the Sox through to the World Series.  He won Game 3 of the Championship, in which he got his first Major League hit, a two-run single off Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg.  Matsuzaka put his name up with two other legends with his two RBIs, being the one of only three Sox pitchers to do so in the World Series.  His name is now up there with former Sox uber-legends Babe Ruth and Cy Young. 

This season, although Josh Beckett (5-3) is considered the Sox ace, Daisuke is doing much better, with an undefeated 7-0 record and a solid 2.15 ERA.  Next year, hopefully Dice K will get the title of ace, which he clearly deserves much more.                             

*UHOH!  Dice-K was injured in his start against the Seattle Mariners yesterday, May 27.

Dustin Pedroia

 

            He’s the current Boston Red Sox second baseman.  He helped lead the Sox through the American League Championship Series last season.  He has some of the most dynamic plays of the Sox infielders. 

            Ladies and gentlemen, he is Dustin Pedroia.  The short Arizona State graduate has done a lot in his two years of Major League Baseball.  Pedroia is a consistent, skilled player who has been a valuable asset to the Red Sox team.

He has his roots in California, where he played for the Woodland High School.  At ASU, Dustin played three years of baseball, during which time he never batted below .347, an impressive stat.  After being drafted by the Red Sox in 2004, Dustin played two years in the minor leagues with a batting average of .308.  He got his first Major League appearance and hit on August 22^nd of 2006.  His first MLB home run was hit September 9^th.  Pedroia played 39 games during the ’06-’07 season as a backup 2^nd baseman, and occasionally shortstop.

His college and minor league stats led many to believe that the prospect player’s Major League career would be just as good.  However, when he began his career as a starting 2^nd baseman in 2007, his hitting was shaky.  His average often dropped below .200, at its lowest .172.  He disappointed much of the fan base, and Alex Cora often got the start in place of the struggling star.  Although many fans were disappointed and disheartened by Pedroia’s playing, I had always thought he looked promising, even during his poor early season performance.

Fortunately, my faith paid off.  A little bit later in the season, Pedroia found his stride.  At the start of May, his batting average was the low, low .172.  However, by mid-May he had turned it on and raised his average up to .322.  Highlights from his improvement time include a 13-game hitting streak and a five hit game against the San Francisco Giants.  His bat was not the only outstanding part of his game last season.  The reason I remained so faithful to Pedroia was that, even while he struggled at the plate, his fielding stayed strong.  He is one of the best consistent fielders I have seen in a while, with many sliding catches, diving plays for ground balls, and dramatic mid-air throws for the double play.  Dustin’s skill during his big turnaround was enough to get him the American League Player of the Week for May 28-June 3, and the May AL Rookie of the Month.  Pedroia was not only the Rookie of the Month, however….

Pedroia did pretty well in the playoffs, but he got better as time went on.  During the best-of-five ALDS, he only got 2 hits in the Sox three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  (An unnecessarily complex name, if you ask me.)  In the 7^th and final game of the ALCS, Pedroia helped the Sox secure the W with 5 RBIs coming from a 2-run homer and a bases clearing double.  Pedroia helped the Sox start off the World Series with a bang, becoming the first rookie and only the second player ever to hit a home run on the first pitch of the Championship.  He ended up batting .278 for the series, with 5 hits and 4 RBIs.  After the playoffs, it was revealed that Pedroia had been playing through the playoffs with a broken bone in his left hand.  His performance even with the fracture shows his determinacy and ability for the Red Sox.

Pedroia has been a valuable part of the Sox organization since joining the team.  He has been consistent in making plays, a good aspect of a player every manager should look for.  He has been doing well, not outstanding, but well in the ’08 season, and we can all look forward to many more years to come.        

Julio Lugo

 

            I’m going to start off on a negative:  Julio Lugo is not the best player on the Boston Red Sox.  When we first acquired him from the LA Dodgers during the off-season before the ’07 year, we had just been through several different shortstops since losing the former Sox legend NOMAH (that’s Nomar Garciaparra, for those of you who didn’t watch the disappointing 90’s-early 00’s Red Sox), including Championship player Orlando Cabrera, who was let go after the World Series, Edgar Renteria who the Sox paid to leave after a 30 error season, and defensive superstar (not so much offensive, however) Alex Gonzalez.

            At the start of the ’07 season, Lugo was less than good.  His defense was shaky at best, and his batting was terrible.  Sox manager Terry Francona had acquired Lugo in order to have a strong leadoff hitter, but soon Francona had moved the inconsistent shortstop to the bottom of the order because he struggled to get on base.  Throughout the season last year, Lugo recorded 19 errors and 82 strikeouts-many of which came in his 0 for 33 slump from June 15^th to July 3^rd.  At this point I had little faith in the surprisingly seasoned shortstop from the Dominican Republic.  I think columnist Tom Elitch put it best with his phrase, “Lugo for 4,” playing off Lugo’s common 0 for 4 batting stats.  He had played since being drafted by the Houston Astros in 2000, but at that time he was playing like a fresh rookie with no experience at all.  I know every player gets in slumps, like Big Papi did to start off this current season, but not reaching base in thirty-three at bats is pretty low.

            However, when Lugo did get on base, he was often a force to be reckoned with.  Last season he recorded just as many steals as at-bats he had during his slump: that’s right, an impressive 33 stolen bases.  The speedy shortstop also had 36 doubles.  Also, after his 0-33 slump, Julio turned it around with a 14-game hitting streak which raised his abysmal .136 batting average up to a decent, not great, .226.  He finished the ’07 season with an average of .237.  Not amazing, not terrible, just an average average.

            Julio Lugo helped out enough in the Red Sox playoffs last year on the way to the World Series.  He had 13 hits, including three doubles, and a stolen base with a .271 average.  This season, Lugo has been doing better, with a .283 average, 8 RBIs, and 30 hits.  Unfortunately, his defense is still only average, and he has 10 errors already this season.  Hopefully his D will undergo a change like his offense did last year.

                Now for some highlights in the last week:  Second baseman Dustin Pedroia had three hits in Saturday’s game against the Rays, rookie Brandon Moss had an appendectomy on the same day, and Jon Lester won another Sunday during the Celtics’ slaughter of Game 7, bringing the pitcher’s record to 2-2.  Next week, look out for two blogs coming your way.

 

 

 

 

 

Clay Buchholz

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz has started eight games in his career.  Of these games, he has pitched two complete.  In one of his complete games, he has pitched a no-hitter.

            Yeah.      

I was vacationing in York, Maine during the night of said no-hitter, September 1^st of last year, with my family and a friend.  We were walking around downtown York when my friend got a text message from someone back home which basically said, “I don’t wanna jinx it by telling you, but something big is happening in the Sox game.”  As big Red Sox fans, we finished up our ice creams and headed back to the hotel.  Upon turning on the crappy T.V. set, we saw this nobody pitcher, Clay Buchholz, pitching at the top of the ninth with two outs.  That wouldn’t have been too surprising, except that the score was 10-0, and when the television turned on, we heard Jerry Remy saying “This kid is one out away from a no-hitter!”  We were amazed.

Well, the rest is, as they say, history.  Buchholz got the no-hitter in only his second major league start, and Red Sox Nation was stunned by another rookie.  This was the number one play in Sporscenter’s Top 10 the next morning, and stupendous enough for Buchholz to be the AL Player of the Week, and the “This Year in Baseball” single game performance of the year.  In the 2007 season, Clay (what a goofy name) ended up 3-1, with 22 strikeouts and, of course, a no-hitter.

  Sports reporters predicted Buchholz could be the next big thing for the Sox.  This season, his record does not seem to live up to his amazing feats of last season.  He is 1-2, but his pitching has not had the best support from Red Sox offense.  For example, his second loss came against the Tampa Bay Rays (just Rays now, not Devil Rays) in a 2-1 ballgame in which he struck out 9.  His pitching allowed only 2 runs, but the Sox hitters couldn’t rally against one of the worst teams in baseball…Bummer.  And his first loss, against the Toronto Blue Jays, was a 2-10 painful loss, in which he only let in 3 earned runs, leading me to believe that the Sox “D” was not as proficient as it should be.  There were two errors by the infielders, and four earned runs by Sox “relief” pitcher Bryan Corey.  So much for a relief.  He did well in his win however, allowing no earned runs in an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers, along with 6 strikeouts.

Now for highlights of Sox rising stars from the last week: former cancer patient Jon Lester went eight shutout innings with six SO’s in a game won by Kevin Youkilis’s walk-off single.  Speed demon Jacoby Ellsbury has pushed his stolen base count up to eight, and added a triple to his stats.  Everyone’s favorite second baseman Dustin Pedroia is doing well, with a .313 batting average and a whopping 11 doubles, even more than the speedy Jacoby.  I’ll keep you posted with Sox newbies next week, when I take a deeper look at shortstop Julio Lugo.       

Jacoby Ellsbury, Pt. 2

 

Last season, Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp was injured late in June.  The World Champions-to-be made a good choice and brought up star Paw Sox player Jacoby Ellsbury.  The young Navajo was the number one prospect in Red Sox Nation at the time, and with a hit in his very first Major League game, he was already proving it.  However, three games later he made waves that affected the whole fan base.

  On July 2^nd, Ellsbury stole second base in a game against the Texas Rangers.  When their pitcher Brandon McCarthy threw a wild pitch, Jacoby took off and got to third.  But he didn’t stop there.  Disregarding 3^rd base coach DeMarlo Hale’s signs to stop, the speedy outfielder hustled straight home, scoring from second base in a play Sox Hall of Famer Johnny Pesky described as “the greatest single play I’ve ever seen in all my years in baseball.”  Pretty impressive for a kid fresh from the minors.

Jacoby has been doing just as much, if less stupendous, damage since then.  After six games with the Red Sox, he was transferred back down to the minors with Coco’s return to health.  In the fall when Major League teams’ rosters expanded to 40 players, Ellsbury was brought back up, and one day later he got his first Major League home run.  By the end of the regular season, Ellsbury had nine stolen bases, three homers, and seven doubles, all in only 116 at-bats.  Jacoby was named the Rookie of the Month for September, and with less than 130 at-bats in ’07, he still qualifies as a rookie this year.  He could be on his way to a Rookie of the Year award.

            In the postseason last year, Ellsbury shined.  When Crisp was struggling in the AL Championship Series, Jacoby was put back into the lineup.  In eleven games, Jacoby got two stolen bases, along with nine hits, including four doubles.  Two of these doubles came in the same inning, the third inning of game 3 of the World Series against Rockies pitcher Josh Fogg.  He was the first rookie, and only the second player, to get two doubles in the same inning of a World Series game.  And as if that wasn’t enough, he got another double in the 8^th.  He was one of only four rookies to ever accomplish this feat, and with a single as well, he became one of three to have four hits in a World Series game, and the first since 1946.  The fact that Ellsbury got two doubles in the same inning is a testament to not only his speed and consistency, but also the Red Sox’s skill to bat through the order in one inning.  Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury (cool middle name) is my favorite rookie in the MLB today.

            Now, it’s time for stats on the rising stars of the Sox so far this season.  Japanese legend Daisuke Matsuzaka is undefeated through three games, with his fourth coming tonight.  My man Dustin Pedroia has 23 hits this season, including five doubles.  Pitcher Clay Buchholz is not doing as well as I had hoped after his no-hitter last season, with an 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA.  Julio Lugo is not doing terrible, with sixteen hits and two doubles.  My Rookie of the Year, Jacoby, is doing very well, stealing four bases while getting nine hits and a home run.  Next week: meet pitcher Clay Buchholz.

 

Introduction and Jacoby Ellsbury, Pt. 1

As a freshman high school student in Massachusetts, I have been a fan of the Red Sox for most of my life.  At least, since I could talk.  I have suffered through the hardships of the 2003 ALDS, then a year later, the greatest comeback in sports history.  Of course, there was also last year when we sealed the deal with a second World Series win in 4 years, proving the 2004 Championship was not just a fluke. 

Last year was an exciting year for the Sox, with such amazing moments as the Mother’s Day Miracle, and Clay Buchholz’s no-hitter.  Fans met such (sometimes disappointing) new faces as Daisuke Matsuzaka, the legendary gyroball pitcher from Japan, new shortstop Julio Lugo, and rising star Dustin Pedroia.

 

In this blog, I will be displaying and discussing all the new players of the Boston Red Sox, and what makes each of them special.  I will try and highlight at least one “rising star” per entry, and each entry will contain stats on each of the new Sox.  Here’s a list of who you can expect to make appearances:

·         Jacoby Ellsbury

·         Dustin Pedroia

·         Clay Buchholz

·         J.D. Drew

·         Kevin Cash

·         Julio Lugo (what a disappointment)

·         And many more!

 

            The Sox are chock full of superstars who give the team its name, like Manny, Big Papi, and Curt Schilling (currently disabled).  But Ortiz doesn’t even play the field, and while Manny is doing great, he is not consistent, as we have seen in the past.  The new kids are often what carry the team.  For example, with Papi’s batting average lower than it’s ever been, J.D. Drew has turned it on, leading the Sox with three homers.  Meanwhile Jacoby Ellsbury is taking Coco Crisp’s place in centerfield for Sunday’s big game against the Yankees.  Also second year pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is taking the mound against the Yanks, with three wins under his belt already this season.  Let’s make it four, Dice-K.

           

            Okay, time for the first half of a player spotlight.  This week I take a look at young Jacoby Ellsbury’s beginnings in the Major Leagues.  Last year when center fielder Coco Crisp was injured, the Sox called up a young Navajo Native American from their minor league team, the Paw Sox.  Jacoby Ellsbury became the newest sensation to affect the Red Sox Nation.  The young man from Oregon had already torn up the minor leagues with his blinding speed, and there was even more to come in the Majors.  Ellsbury was named by the Sox as Minor League Base-runner and Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, the year before he was called up.  In 2007, he was the number one prospect in Red Sox Nation, and Terry Francona clearly noticed.  When Coco got injured late in June ’07, Jacoby was brought up to the Majors June 30^th, and got his first Major League hit.  Right off the bat, (excuse the baseball pun) Jacoby was making things happen.  But there was much more to come….  Stay tuned for the next blog entry for more on Ellsbury.