Untitled Page

Jacoby Ellsbury News & Rumors

Good news for Jacoby, may avoid surgery
April 18
Boston Herald
 
"Since the fourth inning last Friday, when Jacoby Ellsbury had his right shoulder crunched under the weight of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Reid Brignac, the Red Sox have held out hope that their Gold Glove center fielder wouldn't require surgery. Yesterday, they finally were able to uncross their fingers. The results of Ellsbury's MRI exam were sent to Los Angeles and reviewed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum, who concurred with the Sox medical staff's diagnosis of a shoulder subluxation, or partial dislocation."
Ellsbury on DL; no timetable for return
April 15
Boston Globe
 
"The Red Sox placed Jacoby Ellsbury on the 15-day disabled list Saturday after the 28-year-old center fielder suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder in Friday's Opening Day romp over the Rays at Fenway Park. The Sox would not say how long Ellsbury would be out, but this kind of an injury typically requires 6-8 weeks. In a statement, the team said only, "We are in the process of gathering further information and determining the treatment plan.'' Manager Bobby Valentine said, "We'll try to get him back as soon as possible with the best possible care known to man. I haven't heard the word 'surgery' mentioned, but like I said, whatever the best possible care is, that's what he'll get.''"
Red Sox place Jacoby Ellsbury on 15-day disabled list
April 14
Boston Globe
 
"The Red Sox officially placed Jacoby Ellsbury on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon. Here's the statement from the team: "Jacoby injured his right shoulder during yesterday's game. An MRI was performed and showed findings consistent with a subluxed shoulder. We are in the process of gathering further information and determining the treatment plan. Jacoby will be placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to today's game." Bobby Valentine said he has not heard the word "surgery" in the team's discussions about Ellsbury. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are probably not done with their roster juggling. The team will carry 13 pitchers today but it sounds like outfielder Jason Repko will be"
What's up, Jacoby Ellsbury?
April 14
Boston Herald
 columnist Steve Buckley
"From the moment that grimace appeared on Jacoby Ellsbury's face yesterday, all the pomp and pageantry of the traditional Fenway Park home opener was wiped off the books. Yes, it was wonderful that the newly retired tandem of Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek stepped out to co-deliver the first pitch of the season. But what about Ellsbury? It was nice that catching those first pitches were Red Sox legends Dewey Evans and Jim Rice. But what about Ellsbury? And, yes, absolutely it brought tears to your eyes when 92-year-old Johnny Pesky ended the pregame show with his announcement that it was time to "Play ball!" But what about Ellsbury? "I saw the shortstop come down on his shoulder, and it"
Ellsbury dislocates shoulder
April 14
Boston Herald
 
"It had all the pomp of a Fenway Park opener, from the American flag draped over the Green Monster to the twin first pitches thrown by retired Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek. And it produced a lopsided victory for a Red Sox team that needed one in the worst way. But it also featured a look the Sox hoped never to see again from Jacoby Ellsbury. It was a grimace reminiscent of when Ellsbury broke five ribs in an April 11, 2010, collision with then-teammate Adrian Beltre. Ellsbury missed all but 18 games that season, and without their leadoff-hitting Gold Glove center fielder, the Red Sox missed the playoffs. So, when Ellsbury walked off the field, his right arm pinned to his chest, in the"
Carl Crawford looks to Jacoby Ellsbury for inspiration
March 23
Boston Herald
 
"Quick, name the Red Sox player: He arrived at camp to questions about his health, his ability to play in Boston, and whether he'd ever reach his potential here. Carl Crawford, right? Well, yes. But a year ago, we were saying the same things about Jacoby Ellsbury. And then he basically punched every doubter in the face with a monster season that nearly won him the MVP."
Sox trio has some Hall of Fame traits
February 29
Boston Herald
 
"Do Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury have a chance of one day being enshrined in the Hall of Fame? Before getting to that, let's pose another question: What do Mo Vaughn, Nomar Garciaparra, Don Mattingly and Tony Oliva have in common? Beyond the obvious — they were major league baseball players — they all seemed at one point in their careers to be destined for Cooperstown. We assumed they'd finish their playing days, serve the mandatory five-year waiting period, then get the Hall call. Vaughn, after five full seasons in the majors, had an MVP Award and had finished in the top 20 in the voting three other times. He had three 100-RBI seasons and was a two-time All-Star."
Jacoby Ellsbury a leading man for Valentine
February 27
Boston Herald
 
"Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was working in the media last year, but not to the degree that he was one of those jet-laggy, in-the-trenches baseball writers who gets a vote for Most Valuable Player. And if he did get a vote? No more calls, we have a winner. Jacoby Ellsbury. "I thought he was the MVP, personally," Valentine said yesterday. "I just thought his year was phenomenal, from the Opening Day that I saw in Texas. His swing was so consistently good. His defense was terrific. "And the numbers speak for themselves. How do you get those numbers? It's an amazing body of work, how you fill those columns.""
Jacoby Ellsbury deal a fast topic
February 27
Boston Herald
 
"In 2010, Jacoby Ellsbury played only 18 games because of cracked ribs. In 2011, the center fielder had one of the best seasons ever by a leadoff hitter and was runner-up in the American League MVP voting. Manager Bobby Valentine can't recall a better rags-to-riches tale. "I'm stumped," Valentine said. "If he's not totally unique, he's in a real small sample." Yet the Red Sox never talked about a long-term deal for Ellsbury this winter, instead going through the arbitration process and settling on a one-year, $8.05 million contract. But after the team's workout yesterday, Ellsbury said he would consider signing a multiyear contract in the upcoming years."
Ellsbury: Long-term deal 'always possibility'
February 26
WEEI Boston
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury and the Red Sox did not engage in conversation about a long-term deal this offseason, coming off a year in which he was the runner-up in the AL MVP race while hitting .321 with a .376 OBP, .552 slugging mark, .928 OPS, 32 homers, 39 steals and 105 RBI. Instead, he and the Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $8.05 million deal for 2012. That said, Ellsbury suggested that while he was deferring to agent Scott Boras to deal with contract talks with the Sox going forward, he would be open to the idea of signing to stay with the Sox beyond the 2013 season, after which he will be eligible for free agency."
Donut doubt Jacoby Ellsbury will produce again
February 24
Boston Herald
 columnist Steve Buckley
"Jacoby Ellsbury was in uniform and quickly out the door yesterday morning, ready to put in a full day's work at JetBlue Park, the swanky new spring training home of the Red Sox. Running? Hitting? Throwing? Try acting. Ellsbury's full day of work — and, honestly, he wasn't finished until late in the afternoon — was devoted to filming a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts. The pairing could not have been better. Dunkin' Donuts made its name in New England — its first store opened in Quincy — and then went national."
Tough call on Jacoby Ellsbury
February 23
Boston Herald
 
"It will be several weeks before Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine settles on an Opening Day lineup. And odds are, he will use multiple batting orders throughout the season. One question he must answer: Where to bat Jacoby Ellsbury? Ellsbury's speed makes him a prototypical leadoff hitter. But he posted MVP-like numbers last season, including 32 home runs, 105 RBI and a .552 slugging percentage, production that would be well-suited for the middle of the order. "The only thing we can define is that in 162 games, he would definitely hit 162 times with no one on base if he's the leadoff hitter," Valentine said. "That has to be considered if, in fact, we wanted to give him a chance to have those"
Ellsbury back in fold, Ortiz still on hold
January 18
Boston Herald
 
"The Red Sox were 1-for-2 with their big arbitration candidates yesterday. First, they signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a one-year, $8.05 million deal that justifiably more than triples their all-everything center fielder's salary. Then, they failed to reach an agreement with designated hitter David Ortiz [stats], who didn't mess around when it came time to exchange figures with the team. According to CBS Sports, Ortiz asked for $16.5 million, while the Sox countered with just a modest raise from last year's $12.5 million salary to $12.65 million. Hearings don't begin until Feb.?1, and the sides are free to continue negotiating until then, but the gulf between them certainly suggests they'll have"
Sox agree on $8m deal with Ellsbury
January 17
Boston Herald
 
"The Red Sox announced today that they have reached one-year deals with Jacoby Ellsbury and infielder Mike Aviles. According to a major league source, Ellsbury will earn $8.05 million, while Aviles will get $1.2 million. That leaves four players without contracts: Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Andrew Bailey and David Ortiz. If the team and players can't reach an agreement shortly, they'll exchange arbitration figures this afternoon. But they'll remain able to negotiate until a hearing. Hearings begin on Feb. 1."
Ellsbury, Papi in line for healthy raises
January 17
Boston Herald
 
"The deadline for teams and players to exchange arbitration figures is today, and the Red Sox should prepare for a couple of cases of sticker shock. David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury are among the eight Sox who remain eligible for arbitration, and both are coming off All-Star seasons, which should lead to considerable raises. It should be noted that today's deadline merely is to exchange figures. The two sides can continue negotiating before hearings take place in February. Under previous general manager Theo Epstein, the Red Sox did not take a single case before an arbitrator in nine years. New GM Ben Cherington no doubt would like that streak to continue."
Jacoby Ellsbury gets recognition
November 22
Boston Herald
 
"When he left for spring training in February, Jacoby Ellsbury vowed to his trainers that he would be back in Arizona to play in the All-Star Game. Turns out, he achieved greater honors than that. Ellsbury finished a strong second in the American League MVP balloting, announced yesterday by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander won the award, gaining 13-of-28 first-place votes and 280 overall points and edging Ellsbury, who got four first-place votes, 13 second-place votes and 242 points."
Ellsbury finds out MVP fate today
November 21
Boston Herald
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury finds out today if he was the best player in the American League last season. The Most Valuable Player award will be announced at 3 p.m., and the speedy center fielder coming off one of the greatest all-around seasons in club history has a legitimate chance at winning. Ellsbury hit .321 with 32 homers and 105 RBI, led the league in total bases (364), posted a .928 OPS, stole 39 bases and earned an All-Star spot, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He also became the second leadoff hitter in history to drive in 100 runs, joining the Angels' Darin Erstad, who accomplished the feat in 2000."
Jacoby Ellsbury returns to glory
October 14
Boston Herald
 
"Even as the Red Sox season spiraled down the toilet, Jacoby Ellsbury was a bright spot, cementing his MVP status with a stellar September. Yesterday, the center fielder continued to shine amid the chaos. Ellsbury was named American League Comeback Player of the Year in a vote of reporters from MLB.com. He also is a leading candidate for the AL MVP award, which was voted on after the regular season and will be unveiled next month. After playing in only 18 games in 2010 due to cracked ribs, Ellsbury batted .321 with 212 hits, 32 home runs, 105 RBI, 46 doubles, 119 runs, 39 stolen bases, a .376 on-base percentage and a .552 slugging percentage. He also led the majors with 364 total bases and"
Berkman, Ellsbury earn Comeback awards
October 13
MLB.com
 
"All-Star outfielders Lance Berkman of the Cardinals and Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox were named the winners of the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year Awards on Thursday, as the annual rollout of Major League Baseball's individual hardware got under way. Berkman, 35, recaptured the form he showed for many seasons in Houston, and he is a key reason why St. Louis is in the midst of a National League Championship Series battle against Milwaukee. He hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs, a .412 on-base percentage and a .547 slugging percentage, after batting a combined .248 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs between the Astros and Yankees last season. He ranked among the NL leaders in homers (tied"
Jacoby Ellsbury all alone in OF
October 6
Boston Herald
 
"The Red Sox are expecting a lot better out of their outfield next year, and that's even if MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury repeats his breakout season. The fact is, as good as Ellsbury was in center field, the rest of the Red Sox outfield was that bad. Carl Crawford underachieved pretty shockingly in his Red Sox debut, but at least the left fielder's track record suggests he'll be a solid bounce-back candidate. Right fielder J.D. Drew, meanwhile, played out the final year of his contract and might retire. Whatever he decides, his career here almost certainly is finished."
A.J. Burnett stellar, Jacoby Ellsbury earns Red Sox split with Yankees in Sunday's Bronx twin bill
September 26
New York Daily News
 
"A.J. Burnett and his uneven season has been a skull-splitter for Yankee brass all year. Now, for a change, Burnett is hoping he has given Joe Girardi what the pitcher described as "a good headache." One day after Freddy Garcia had a boffo audition, Burnett was superb Sunday against the desperate Red Sox in the opener of a day-night doubleheader at the Stadium, giving Girardi plenty to think about when the manager constructs the postseason rotation beyond CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova. Before Sunday, Burnett had been winless against Boston as a Yankee, but he was the star of a 6-2 victory in Game 1, allowing only two runs and five hits in 7-2/3 innings. He got a standing ovation from the"
Home run, but no trot for Jacoby Ellsbury
September 20
Boston Herald
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury was hoping his blast in the seventh inning last night would clear the center field fence for a home run. The ball came up just short, deflecting off the railing of the Red Sox bullpen. As the ball caromed toward left-center, Ellsbury still was able to achieve the desired result. "When I hit (it), I was hoping it was going to get out, and once I saw it hit the wall I saw it carom and I thought I had a pretty good shot at getting an inside-the-park home run," Ellsbury said following the Sox' 18-9 win against Baltimore in the nightcap of a doubleheader. "And when I saw (third base coach Tim Bogar) waving me, I knew it was going to happen." Ellsbury coasted across the plate"
Leading role
September 1
Boston Globe
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury had played 237 games at Fenway Park without hitting a ball over the famed Green Monster in left field. A lefthanded hitter, Ellsbury's power has been to right field and occasionally center. So when he walked to the plate in the sixth inning last night, hitting a ball that would clear the wall may have been the last thing on his mind. "I've done it in batting practice,'' Ellsbury said. "Not in games.'' But this has been a season of new beginnings and first times for Ellsbury. With the Red Sox needing a hit to take the lead against the Yankees, he drove a Boone Logan fastball deep into the night. It sailed over the wall into the waiting hands of man in a green shirt. That fan"
Opposite field attracts
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Ready to be terrified, pitchers of the American League? Jacoby Ellsbury's still evolving. He's still getting better. And each night brings a seemingly new way he can beat you. The player who might be the best MVP candidate in a clubhouse full of them took his game to yet another level last night against the New York Yankees, going 2-for-5 with a double and the first opposite-field home run of his career, a tie-breaking two-run shot in the sixth inning that lifted the Red Sox [team stats] to a 9-5 victory at Fenway Park [map]. Ellsbury's homer, off a 3-1 fastball from left-handed reliever Boone Logan, was a thing of beauty. After laying off a pair of sliders, Ellsbury ripped a low and away"
Jacoby Ellsbury delivers
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"It was a swing, in a situation, that turns All-Stars into MVPs. Tie game, sixth inning, two outs, first place on the line last night at Fenway Park [map], and Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] unloaded on a fastball from a stingy lefty reliever. The ball landed in the front row of the Monster seats and gave the Red Sox [team stats] a two-run lead in a see-saw, 9-5 win that assured they will retain the division lead after this three-game series against the Yankees concludes tonight. It was a continuation of everything Ellsbury has done all season, which is to say, absolutely everything. But given the timing and the opponent, it also was downright MVP-like. "There's nothing he can't do on a baseball"
Yankees' Phil Hughes struggles, reliever Boone Logan gives up key HR to Jacoby Ellsbury in 9-5 loss
September 1
New York Daily News
 
"Even when he's off his game, Josh Beckett can still beat the Yankees. The Bombers had their best performance of the season against the Red Sox ace, but Phil Hughes and the Yankees' bullpen couldn't make those runs stand up as Boston pulled off a 9-5 win to give them a split of the first two games of the three-game series at Fenway Park. Hughes pitched better than his final line indicated, but he didn't make the pitches when he needed to. Hughes allowed six runs on eight hits in 5-2/3 innings, walking two and striking out four. Boone Logan served up a two-run home run by Jacoby Ellsbury that proved to be the game-winner. David Ortiz and Jason Varitek also went deep for the Red Sox, who have"
Theo saved Ellsbury from Gonzalez trade
August 29
Boston Herald
 columnist John Tomase
"It's hard to envision the 2011 Red Sox [team stats] without Adrian Gonzalez. He has anchored the middle of the lineup. It might be even harder to picture the Sox without Jacoby Ellsbury [stats], their five-tool center fielder who's one of the most exciting players in the game. Had things gone differently last winter, they could have been traded for each other. When the Red Sox and San Diego Padres began discussing the parameters of a Gonzalez deal after the season, one of the first names that came up was Ellsbury's. Padres general manager Jed Hoyer knew what Ellsbury could do from his days as one of Theo Epstein's top lieutenants. Even after Ellsbury missed most of 2010, Hoyer recognized a"
Ellsbury right back on track
August 25
Boston Globe
 
"The season's first three games were a small sample of Jacoby Ellsbury's enormous talent and potential. He hit .250 (3 for 12) with two RBIs, a double, and a home run in that season-opening, three-game nightmare back in April here at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, where the Red Sox lost by a combined score of 26-11. But it was only three games. "I mean, we don't put too much stock in three games,'' Ellsbury said. "We know if we play good baseball, good things will happen.'' Things such as last night's 13-2 romp over the Rangers before a sullen crowd of 30,724, who watched the Sox pound out 16 hits, including two-run homers by Ellsbury (No. 23) in the sixth inning, Carl Crawford (No. 9) in"
Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez lead Red Sox past Rangers
August 24
Boston Herald
 
"The Red Sox [team stats] were more than happy to welcome back two things to the lineup last night: a) Jacoby Ellsbury. b) The power of Adrian Gonzalez. And considering they were facing their new nemesis, the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, the return of both was a sight for the Red Sox' sore eyes, not to mention an immediate boost to the offense, in an 11-5 victory. It was 103 degrees at gametime, still 97 in the ninth inning, but it would've felt even steamier if the Sox had lost again to the Rangers. But with Ellsbury back in his customary leadoff spot and Gonzalez bashing two homers, the visitors posted a double-digit run total for the first time since Aug. 6 against the New York Yankees"
Playing it safe with Ellsbury
August 21
Boston Globe
 
"The Red Sox are being extraordinarily cautious with Jacoby Ellsbury, who was hit in the back by a fastball in the eighth inning Friday night. The center fielder was taken for an X-ray after the game and yesterday had an MRI to confirm that he suffered nothing more than a bruise. Ellsbury did not play in last night's 9-4 loss against the Royals and is not expected to play this afternoon. "We'll give him another day for sure,'' manager Terry Francona said. "Pretty sore, he's moving around OK. He's trying to rally a little bit . . . I told him he wasn't going to play.''"
Beanball bruise benches Jacoby
August 21
Boston Herald
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury stood at his corner locker in the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium and took questions about an injury that is keeping him out of the Red Sox' lineup. It all seemed too familiar. And so, rather than go into great detail about his bruised back or the MRI exam he received late Friday night, Ellsbury instead said yesterday only that he felt "sore," that the test results "came out how we thought" and that there was "no need to overanalyze" the situation. Ellsbury didn't play last night and will sit again in today's series finale against the Royals. But the Red Sox doubt he will miss much more than that after being hit in the back by an 88-mph fastball from Royals reliever"
Jacoby Ellsbury's house of horrors
August 20
Boston Herald
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury can't become a free agent until 2013, but we already can cross one potential destination off his list — Kansas City. Recent Fenway Park visitor and world's richest man Carlos Slim could buy the Royals and offer Ellsbury $1 billion and he'd say no. Not even Scott Boras could stop him. Kauffman Stadium is his personal Bermuda Triangle, his own private Amityville horror. A murder of crows circle the field every time he come here, because good things do not happen. Last night, Ellsbury added to his heartland tale of woe. First he got drilled pretty much right on his spine by a sidearm offering from left-hander Everett Teaford, whose name reads like an invitee to the royal"
Jacoby Ellsbury keeps power on
August 17
Boston Herald
 
"For a leadoff man who is supposed to get on base and score runs, Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] has more than proven his versatility to the Red Sox [team stats] and all of baseball this season. And yesterday's 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a doubleheader provided just another example. Ellsbury continued his season for the ages, sending James Shields' 1-1 changeup over the visitors bullpen in the third inning. The three-run blast was Ellsbury's 21st home run of the year and enough to put the Red Sox back on the right track after coming into the game having lost three of their last four. "I was just looking for a pitch I could drive," Ellsbury said. "He gave me a curveball"
3's company for MVP
August 16
Boston Herald
 
"After watching his team face the Red Sox six times in the past 25 days, Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has an equitable solution for choosing the American League's MVP. Split the award three ways. With seven weeks remaining in the regular season, it's impossible to identify the top player for the Red Sox, no less the league. Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury and, most recently, Dustin Pedroia have merited such recognition, and they have done so in their own ways. Gonzalez is the consummate hitter with intelligence and a picture-perfect swing that have been the talk of the league. Ellsbury is the dynamic athlete capable of changing a game with his speed or his emerging"
Red-hot Ellsbury puts gloomy 2010 behind him
August 7
New York Post
 columnist Mike Vaccaro
"You never know what happens when the dark clouds start to form. One day, for instance, Chien-Ming Wang was going to be an anchor of the Yankees rotation for years to come, with back-to-back 19-win seasons and one of the most unhittably hard sinkers in baseball; the next day, he hurts his foot, and then his shoulder, and he spends two years out of baseball, and when he returns he's throwing room-service fastballs to feasting big league hitters. "Young, developing players," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said last night. "You just have no idea how they'll be able to respond to adversity, especially injuries." He was shaking his head as he said this, because he was talking about Jacoby"
Ellsbury enjoying the spotlight
August 7
Boston Globe
 
"Most of the Red Sox conduct interviews by their locker after the game. But those players who command a large gathering of reporters go to the center of the room in front of the television because there is more space. That's often where you'll find David Ortiz after games. Today, Jacoby Ellsbury had that real estate. If you wanted Big Papi, he was over at his locker. Ellsbury belted a home run and drove in six runs to help the Red Sox to a 10-4 victory against the Yankees. That's a good reason for a big press conference, don't you think? "It seems like we're talking about him a lot," Terry Francona said. "The reason is because he's doing so many good things." Ellsbury is hitting .321 with"
Jacoby Ellsbury adds to breakout year with 6-RBI game
August 7
Boston Herald
 
"Two days ago, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was asked his thoughts on the Red Sox' potent offense. In particular, he singled out one player: Jacoby Ellsbury. "Ellsbury has had a tremendous year for them," Girardi said. "I think he's been a big difference in their lineup." Indeed, Ellsbury is emerging as a superstar, a status he reaffirmed with a career-high six RBI in yesterday's 10-4 pounding of the Yankees. The Red Sox' leadoff-hitting catalyst notched two hits, including a game-breaking three-run homer against Yankees ace lefty CC Sabathia in a five-run fifth inning. It was a continuation of what teammate Carl Crawford recently called "a dream season." Ellsbury is batting .321 with 31"
Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury emerging as an American League MVP candidate, proves worthy vs. Yankees
August 7
New York Daily News
 
"His All-Star selection was acknowledgment that he'd raised his game. Now there seems to be a movement to include Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury in the AL MVP race. It's hard to argue, because lately it seems whenever the Red Sox win, he is the biggest reason. Ellsbury went 2-for-4 with a career-high six RBI in Saturday's 10-4 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park . It capped a week in which he also had a pair of walkoff hits, including a home run to dead center to beat Cleveland on Wednesday. The Red Sox were concerned after injuries limited him to 18games in 2010, but manager Terry Francona had to admit, "I was wrong." Ellsbury capped a five-run fourth inning with a"
Ellsbury sparkles in encore
August 4
Boston Globe
 
"The meteoric trajectory of Jacoby Ellsbury's 2011 All-Star season - a year of years, to be certain - seemed to follow the same arc of the first walkoff home run of his career in the ninth inning of last night's 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. After driving in Jarrod Saltalamacchia with a walkoff single in Tuesday night's 3-2 victory, Ellsbury made it a smashing encore performance last night before 38,172 at Fenway Park. Only this time, he did the honors himself."
Jacoby Ellsbury shows off star power
August 4
Boston Herald
 
"Of all the story lines marking the 2011 Red Sox season — and there are a ton — one has emerged by far as the most compelling. The birth of Jacoby Ellsbury as a superstar. No disrespect to Josh Beckett regaining his mojo, Adrian Gonzalez taking Boston by storm, David Ortiz hitting bombs or Dustin Pedroia producing what might be his best all-around season. Ellsbury has simply been electrifying, and last night he put a charge into Fenway Park like a hail of lightning. His second straight walkoff hit dwarfed the single that beat the Indians a night earlier. The laser of a home run he hit into the center field seats put an exclamation point on what has already been a magical season in a 4-3"
Ellsbury's walk-off single lifts Boston over Cleveland Indians, 3-2
August 3
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 columnist: Paul Hoynes
"Sometimes it doesn't matter how good you pitch. It really doesn't. Left-hander David Huff turned in his third straight solid start Tuesday night, but was still optioned to Class AAA Columbus to make room for right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who joins the team today. Huff was a bit perplexed by the move, but in returning to Columbus he'll do so with the knowledge that he did his job and that he's a different pitcher than the one who fell from grace last season. Huff pitched five strong innings and left with a 2-1 lead against Boston. The Indians lost the lead and the game, 3-2, on Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single with one out in the ninth inning. Jason Varitek started the rally with a single"
No waiting around
July 24
Boston Herald
 
"Jacoby Ellsbury was tired of waiting. The last time Josh Beckett pitched, the Red Sox waited eight more innings after Beckett's eight innings to score a run in their 1-0 16-inning win against Tampa Bay. Last night, the Red Sox came up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh not only down one run but also scoreless. On top of his game this season in a way few players ever get, Ellsbury personally put a stop to the waiting game. Ellsbury's two-run single with two strikes and two outs in the seventh propelled the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Mariners. The victory — the 1,000th of Terry Francona's regular-season managerial career — was the Red Sox' sixth in eight games coming out of the"
Jacoby Ellsbury continues in overdrive
July 23
Boston Herald
 
"Speed at the top of the batting order is essential. Power at that spot is a bonus. Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury [stats] provided plenty of both in last night's 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park [map]. Ellsbury broke a 1-1 tie when he jacked a Felix Hernandez fastball over the Sox bullpen in the third inning for his 16th of the season. Ellsbury previous season high for homers was nine in 2008. He has hit seven home runs in July. The last Sox center fielder to hit seven homers in a month was Carl Everett in June 2000. "It felt good leaving the bat and I knew it was gone when I hit it," said Ellsbury, who finished 2-for-5 with a"
Theo Epstein: Red Sox would like to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury with a long-term deal
July 22
Boston Globe
 
"Theo Epstein did an interview on WEEI this morning. There were three notable answers. On signing Jacoby Ellsbury long term: "Yeah, I think with all of our young players that we see as core members of our organization that is something we are interested in. We certainly see Jacoby as that. This certainly isn't the right forum to talk about it as conversations are always between closed doors, but it is not a secret that we have sat down and tried in the past and tried to lock Jacoby up in the past, and we will sit down in the future and try and do it again at the appropriate time. He is somebody that we have believed in as a core, young member in the organization that we look to keep around."
Epstein looks to future
July 22
Boston Globe
 
"A day after Jacoby Ellsbury hit two home runs to help beat the Orioles, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein reiterated the team's desire to sign the 27-year-old center fielder to a long-term contract. "I think with all of our young players that we see as core members of our organization that is something we are interested in,'' Epstein told WEEI yesterday. "We certainly see Jacoby as that . . . It is not a secret that we have sat down and tried in the past and tried to lock Jacoby up in the past, and we will sit down in the future and try and do it again at the appropriate time.'' There are obstacles to such a deal. The Sox have made it an organizational philosophy that long-term deals"
Epstein reiterates long-term interest in Ellsbury
July 21
MLB.com
 
"The Red Sox remain interested in signing center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a multiyear extension, general manager Theo Epstein said Thursday in a Boston radio interview. Epstein, speaking on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show, said the organization has previously attempted to sign Ellsbury and still hopes to do so in the near future. "Yeah, I think with all our young players that we see as core members of the organization, that's something that we're interested in, and we certainly see Jacoby as that," Epstein said."
Empowered Jacoby Ellsbury teeing off
July 21
Boston Herald
 columnist Ron Borges
"Jacoby Ellsbury took a page out of John Daly's approach to ball striking yesterday. Ellsbury gripped it and ripped it. The Red Sox' hot-hitting resident leadoff man made like a cleanup hitter at Camden Yards on a sun-drenched afternoon, hitting two bombs in a 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that ended a six-game road trip on a steamy but positive note. Ellsbury was as hot as the sticky, 95-degree weather, homering in the third and seventh innings off Orioles starter Jake Arrieta to push his average to .316 and lift his home run total to a career-high 15, even though power is not supposed to be his specialty. By trade, Ellsbury is supposed to be a guy who gets on base, not trots"
Boras doesn't expect to talk Ellsbury contract until after season
July 12
Boston Herald
 
"Anyone hoping to see Jacoby Ellsbury locked up to one of those surprise extensions the Red Sox have reached with a number of their best young players should stop holding their breath. "These things are offseason discussions," Ellsbury's agent, Scott Boras, said this afternoon. "Whenever people ask me midseason about contracts, you have to make sure the player finishes the season. Only then is it the right point. Boston and us work well together, we always have. Jacoby's got another (two years) there after this. I can really only say I'm not the one who's the father of contract offers. I just receive them and pass them on to players when they come. "Where we're at now, I can't say always,"
Jacoby Ellsbury's long story
July 8
Boston Herald
 
"Having already staked his claim as the best leadoff hitter in the game, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury seems to be setting his sights on the game's sluggers. He did his best David Ortiz [stats] impersonation in the sixth inning last night, turning on a Jason Berken slider and launching it over Pesky's Pole and deep into the right field grandstands. On a night full of impressive home runs — the Red Sox blasted six in a 10-4 victory against the Orioles — Ellsbury's was the most jaw-dropping. "He stayed inside the ball and kept it fair," said Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez, who blasted a solo home run in the fifth. "On a slider inside, that's hard. Real hard. Most of the time when you see a"