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Andrew Clevenger / The Bulletin
Jacoby Ellsbury gets in some batting practice before Wednesdayís game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Ellsbury thrives as a Yankee
By Andrew Clevenger
The Bulletin
Published Aug 16, 2014 at 12:01AM
BALTIMORE — For some athletes, the spotlight shines a little too brightly in New York, but Madras
native Jacoby Ellsbury has made the transition from the Red Sox to the Yankees seem as effortless
as tracking down a lazy fly ball to the outfield.
After seven years patrolling center field in Fenway Park, Ellsbury signed as a free agent with the
Yankees in December, agreeing to a seven­year, $153 million contract with the Red Sox’s division
rivals.
Ellsbury downplayed the rivalry when asked about changing teams before a recent game in
Baltimore. Both the Yankees and Red Sox are intensely focused on getting to the postseason and
winning the World Series, with devout fan bases that expect success, he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s still baseball,” he said.

2. As a Yankee, Ellsbury has flashed the mix of speed and power that made him an All­Star in 2011, the
year he finished second place in voting for the American League’s Most Valuable Player award.
Going into Friday’s action, Ellsbury leads his team with 31 steals, which ranks second in the
American League. He is tied for the team lead in runs batted in with 52.
Affable and unassuming, Ellsbury has an air of quiet confidence about him.
It makes sense that he appears totally unfazed by the added scrutiny that comes with playing in New
York.
“I’ve always liked playing when it counts. I’ve always enjoyed that,” he said.
Ellsbury learned to handle big­time pressure while he was still at Madras High School, where he
lettered in five sports. Pro scouts took notice and began showing up at his games, and he was
drafted in the 23rd round by the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school.
Instead, Ellsbury enrolled at Oregon State University, where in 2005 he helped lead the Beavers to
their first College World Series appearance in more than half a century. Baseball America named him
an All­American, and the Red Sox drafted him in the first round in 2005 with the 23rd overall pick.
Ellsbury remains a loyal supporter of the Oregon State baseball program. In June, he pledged $1
million to the school as part of a multimillion dollar effort to update the baseball team’s facilities.
Ellsbury’s parents, Jim and Margie, still live in Central Oregon. Ellsbury, the eldest of four sons, tries
to get back to Oregon at least once every offseason.
“It’s just a special place in my heart,” he said.
Kelsey, his wife, is also an Oregon native. The pair met while they were undergrads at OSU, and
married in 2012.
At 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds, Ellsbury has added 10 pounds of muscle since he burst into Major
League Baseball as a young speedster in 2007. Ellsbury immediately became an impact player, and
was named the American League Rookie of the Month for September. He played his way onto the
Red Sox postseason roster, and went on to hit .360 during the playoffs, including .438 during the
World Series, which saw Boston sweep the Colorado Rockies in four games.
“It happened so fast,” Ellsbury said. “You get called up, in that short time period get put on the
postseason roster, and the next thing you know you’re hoisting up a World Series trophy.”

3. Although Boston made the playoffs again in 2008 and 2009, the Red Sox did not return to the World
Series until last year, when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.
“You realize, looking back, how hard it is to get to that position,” Ellsbury said. “I feel very fortunate
and proud to (have been) a part of that team. Then you go the next few years, not winning it, not
getting to the postseason, and you realize how hard it is to get there, no matter how good a team you
have.”
Last year’s championship was extra special because of the way the city came together after the
Boston Marathon bombing earlier that year, he said.
“We just wanted to go out there and play hard and represent the city the best we could,” he said.
Now Ellsbury has turned his focus to winning with the Yankees, where fans expect the team to reach
the postseason every year.
“It’s kind of expected here in New York, because the Yankees have won it so many times,” said
Yankees television announcer Ken Singleton, himself a former major league outfielder and three­time
All­Star. “The Yankees don’t so much play against everybody else, they play against their own
history. The fans expect them to be in the mix every year.”
As a broadcaster, Singleton got to see Ellsbury play at least 18 times each year when he was still
with the Red Sox. After watching him play every day this season, Singleton gives Ellsbury rave
reviews.
“I thought he was a good player, but now I can see he’s a very, very good player. His instincts on the
bases are among the best in baseball. He’s a tremendous center fielder, covers a lot of ground. And
he’s very good hitter as well,” Singleton said. “He’s been one of the best players the Yankees have,
plus he’s a really good guy.”
At 30, Ellsbury has settled into his role as one of the team’s veteran leaders, although team captain
Derek Jeter still commands the attention of fans and teammates alike. Jeter, who is finishing his Hall
of Fame career at the end of this season, has set an example Ellsbury hopes to follow.
“I wish I could play with him more than just one year, but I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to
play with him for this season,” Ellsbury said. “He’s a guy that goes out there, plays every day and is
respected by the players in the locker room.”
— Reporter: 202­662­7456, aclevenger@bendbulletin.com

4.
Andrew Clevenger / The Bulletin
Jacoby Ellsbury walks across the outfield during batting practice on Wednesday in Baltimore.