Low-key hero

BOSTON, Mass., April 17, 2008

The New York Times had no problem calling Jacoby Ellsbury, then a mid-season recruit, the future of the Boston Red Sox.

Just this week, the Boston Globe practically pleaded with management to put him on the field full time.

In a recent issue, Men's Vogue called the first Navajo to play Major League Baseball, "Baby Jesus in cleats."

And through it all, Ellsbury, the 24-year-old outfielder born to a Navajo woman and her bilagaana husband, doesn't do what you would expect. He does not cheer on his own greatness in confident enthusiasm, nor does he dismiss the claims with exaggerated modesty.

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Instead, he answers carefully, acknowledging both his lifetime of athletic prowess and his position as a rookie for a Major League Baseball team with a fan base as notoriously rabid as exists anywhere.

"I think it's cool," said Ellsbury. "There's definitely a lot of hard work involved. A lot of guys put up with hard times for this."

Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury grew up in Madras, Ore. He is the oldest of four sons born to Jim and Margie Ellsbury.

His mother is Navajo, his father a non-Native BIA employee. Jacoby's clan is Naasht'ézh’ Dine'é, the Zuni People. However, his family commonly refers to it as Naasht'ézh’ T‡chii'nii (Zuni division of the Red Running into Water Clan).

His Navajo family relocated to Parker, Ariz., south of Lake Havasu, in the 1940s and was adopted into the Colorado River Indian Tribes in 1965. CRIT is a federally recognized federation of four tribes, the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo.

Ellsbury spent much of his youth growing up in both the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and in Madras, a town of about 5,000 just down the road from Warm Springs.

His family also spent two years in Parker, and he is an enrolled member of CRIT.

"I've always been very proud of my Navajo side of my family," Ellsbury said.

He does not speak Navajo but would like to learn, he said. He does understand much of it.

"I'd like to learn about the history and the culture," he said. "I'm working on it."

He recently bought a house in the Phoenix area, which he said he hopes will help bridge the divide between him and the Navajo Nation during the next off-season.

A genuine asset

Ellsbury is one of the few Navajos to make it to the professional level in any sport. He could be the first that mainstream media has recognized and praised as a genuine asset to his team.

He has the muscle to hit. This season he's batting .261 with five RBIs so far. In Saturday's game against the New York Yankees, he connected for two hits and was walked once in a game the Red Sox won 4-3.

Since he started with the team last summer, Ellsbury has hit four home runs and is credited with 23 RBIs.

But he is the biggest threat on base. Ellsbury, the rookie who was called to the big leagues from Pawtucket - twice - is known for his tremendous speed and tendency to steal bases.

He's managed to steal two bases in this fledgling season, including one during Sunday's game. In total, he's stolen 11 bases since last summer.

Ellsbury was also the only player to steal a base during the 2007 World Series, winning the country a free taco courtesy of a Taco Bell promotion.

But beyond that, Ellsbury is charming. He does not bleat modest mantras. Nor does he dismiss his fans or media. He is quick to pose for pictures and sign autographs, even during his pre-game warm ups.

Before the April 11 game against the Yankees, Ellsbury was told that a fan asked for his autograph on a baseball. He obliged, quickly signing the ball with smooth strokes.

"Who is this for," he asked. "Does she want me to personalize it? That's no problem, just tell me her name."

Later, the ball returned. Its owner's name was Shea he was told, which Ellsbury quickly inscribed above his signature.

Ellsbury has had a lifelong love of nearly all things sports. Though his obvious dedication lies in baseball, he also grew up playing basketball, football and pretty much anything that involved running around outside.

"I didn't like to be indoors," he said. "We played various sports, running around the house. I didn't really like TV and video games."

He knew his best shot at making an impact was in baseball.

"I just always enjoyed playing it," he said.

He has been clocked running 60 yards in 6.27 seconds. Meaning, in the time it takes you to read this sentence, Ellsbury could have run more than half a football field.

Ellsbury's speed seems natural, almost fluid as he sprints, like a cat ... with wings.

"There's something natural about his quickness, it's not something you can get by running every day," said Emily McCabe Allison, Jacoby's aunt.

Laughing, she added: "We always like to claim it's from his Navajo side, but his father's side is really athletic, too."

Allison said her nephew was usually playing in some type of tournament growing up.

"We could always see that he was a great athlete," she said. "You could see the talent."

Ellsbury agreed quickly that his speed is natural, but does not discount the work to maintain his agility.

"You have to maintain it," he said. "It's like a tool, if you don't use it, it's going to slowly decline. It's a lot of work."

During the season, Ellsbury said he arrives on field at 2 p.m. for training. If there is a game, he generally will not get to leave until about 11 p.m. This means a lot of pre-game stretching, calisthenics and running.

"There's a lot going on," he said. "I wish we could just show up at 7 and play. But we have to do a lot before the game even starts."

Ellsbury spent the off-season working out six days a week at his gym in Portland, Ore., where he lived prior to buying the Phoenix house. His regimen includes weight training, yoga, plyometric exercises - conditioning muscle groups to react more efficiently - and, of course, running.

"During the off-season, we're not playing, but we're still working," he said.

Ellsbury eats about five meals a day during the off-season. He reportedly gained 12 pounds last winter, bringing his lean 6-foot, 1-inch frame to 187 pounds.

His favorite food? That's easy, Navajo Tacos. His mother's, of course. He's known for eating three in a sitting. Though, he's also keen on mystery foods, just another testament to his dedication, said his aunt.

"I remember one time he had four Styrofoam boxes of food with him," Allison said. "We were all going out to eat dinner, but he said he couldn't go. He had to eat some kind of special food. Then he had to go to sleep at 9:30."

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