Jacoby Ellsbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacoby Ellsbury |
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Ellsbury with the New York Yankees in 2015
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: September 11, 1983 Madras, Oregon, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 30, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 2017, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Home runs | 104 | ||
| Runs batted in | 512 | ||
| Stolen bases | 343 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury (born September 11, 1983) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He was a center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 to 2013 and then for the New York Yankees from 2014 to 2017. Jacoby Ellsbury is special because he is an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. He is the first Native American of Navajo descent to play in Major League Baseball.
Ellsbury was first chosen by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2002 MLB draft, but he decided not to sign with them. After playing college baseball for three years at Oregon State University, the Red Sox picked him in the first round of the 2005 draft. He started playing in the major leagues with the Red Sox in 2007. In 2011, Ellsbury had an amazing year. He was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year and became an All-Star. He also won a Gold Glove for his great fielding and a Silver Slugger Award for his hitting. That year, he became the first Red Sox player ever to join the 30–30 club, meaning he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in one season. He was also almost named the American League Most Valuable Player. Ellsbury led the American League in stolen bases three times (in 2008, 2009, and 2013). He also won two World Series championships with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013.
After the 2013 season, Ellsbury signed a big contract with the Yankees. He played for them until 2017. Sadly, he couldn't play in 2018 or 2019 because of injuries. The Yankees released him on November 20, 2019. Jacoby Ellsbury holds the record for reaching base the most times in a single season and in his career because of catcher's interference.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Jacoby Ellsbury was born on September 11, 1983. His parents are Jim and Margie Ellsbury. He is the oldest of four children. His family lived on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation before moving to Madras, Oregon, when he was very young.
Jacoby is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. His mother, Margie, is a full-blooded Navajo. Her family includes a famous 19th-century tribal leader named Ganado Mucho. His father, Jim, has English and German family roots.
High School and College Sports
When Jacoby was young, he often played Little League baseball with older kids. At Madras High School, he was a star in five different sports! In his final year of high school baseball, he hit for a very high batting average of .537 and stole 65 bases. In basketball, he scored about 24 points per game. He also played football, where he had nine interceptions and returned six kickoffs for touchdowns.
After high school, he went to Oregon State University. There, he was named a first-team All-American in baseball. He was also named Co-Player of the Year for the Pac-10 Conference. In 2005, the Boston Red Sox chose him in the first round of the MLB draft.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Jacoby Ellsbury began his professional baseball journey on July 14, 2005. He started with a team called the Lowell Spinners. In his first season, he batted .317 and stole 23 bases in just 35 games.
In 2006, Baseball America magazine called him one of the best young players in the Red Sox organization. He played for the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Portland Sea Dogs. He was great at stealing bases and playing defense. The Red Sox even named him their Minor League Defensive Player of the Year and Baserunner of the Year.
By 2007, Ellsbury was seen as one of the top prospects in all of baseball. He started the season with the Sea Dogs and then moved up to the Pawtucket Red Sox. He had an amazing hitting streak of 25 games for Pawtucket. He finished the season with 33 stolen bases.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox
2007: A Rookie World Series Champion
Jacoby Ellsbury made his big league debut with the Red Sox on June 30, 2007. He was the first Native American of Navajo descent to play in the major leagues. He got his first hit and first stolen base very quickly. He was so fast that one baseball legend, Johnny Pesky, called one of his plays "the greatest single play I've ever seen."
In September 2007, he hit his first major league home run. He was even named the American League Rookie of the Month for September. During the 2007 playoffs, Ellsbury became a key player. In the 2007 World Series, he made history by hitting two doubles in one inning. He also became only the third rookie ever to get four hits in a World Series game. The Red Sox won the World Series, giving Jacoby his first championship!
2008: Leading the League in Stolen Bases
In 2008, Ellsbury continued to impress. He stole 25 bases in a row without being caught. He broke the Red Sox rookie record for stolen bases, which had stood for 100 years! He finished the season with 50 stolen bases, leading the American League. He was also one of the top three players considered for the American League Rookie of the Year award.
2009: Setting New Records
Ellsbury showed off his amazing defense in 2009. He played 179 games in a row without making an error, which was a new record for Red Sox outfielders. He also tied a major league record by making 12 putouts in one game.
He kept breaking stolen base records too! He tied and then broke the Red Sox single-season stolen base record, finishing with 70 steals. This was the most in the American League that year. He also led the league with 10 triples.
2010: Dealing with Injuries
In 2010, Ellsbury changed his uniform number to 2. He also started playing left field instead of center field. Unfortunately, he had a tough year because of injuries. He collided with a teammate and fractured four ribs. This injury kept him off the field for most of the season.
2011: An All-Star Comeback Season
Jacoby Ellsbury had an incredible comeback season in 2011. He hit two "walk-off" hits in a row, meaning his hits ended the game and won it for the Red Sox. He also hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs in one game.
On September 25, he made Red Sox history by becoming the first player to join the 30–30 club. This means he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in the same season. He finished the year with career bests in home runs (32), hits (212), and runs batted in (105). He also won his first Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense and a Silver Slugger Award for his great hitting. He was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year and finished second in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award.
2012-2013: More Injuries and Another World Series
In 2012, Ellsbury got injured again when he collided with a player while sliding. He missed a lot of games but returned later in the season.
In 2013, he set another Red Sox record by stealing five bases in a single game. He also got injured again, this time fouling a ball off his foot. But he recovered quickly and played well in the playoffs. He helped the Red Sox win the 2013 World Series, earning his second championship ring! After this season, his contract with the Red Sox ended, and he became a free agent.
Joining the New York Yankees
On December 3, 2013, Jacoby Ellsbury signed a big contract with the New York Yankees. It was a seven-year deal.
2014-2017: Years with the Yankees
When Ellsbury played his first game against the Red Sox in Boston, he was booed by the fans because he had joined their rival team. In his first year with the Yankees in 2014, he hit .271 with 16 home runs and 39 stolen bases. He stayed healthy for most of the season.
In 2015, he started strong but then got injured with a knee sprain. He missed almost two months. When he returned, he struggled a bit at the plate.
On April 22, 2016, Ellsbury made an exciting play by stealing home plate! This was the first time a Yankee had done a straight steal of home since 2001. It was his second time stealing home in his career. He also set a new MLB record that year by reaching base 12 times because of catcher's interference. This happens when the catcher gets in the way of the batter's swing.
In 2017, Ellsbury hit his first career grand slam, which was also his 100th career home run! Later that season, he suffered a concussion after making a great catch at the outfield wall. On his 34th birthday, he broke a career record for the most times reaching base via catcher's interference, with 30 times.
2018-2019: Injuries and Release
Unfortunately, Jacoby Ellsbury was unable to play in 2018 or 2019 due to several injuries, including a hip injury and a foot injury. The Yankees released him on November 20, 2019.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Jacoby Ellsbury was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is married to Kelsey Hawkins, and they have four children.
Ellsbury has also done charity work. In 2010, he released his own wine called ZinfandEllsbury. All the money he earned from it went to three charities, including the Navajo Relief Fund. In 2014, he donated $1 million to his old college, Oregon State University. This money helped renovate their baseball stadium, and the new locker room was named the Jacoby Ellsbury Locker Room in his honor.
Accomplishments
- 2× World Series champion 2007, 2013
- 2007 AL Rookie of the Month (September)
- 2008 Red Sox rookie single season stolen bases record
- 2008 AL stolen base leader
- 2009 all-time Red Sox single season stolen bases record
- 2009 MLB stolen base leader
- 2011 AL Comeback Player of the Year
- 2011 All-Star
- 2013 all-time Red Sox single game stolen base record
- 2013 MLB stolen base leader
See also
In Spanish: Jacoby Ellsbury para niños
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
