Projo Sox Blog

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Red Sox' Jacoby Ellsbury crept slowly down the third-base line.

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte stood on the mound from the windup. The bases were loaded and the shift was on with the left-handed hitting J.D. Drew in the batter's box. The count was 1-1.

Ellsbury crept closer.

There are certain feats in all of sports that are rarely accomplished.

Ellsbury crept closer.

Once one of those amazing moments does occur, it can be heart pounding, breathtaking and energetic.

Ellsbury took off.

He accomplished one of the toughest ones in baseball Sunday night when he stole home with two outs in the bottom off the fifth inning at Fenway Park.

No one told him to try it. He used his tremendous base-running instincts and went on his own.

"I guess this is the point where I'd love to tell you I got here at 11 o'clock this morning and poured over reports and I'm a really smart manager," said Red Sox' Terry Francona with a laugh. "What we have is a really fast player with some guts. Millsy and I were in there talking about how he could steal home. We don't even squeeze very often, let along that. It certainly ignited the ballpark and we weren't knocking Andy around very much. It was a great play."

Once the 38,154 in attendance realized what was happening, the roar in the ballpark was deafening. He took off directly in front of the Yankees dugout.

"We were screaming [at Pettitte], but nobody can hear you here," said New York manager Joe Girardi.

It was the first Red Sox steal of home since Jose Offerman since Aug. 30 1999 vs. Kansas City, as the lead end of a double steal. On June 4 of that year, Jeff Frye stole home as part of a suicide squeeze play. Before that, the last Sox straight steal of home was by Billy Hatcher, April 22, 1994, vs. Anaheim.

It was the first time in Ellsbury's professional career he has accomplished the feat.

Ellsbury decided on the previous pitch that he was going to give it a bid. He was actually joking around with third-base coach DeMarlo Hale, telling him he could do it.

"I saw bases loaded with J.D. up, if I go I have to make it," said Ellsbruy. "I took the chance and fortunately I made it."

Even though they were joking, Ellsbury did not tell him he was going to try. When he actually broke towards the plate, the first thing Hale did was look at where Pettitte was in his wind up, and when he realized Ellsbury was already half way down the line, Hale believed he was going to be safe.

"It all happened pretty quickly. I wanted him to be safe," said Hale.

He was.

On the replay it was obvious Ellsbury stumbled only a few feet from home. He admitted he was originally thinking feet first, but when he realized J.D. Drew was stepping back, he decided head first would be best.

When he returned to the dugout, Ellsbury was bombarded by his teammates and manager. The 38,154 in attendance wanted a curtain call, which at Fenway Park is usually doesn't happen. Ellsbury obliged and the fans went crazy.

"Guys were fired up," he said. "That usually happens when I steal a base, steal second. But nothing like stealing home. It was pretty exciting for me when I was running down the line from third to home. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. That's probably another reason I tripped up a little bit."

What about the curtain call?

"That was a first for me as well," he said. "In front of a packed house like that, it's special."

Every player in the Red Sox clubhouse after their 4-1 victory over the Yankees talked about how electric Ellsbury's steal was. It fired up the club and everyone in the ballpark.

"It was awesome," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "I've never seen that. I think he surprised every body - he surprised me. It was just excitement [in the dugout]. It's always fun to see guys run like that. Even if he hits the ball in the gap he's going to get a triple. It's fun to see him open it up. That was pretty cool."

Ellsbury is not a very emotional guy on the field. He's quiet in the clubhouse. His speed, athleticism and abilities take care of the rest. He may not ever again accomplish what he did Sunday night, but for a few seconds he electrified the entire baseball world.

"It was pretty special for me getting in there," he said.

 Tags  Jacoby Ellsbury Red Sox Yankees

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