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Newtracker articles until October 2007. For Jacoby's 2007 Playoff activities, check out: Newstracker: October 2007. 18 articles there as of Oct 27, 2007.
See our Jacoby Watch Blog for the latest news articles on Jacoby each day.
Jacoby took part in, and scored the highest ever points in, a Sparq test. View him in his muscle shirt.
High School and College
Madras High School
A year later the family returned to Madras, where Jacoby attended Madras High School. This high school "was divided almost evenly among Native Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasian kids, and he moved easily among the groups," according to John Reynolds, a guidance counselor at the high school. Reynolds also coached high school football - including three future professionals. He first saw Ellsbury playing football, and was impressed with his speed.
"Then I saw him play baseball, [he told Edes] and I called Pat Casey at Oregon State, and told him about this kid who was a tremendous athlete and just so fast."
Four sport athlete
According to Patrick Ronan's profile of Jacoby and his family in the Farmington Daily Times [4] Jacoby "instantly became a local superstar" at Madras High, a standout in track, football, basketball and baseball.
But the success didn't go to Jacoby's head, comments Ronan. It wasn't how he was raised.
| "He's the real shy type," Emily said. "Not once did he talk about himself. He was always quiet."
A four-year player on the Madras varsity basketball team, Jacoby led the White Buffalos to the state tournament on several occasions. According to his former coach, Evan Brown, who still coaches at Madras, Jacoby was a spectacular athlete who could conquer any obstacle.
"He was very modest about his abilities," Brown said. "I'd get kids with so much ability, but little effort. There were kids with the effort, but no ability. (Jacoby) was neither. He had the ability and he worked at it."
A shooting guard, Jacoby was the Buffalos' go-to scorer. Quick off the ball and possessing extraordinary vertical skills, he was unstoppable on the hardwood. [4]
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During his senior year in high school (2002), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made an offer to draft him, but he turned it down and enrolled in Oregon State University instead.
| He attended OSU from 2002-2005, majoring in business and communications. The university is located in Corvallis, three hours away from home.
John Reynolds had moved to Corvallis, and so was able to see Jacoby play college ball. Indeed, Margie and her sons stayed with the Reynolds on those occasions when they drove the three hours to Corvallis to see him play.
"The players at Oregon State used to say, 'C'mon, Native,'" Reynolds told Edes, "but he was always proud of his heritage." |
Jacoby Ellsbury, OSU, 2005 |
Native American Heritage
Since turning pro, Ellsbury says, what tends to happen is that teammates look at his dark features and assume he's Spanish. "I've had Dominican players say something to me in Spanish," he said. "That's when I explain.
"But the guys are cool about it. Joking around, they'll call me 'Chief,' stuff like that, but it's all fun and games. I don't take offense to it.
"The fans? It's never been an issue. They see I work hard, I hustle wherever I go, I think that's what they see."
College baseball career
2003
Jacoby, at the age of 19, attended Oregon State University, and played outfield on the baseball team. He hit .330 for the season, and was chosen 2003 Freshman Second Team NCAA All-American.
He then played in Anchorage for the Alaska Baseball League, where he hit .338 for the season, before returning to OSU.
2003 was the year that the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. For Hallowe'en:
| “My buddies thought it would be funny if I dressed up as Johnny Damon.”
And, why not? Ellsbury had the baseball pants and shoes. All he needed was a Red Sox hat and No. 18 jersey. And, of course, a long-haired wig and fake beard to complete the transformation into the then-hirsute, then-Sox center fielder." [3] |
2004
Jacoby, age 20, hit .352 for the season at Oregon State University. He was chosen a 2004 Pac-10 Conference All-Star.
He then played for the Falmouth Cape Cod League, where he only batted .245.
The Lowell Spinners | 2005
In this year, Jacoby batted .406 at Oregon State University. He was chosen a 2005 Pac-10 Conference All-Star and a 2005 First Team NCAA All-American.
June 7, 2005
Jacoby, a junior at OSU, majoring in business and communication, watched the 2005 First Year Player Draft on the internet on the OSU campus, along with his friends and his brother Matt (a freshman), and saw the Red Sox draft him in the first round. [1]
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July 1, 2005
Jacoby flew to Boston, and underwent the obligatory physical and drug test, which he passed. [1]
July 12, 2005
On this day Jacoby signed a a $1.4 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, and at the age of 21, began his Minor League career, playing for the Red Sox' Single A team, the Lowell Spinners [1]. He batted .317 in 35 games.
2006
Jacoby played for Wilmington in single A ball, and batted .299 in 61 games.
July 13, 2006
On this day he was promoted to the Portland Sea Dogs Double A club where he would go ahead to bat .308 in 50 games. [2]
He also played in the Peoria Arizona Fall League, the Javelinas, where he batted .276.
Players are sent to Arizona "with specific instructions for improving a particular aspect of their game. For Ellsbury, the goals in Arizona include working on his bunting and learning to take advantage of his speed – which is likely the best in the Sox’ system and which general manager Theo Epstein said last spring is just a couple of ticks behind that of Coco Crisp." [3]
Jacoby was chosen a Carolina League All-Star, and was the Eastern League Player of the Week for August 6-13, 2006. He was also chosen one of the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars.
Public Speaking
As the first player of Navajo descent in the Major Leagues, Jacoby is quite aware of his status as a role model.
He began visiting schools on reservations and talking to the students:
| "They asked a bunch of questions. A lot of [the kids] were Native American. They asked if I spoke Navajo -- I understand Navajo a little bit. My mom can speak it fluently but I haven’t really been around it enough, and it’s such a tough language, not many people speak it. I definitely want to keep on learning it. What clan I was from. What age I started playing baseball at. How long have I wanted to play pro baseball. Those type of questions." [3]
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Jacoby's family keeps him grounded, as he explained.
| "I have three younger brothers and I know they look up to me and I try to do the best as far as setting a good example for them," he said. "But now that I’ve been doing a little bit of talking and talked to some kids, definitely, I can see that they pay attention. They see you’re a professional athlete and that just gives you that much more power to help someone else in their situation, whether it’s sports or grades or what it might be, if you can help them out in any way, you feel like you’ve done your part.
“I can see myself in their situation, looking up to an idol I guess you could say or a role model, that sort of thing. The thing is, you don’t have to be somebody on TV. It could be anybody, whether it’s your parents or somebody in the community. So, I try to emphasize that as much as I can, that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a celebrity to be a positive role model.
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 | March 9, 2007
Jacoby had participated in the Red Sox 2007 Spring Training camp in Fort Myers, FL as a non-roster invitee. He was assigned to the minor league camp on March 9. Although he only batted .250 in eight games, he garnered rave reviews for his fielding and speed on the base paths.
April, 2007
Jacoby began the 2007 season playing center field for the Red Sox’ Double A club, the Portland Sea Dogs, located in Portland, Maine - all the way across the country from Oregon! He played 17 games for Portland, and batted .452.
May 4, 2007
Jacoby was promoted on this day to the Red Sox’s Triple A club, the Pawtucket Red Sox, located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. |
This page last updated May 21, 2008.
The information in this biography is culled from all of the news articles listed on the Newstracker page, which serves as the bibliography. The prose herein, however, is copyright 2007 by The Mudville Megaphone.
This page last updated March 28, 2008.
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