The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, swipes third in 1988.

In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate. In baseball statistics, stolen bases are denoted by SB.

If the defense makes no attempt to put the baserunner out (for example, if the catcher doesn't even look his way), the play is scored as defensive indifference (also called fielder's indifference), and no stolen base is credited to the runner.^[1] Defensive indifference is generally only scored instead of a stolen base when the game is in a late inning and the team with the stealing baserunner is down by more than one run. MLB Rule 10.07(g) covers defensive indifference.

Successful base-stealing requires not only simple running speed but also good base-running instincts and split-second timing. The scoring and criteria for awarding a stolen base to a runner are covered by rule 10.07 of the Major League Baseball rule book.^[2]

Background[link]

Ned Cuthbert, playing for the Philadelphia Keystones in either 1863 or 1865, is documented as the first baseball player to steal a base in a baseball game, although the term stolen base was not used until 1871.^[3] For a time in the 19th century, stolen bases were credited when a baserunner reached an extra base on a base hit from another player.^[4] For example if a runner on first base reached third base on a single, it would count as a steal. In 1887, Hugh Nicol set a still-standing Major League record with 138 stolen bases,^[5] many of which would not have counted under modern rules.^[4] Modern steal rules were fully implemented in 1898,^[6] and steals are now only credited when a runner successfully takes an extra base while the ball is being pitched, but not already hit. If the ball is dead on the pitch run on, such as from a foul ball (except caught fly-out), the steal is not allowed and the runner returns to his time-of-pitch base. In addition, if the situation of the game is such that the steal is of little use (usually in the late innings when the runner would not change the game's outcome by scoring), and the catcher does not attempt to throw out the runner, the runner is not credited with a steal, and the base is attributed to defensive indifference.^[7]

Graph depicting the yearly number of home runs (blue line) and stolen bases (pink line) per MLB game. The two primary periods in which the stolen base was popular were before 1920 and again in the 1970s and 1980s.

Base stealing was popular in the game's early decades, with speedsters such as Ty Cobb and Clyde Milan stealing nearly 100 bases in a season. But the tactic fell into relative disuse after Babe Ruth introduced the era of the home run – in 1955, for example, no one in baseball stole more than 25 bases, and Dom DiMaggio won the AL stolen base title in 1950 with just 15. However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s base-stealing was brought back to prominence primarily by Luis Aparicio and Maury Wills, who broke Cobb's modern single-season record by stealing 104 bases in 1962. Wills' record was broken in turn by Lou Brock in 1974, and Rickey Henderson in 1982. The stolen base remained a popular tactic through the 1980s, perhaps best exemplified by Vince Coleman and the St. Louis Cardinals, but began to decline again in the 1990s as the frequency of home runs reached unprecedented heights and the steal-friendly artificial turf ballparks began to disappear.

Technique and strategy[link]

This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (May 2009)

A base-stealing runner must begin running as soon as the pitcher has committed himself to throwing a pitch to home plate, neither sooner nor later. If he begins to run too soon, the pitcher may throw to a base rather than to home—in this case, the runner is picked off, and will most likely be tagged out. Before the pitch, the runner will often take a lead-off, walking several steps away from the base as a head start for his next advance. In some cases, the pitcher may hold the runner on by throwing to the base several times before pitching, in the hope of dissuading the runner from too big a lead-off. This action can also result in the runner being tagged out in a pick-off. Another popular strategy is for the runner to attempt a steal while the hitter is instructed to swing at the pitch if it is at all hittable. This hit-and-run play can give the runner a good head start to take an extra base on the hit. But if the hitter fails to hit the ball, the hit-and-run becomes a pure steal attempt, and the runner may be thrown out. Another risk of the hit-and-run is that a caught line drive could result in an easy double play, although this is offset by the lower likelihood of a ground ball double play.

A second and lesser-known technique is the "delayed" steal. The first delayed steal on record was performed by Miller Huggins in 1903.^[8] This technique, famously practiced by Eddie Stanky of the Brooklyn Dodgers,^{[citation needed]} is where the runner does not break immediately for second when the pitcher commits to the plate. Instead the runner takes two or three large shuffles off the base when the pitcher goes to the plate. This keys the middle infielders and the catcher to let their guard down, as it appears the runner is not stealing, but only getting a good secondary lead in case the ball is hit. In reality the delayed stealer is closing the distance to second base. When the ball crosses the plate the runner breaks for second base, and is essentially stealing the base on the middle infielders who have not covered second base. Additionally, the catcher is not ready to come out of his crouch and cannot throw to second until an infielder gets there. The delayed steal is a deceptive technique that is sometimes executed by even slow runners and many times results in a catcher throwing into center field.^{[citation needed]} The technique is rarely seen at the Major League level but is used effectively by multiple college programs.

Second base is the base most often stolen. It is also technically the easiest to steal, as it is farthest from home plate and thus a longer throw from the catcher is required to prevent it. Third base is a shorter throw for the catcher, and thus more difficult to steal, though a right-handed batter can sometimes help by serving as an obstacle that the catcher must throw around. Third base is generally stolen off the pitcher, since a bigger lead is possible off second base. It is possible for a player to steal home plate, but this requires great daring and aggressiveness as the ball will almost certainly arrive at home plate before the runner. Thus a sacrifice bunt or squeeze play is typically used instead. Ty Cobb holds the records for most steals of home in a single season (8) as well as for a career (54).^[9] It is worth noting, however, that steals of home are not officially recorded statistics, and, thus, must be researched through individual game accounts. Thus, Cobb's totals may be even greater than is recorded.^[9] Jackie Robinson was also renowned for the thrilling feat of stealing home, which he famously accomplished in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. On August 22, 1982, Glenn Brummer stole home in the bottom of the 12th inning of a tie game, thus accomplishing a walk-off straight steal of home, one of the very few in major league history. In more recent years, pure steals of home are rare, although a player may steal home plate during a "delayed double steal," in which a runner on first attempts to steal second, while the runner on third breaks for home as soon as the catcher throws to second base. The most recent "pure" steal of home (i.e., not involving a squeeze play or an additional steal attempt) was on May 6, 2012, when Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals stole home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Base stealing is an important characteristic of a particular style of baseball, sometimes called "small ball" or "manufacturing runs". A team playing with this style emphasizes doing little things (including risky running plays like base-stealing) to advance runners and score runs, often relying on pitching and defense to keep games close. The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960s, led by pitcher Sandy Koufax and speedy shortstop Maury Wills, were a successful example of this style. The antithesis of this would be a team that relies on power hitting. The Baltimore Orioles of the 1970s, led by manager Earl Weaver, were an example of such a "slugging" team that aspired to score most of its runs via home runs. Often the "small ball" model is associated with the National League, while power hitting is seen as more associated with the American League. However, some of the more successful American League teams of recent memory, including the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 2005 Chicago White Sox have experienced their success in part as a result of playing "small ball," advancing runners through means such as the stolen base and the related hit and run play. Successful teams often combine both styles, with a speedy runner or two complementing hitters with power, such as the 2005 White Sox, who despite playing "small ball", still hit 200 home runs that season.

Measuring success[link]

Curtis Granderson steals a base.

One of the difficulties in determining how good a player is at stealing bases is whether to judge the cumulative number of steals or the success ratio of steals to caught stealing. Noted statistician Bill James has argued that unless a player can steal a high percentage of the time, then the stolen base is not useful, and can even be detrimental to a team. A success rate of 67 to 70% or better is necessary to make stealing bases worthwhile.^[10]

Judging the base-stealing abilities of players from earlier eras is also problematic, because caught stealing was not a regularly recorded statistic until the middle of the 20th Century. Ty Cobb, for example, was known as a great base-stealer, with 892 steals and a success rate of over 83%. However the data on Cobb's caught stealing is missing from 12 seasons, strongly suggesting he was unsuccessful many more times than his stats indicate.^[11] Carlos Beltrán, with 286 steals, has the highest career success rate of all players with over 300 stolen base attempts, at 88.3%.

Evolution of rules and scoring[link]

Lastings Milledge steals a base.

The first mention of the stolen base, in a statistical sense was in the 1877 scoring rules adopted by the National League which noted credit toward a player's total bases when a base is stolen.^[12] It was not until 1886 that the stolen base appeared as something to be tracked, but was only to "appear in the summary of the game".^[13]

In 1887, the stolen base was given its own individual statistical column in the box score, and was defined for purposes of scoring: "...every base made after first base has been reached by a base runner, except for those made by reason of or with the aid of a battery error (wild pitch or passed ball), or by batting, balks or by being forced off. In short, shall include all bases made by a clean steal, or through a wild throw or muff of the ball by a fielder who is directly trying to put the base runner out while attempting to steal."^[14] The next year, it was clarified that any attempt to steal must be credited to the runner, and that fielders committing errors during this play must also be charged with an error. This rule also clarified that advancement of another base(s) beyond the one being stolen is not credited as a stolen base on the same play, and that an error is charged to the fielder who permitted the extra advancement. There was clarification that a runner is credited with a steal if the attempt began before a battery error. Finally, batters were credited with a stolen base if they were tagged out after over running the base.^[14]

In 1892, a short-lived rule was added crediting runners with stolen bases if a base runner advanced on a fly out, or if they advanced more than one base on any safe hit or attempted out, providing an attempt was made by the defense to put the runner out.^[14] The rule was subsequently ended in 1897.^[14]

In 1898, stolen base scoring was narrowed to no longer include advancement in the event of a fielding error, or advancement caused by a hit batsman.^[15]

1904 saw an attempt to reduce the already wordy slew of rules governing stolen bases, with the stolen base now credited when "...the baserunner [sic] advances a base unaided by a base hit, a put out, (or) a fielding or batter error."^[16]

1910 saw the first addressing of the double and triple steal attempts. Under the new rule, when any runner is thrown out, and the other(s) are successful, the successful runners will not be credited with a stolen base.^[16]

Without using the term, 1920 saw the first rule that would be referred to today as defensive indifference, as stolen bases would not be credited, unless an effort was made to stop the runner by the defense.^[1] This is usually called if such is attempted in the ninth inning while that player's team is trailing, unless the runner represents the potential tying run.^[17]

1931 saw a further narrowing of the criteria for awarding a stolen base. Power was given to the official scorer, in the event of a muff by the catcher in throwing, that in the judgment of the scorer the runner would have been out, to credit the catcher with an error, and not credit the runner with a stolen base.^[18] Further, any successful steal on a play resulting in a wild pitch, passed ball, or balk would no longer be credited as a steal, even if the runner had started to steal before the play.^[18]

One of the largest rewrites to the rules in history came in 1950.^[19] The stolen base was specifically to be credited "to a runner whenever he advances one base unaided by a base hit, a putout, a forceout, a fielder's choice, a passed ball, a wild pitch, or a balk."^[20]

There were noted exceptions, such as denying a stolen base to an otherwise successful steal as a part of a double or triple steal, if one other runner was thrown out in the process.^[20] A stolen base would be awarded to runners who successfully stole second base as a part of a double steal with a man on third, if the other runner failed to steal home, but instead was able to return safely to third base.^[20] Runners who are tagged out oversliding the base after an otherwise successful steal would not be credited with a stolen base.^[20] Indifference was also credited as an exception.^[20] Runners would now be credited with stolen bases if they had begun the act of stealing, and the resulting pitch was wild, or a passed ball.^[20] Finally, for 1950 only, runners would be credited with a stolen base if they were "well advanced" toward the base they were attempting to steal", and the pitcher is charged with a balk, with the further exception of a player attempting to steal, who would otherwise have been forced to advance on the balk by a runner behind them.^[20] This rule was removed in 1951.^[20]

A clarification came in 1955 that awarded a stolen base to a runner, even if he became involved in a rundown, provided he managed to evade the rundown, and advance to the base he was intending to steal.^[21]

The criteria for being charged with "caught stealing" were fine tuned in 1979, with a runner being charged with being caught if he is put out while trying to steal, oversliding a base (otherwise successfully stolen), or is picked off a base, and tries to advance to the next base.^[22] Runners would specifically not be charged with being caught, if the player was put out after a wild pitch or passed ball.^[22]

Stealing first[link]

While it is not recorded as a "steal", in a practical sense a batter can be said to "steal first base" by successfully running to first base (without being tagged or thrown out) in rare circumstances following an uncaught third strike; the rarely-seen play avoids an "out" and gains a baserunner. Statistically, it is recorded as a strikeout plus a passed ball or wild pitch, and a "stolen base" statistic does not accrue and neither is an out recorded for the strikeout.^[23]

In baseball's earlier decades, a runner on second base could "steal" first base, perhaps with the intention of drawing a throw which might allow a runner on third to score (a tactic famously employed by Germany Schaefer). However, such a tactic was not recorded as a stolen base, and modern rules forbid going backwards on the basepaths in order to "confuse the defense or make a travesty of the game".^[24]

The expression "You can't steal first base" is sometimes used in reference to a player who is fast but not very good at getting on base in the first place.^[25] Former Pittsburgh Pirate manager Lloyd McClendon is jokingly referred to as having "stolen first" in a June 26, 2001 game – after disputing a call at first base, he yanked the base out of the ground and left the field with it, delaying the game.

See also[link]

• Lead off
• Stolen base percentage
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stealing (baseball)

• Baseball-Almanac.com list of All-Time Career stolen bases leaders

Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford with the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox – No. 13
Outfielder
Born: (1981-08-05) August 5, 1981 (age 30) Houston, Texas
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
July 20, 2002 for the Tampa Bay Rays
Career statistics (through 2011 season)
Batting average	.293
Stolen bases	427
Runs	830
Hits	1,609
Home runs	115
Teams
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2002–2010) Boston Red Sox (2011–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× All-Star selection (2004, 2007, 2009, 2010) Gold Glove Award (2010) Silver Slugger Award (2010) 2009 MLB All-Star Game MVP 4× AL Stolen Base Champion (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007) Tied an MLB record with 6 stolen bases in a game (May 3, 2009 vs. Boston Red Sox)

Medal record
Men’s baseball
Competitor for  United States
Baseball World Cup
Silver	2001 Taipei	National team

To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, the introduction of this article may need to be rewritten. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. (July 2011)

Carl Demonte "The Perfect Storm"^[1][2] Crawford (born August 5, 1981, in Houston, Texas) is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed. Crawford has more triples (110) than any other active baseball player.

Early life[link]

Crawford, a native of the Fifth Ward area of Houston, attended Jefferson Davis High School in Houston, Texas,^[3] and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In baseball, he batted .638 as a senior. Crawford was offered scholarships to play basketball as a point guard at UCLA.^[4] He also had an option to play college football as an option quarterback at Nebraska,^[4] USC, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tulsa. He had originally signed a letter of intent to play football for Nebraska but he turned down both offers in favor of a baseball career.^[4]

Professional career[link]

Crawford was drafted by the Devil Rays in the second round (52nd overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft.

Minor leagues[link]

In 2002, the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA named Crawford the Devil Rays' Most Outstanding Rookie and he earned International League Rookie of the Year playing for the AAA Durham Bulls.^{[citation needed]}

Major leagues[link]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2002–2010)[link]

2002–06[link]

Crawford entered the major leagues at the young age of 20 and played in 63 games for the Devil Rays in 2002, batting .259 with 9 stolen bases. As of the 2009 season, he was the longest tenured member of the team.

In 2003, he played nearly every day, batting .281 with 54 RBI and led the league with 55 steals. Along with Juan Pierre, Crawford was co-winner of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum James "Cool Papa" Bell Legacy Award for 2003.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Crawford stole 59 bases, again leading the league and posting the second-highest total in the majors that season. He batted .296 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs. Crawford also hit a league-leading 19 triples. He was selected for the All Star Game, played in his hometown of Houston, and was named Devil Rays team MVP in 2004 by the BBWAA.

Crawford batted .301 in 2005, becoming just the third .300 hitter in Devil Rays history, joining Aubrey Huff (.311 in 2003) and Fred McGriff (.310 in 1999). Crawford also posted career highs in hits (194), home runs (15), and RBI (81). He again led the league with 15 triples and placed third in steals (46).

Crawford going back to the dugout in 2006

On July 5, 2006 against the Boston Red Sox, Crawford became only the eighth player in history to get 200 stolen bases before his 25th birthday.^{[citation needed]} Crawford finished the season with career highs in batting average (.305) and home runs (18), joining Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Major League history to increase their batting average and home run totals every year for five straight years.^[5] He won a Fielding Bible Award for his defensive excellence in left field during the season.^[6]

2007–10[link]

Crawford was named an All-Star for the second time in 2007, becoming the first Devil Ray to receive the honor more than once. He homered in the 6th inning of the All-Star Game, on a 3–2 pitch from Francisco Cordero of the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the second half of the season, Crawford had a sore right wrist which had been bothering him for some time, and he did not hit a home run for a period of 42 days. Prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he had an MRI and was listed as doubtful to play because of the wrist. However, he pinch hit as the game went into extra innings and promptly hit a walk-off home run, ending his drought. This kicked off a run of four homers in ten games.^[7]

In August, ESPN.com named Crawford the Devil Rays' "Face of the Franchise".^[8]

On April 11, 2008, Crawford accumulated his 1000th hit, making him only the eighth player to hit 1000 and steal 250 bases before turning 27.^{[citation needed]} In game four of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, Crawford tied an ALCS record with five hits in one game, going 5–5 and stealing two bases. After the season, he won his second Fielding Bible Award.^[9]

On May 3, 2009, Carl Crawford tied a modern era record by stealing six bases in a game against the Boston Red Sox, part of a team-record eight total stolen bases.^[10][11][12] On July 14, 2009, Crawford represented Tampa Bay in the 2009 All Star Game, where he was named MVP for a leaping catch at the top of the 8-foot outfield wall to prevent a possible go-ahead home run from Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe.^[13]

In 2009 he had the best range factor of all starting major league left fielders (2.34).^[14] He won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award and third overall at left field.^[15]

On July 31, 2010, Crawford reached 400 stolen bases. He is only the 7th player in history to reach that mark before his 29th birthday.^[16]

On August 17, 2010, Crawford hit the 100th triple of his career, joining Ty Cobb as the only major league players to hit 100 triples and steal 400 bases before the age of 30.^{[citation needed]}

The Tampa Bay chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Crawford the Most Valuable Player for the Rays in 2010.^[17] Following the conclusion of the season, Crawford was given the Gold Glove Award, as well as the Silver Slugger Award.^[18][19]

Boston Red Sox[link]

On December 8, 2010, Crawford signed a 7-year, $142-million contract with the Boston Red Sox. His signing came two days after Adrian Gonzalez was traded to Boston.^[4][20] Crawford struggled to begin the 2011 season, batting .137 and stealing only 2 bases in his first 12 games.^[21] On May 3, he hit his 1,500th career hit, a single against Dan Haren of the Los Angeles Angels in the 3rd inning, becoming the 588th player with 1,500 or more career hits. For the season, he batted .255 with an on base percentage of .289.^[22]

Through 2011, he had the third-best career fielding percentage (.990) among all active major league left fielders, behind Ryan Braun and Reed Johnson.^[23]

Awards and accomplishments[link]

Crawford with the Rays

• American League All-Star (2004, 2006, 2009, 2010)
• Gold Glove Award (2010)
• Silver Slugger Award (2010)
• Fielding Bible Award (2006, 2008, 2009)
• American League Stolen Base Champion (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007)
• All-Star Game MVP (2009)
• MLB modern-era, single-game, stolen-base record: 6 (May 3, 2009)^[24]
• International League Rookie of the Year (2002)
• Negro Leagues Baseball Museum "Cool Papa Bell Legacy Award" (2003)
• Tampa Bay Chapter/BBWAA Devil Rays Most Valuable Player (2004, 2010)
• Tampa Bay Chapter/BBWAA Devil Rays Most Outstanding Rookie (2002)
• Rays single-season runs record: 110 (2010)
• Rays single-season triples record: 19 (2004)
• Rays single-season stolen base record: 60 (2009)
• Rays' all-time leader in at bats, plate appearances, RBIs, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, strikeouts, stolen bases, and singles.
• Named the Rays' "Face of the Franchise" by ESPN^[25]

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball triples champions
• List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carl Crawford

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• CarlCrawford on Twitter

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (January 2012)

Jacoby Ellsbury
Boston Red Sox – No. 2
Center fielder
Born: (1983-09-11) September 11, 1983 (age 28) Madras, Oregon
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
June 30, 2007 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics (through April 13, 2012)
Batting average	.299
Home runs	52
Runs batted in	238
Stolen bases	175
Hits	616
Teams
Boston Red Sox (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2011) World Series Champion (2007) 2009 MLB Stolen Base Leader 30-30 club 2011 AL Comeback Player of the Year Gold Glove Award (2011) Silver Slugger Award (2011)

Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( /dʒəˈkoʊbi/ jə-KOH-bee; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.

Ellsbury attended Madras High School, where he was a 4-year letterman in football and baseball, and played varsity basketball his sophomore through senior years. Ellsbury's career batting average of .567 and being caught stealing only once are Oregon High School State Records. He also holds the Oregon record for stolen bases in a game, with 7. Ellsbury was first drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 23rd round of the 2002 MLB Draft, but did not sign. He was then drafted 23rd overall by Boston in 2005, after three years at Oregon State University. Ellsbury is the only Red Sox player in history to join the 30-30 club, a feat he accomplished on September 25, 2011, against the Yankees.

Ellsbury is officially enrolled as a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes^[1] and is the first Native American of Navajo descent to reach the Major Leagues.^[2] As of 2008, he was one of only three active non-Hispanic Native American players in Major League Baseball, along with Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees.^[3] Ellsbury is English and German on his paternal side.^[4]

Early life[link]

Ellsbury was born September 11, 1983, in Madras, Oregon, to Jim and Margie Ellsbury, the oldest of four children. Growing up with Little League Baseball, he often played on teams with kids up to three years older than he was, though he was still the fastest and best player on the team. In high school, Ellsbury was a four-year letterman in football and baseball and basketball for three. His senior year he hit .537 and had 65 stolen bases. In basketball, he averaged 23.6 points per game and had an average of 4.4 blocks per game. He finished his football career with 9 interceptions and 6 kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Professional career[link]

2005[link]

Ellsbury began his professional career on July 14, 2005, with the Lowell Spinners in the short season Single-A New York-Penn League. From the start, he showed that his patience and great speed were an asset when he led off the game by walking on a 3–2 pitch, stealing second, continuing to third on a throwing error and then scoring on a wild pitch.^{[citation needed]} On September 7, he tied a Lowell team record with three stolen bases in a game. He finished the season batting .317 with 23 stolen bases in 35 games.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury was named Red Sox Minor League Base Stealer of the Month for July, when he went a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts.^{[citation needed]}

2006[link]

Jacoby Ellsbury began the season as the number 6 prospect in the Red Sox organization^[5] with the Single-A Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League. On July 3 he tied a Wilmington franchise record by stealing four bases in a game.^{[citation needed]} After batting .299 with 25 steals in 61 games and being named to the 2006 Carolina League All-Star team, he was promoted to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League on July 12.^[6]

Soon after his promotion to Portland, he was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of August 6–13 for batting .400 along with his first Double-A home run and hitting safely in seven straight games.^[7] Ellsbury finished the Double-A season in Portland batting .308 with 16 steals in 50 games. He was selected by the Red Sox as their minor league Defensive Player of the Year and Base Runner of the Year^{[citation needed]} and given a roster spot on the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League, an off-season developmental league for top prospects.^{[citation needed]} In the AFL, he hit only .276 in 25 games but his defensive skill was enough to earn him a spot in the AFL Rising Stars All-Star game.^{[citation needed]}

2007[link]

Spring training[link]

Ellsbury participated in the Red Sox 2007 spring training camp in Fort Myers, Florida as a non-roster invitee and was assigned to the minor league camp on March 9.^{[citation needed]} He was rated the number one prospect in the Red Sox organization,^[8] the number 33 prospect in baseball for 2007 by Baseball America^[9] and the number 43 prospect by Sports Illustrated.^[10]

Minor league play[link]

He started the 2007 season as the starting center fielder for the Sea Dogs and was promoted to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox on May 4, 2007, after batting .452 in 17 games at Portland and being named the Eastern League Player of the Month for April.^{[citation needed]} He was chosen to play in the 2007 All-Star Futures Game as part of the MLB All-Star festivities at AT&T Park in San Francisco.^[11] He went 0–4 in the game.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury set a new consecutive game hitting streak record for Pawtucket on August 24, 2007,^[12] besting the mark that had been held by both Dave Stapleton and Dave Berg at 19 consecutive games. His streak ended at 25 games on August 31 with an 0–4 outing.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury finished the Triple-A season with 33 stolen bases, tied for second in the International League with Darnell McDonald of the Rochester Red Wings who is now also affiliated with the Boston Red Sox franchise, and one behind leader Bernie Castro of the Columbus Clippers. Although Castro had 34 steals in 118 games, and McDonald 33 steals in 134 games, Ellsbury's 33 steals came in just 87 games.^{[citation needed]}

For the second consecutive season, the Red Sox selected Ellsbury as their minor league Defensive Player of the Year and Baserunner of the Year.^[13]

Major league play[link]

Ellsbury leading off of first against the Baltimore Orioles.

With an injury to Coco Crisp, Ellsbury had his contract purchased and received a call-up to the Red Sox on June 30, 2007, where he made his MLB debut in center field and hit ninth against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park^[14] wearing number 46. He got his first major league hit against Robinson Tejeda of the Rangers in the bottom of the third inning of that game. His first career stolen base came off pitcher Brandon McCarthy and catcher Gerald Laird of the Rangers on July 2, and he also impressed in that game when he scored from second base on a wild pitch.^[15] Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame member Johnny Pesky described the play as "the greatest single play I've ever seen in all my years in baseball".^[16] He was optioned back to Pawtucket on July 5 after appearing in six games for the Red Sox.^[17]

On August 17, he was recalled for the second game of a doubleheader where he led off and played center field.^[18] He was then optioned back to Pawtucket after the game.^[19]

On September 1, when the Major League rosters expanded to 40 players, he was again recalled to the Red Sox^{[citation needed]} and on September 2 he hit his first major league home run off Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the fourth inning, a solo shot which landed in the Red Sox bullpen.^{[citation needed]}

The New York Times described him in a September 2007 article as a "cult hero" who brings "speed, improved defense, and unbridled enthusiasm."^[20]

He was named MLB's American League Rookie of the Month for September 2007^[21] and, with fewer than 130 major league at-bats, still qualified as a rookie for the 2008 season.

During the 2007 postseason, with Coco Crisp struggling, Ellsbury got the start in center field for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians, starting every subsequent postseason game. In eleven total postseason games, he hit .360 in 25 at-bats with two stolen bases.^{[citation needed]}

On October 27, with his two doubles off Josh Fogg in top of the third inning of Game 3 of the World Series, he became the first rookie to hit two doubles in the same inning of a World Series game.^{[citation needed]} After hitting another double off Brian Fuentes in the eighth inning, he became the fourth rookie ever to hit three doubles in a World Series game.^{[citation needed]} His four hits, including a single in the first inning, made him only the third rookie to ever accomplish the feat in the World Series, after Freddie Lindstrom in 1924 and Joe Garagiola in 1946.^{[citation needed]} For the World Series, he batted .438 with four doubles and a stolen base.^{[citation needed]}

2008[link]

Heading into the 2008 season, Ellsbury was ranked as the #13 prospect by Baseball America,^[22] the #16 prospect by Baseball Prospectus^[23] and the #19 prospect by ESPN Scouts Inc.^[24] All ranked him as the #2 prospect in the Red Sox organization behind Clay Buchholz.

Ellsbury hit .224, with .291 On-base percentage (OBP), and a .347 Slugging Percentage in sixteen spring training games and started in center field for the 2008 Major League Baseball season opener against the Oakland Athletics on March 25 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. He hit his first home run of the season on April 6 off Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre leading off the top of the 3rd inning. He stole his first base of the season on April 12, off Mike Mussina and Jose Molina of the New York Yankees in the bottom of the first inning.^{[citation needed]}

On April 22, Ellsbury had his first career multi-home run game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He hit one solo shot off a Jered Weaver pitch in the first inning, and another off a Darren O'Day pitch in the sixth.^{[citation needed]}

On May 18 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park, Ellsbury was caught stealing on a pitch-out in the fourth inning, which ended a streak of 25 consecutive stolen bases to begin his career, two shy of the major league record held by Tim Raines in 1979.^[25] On May 30 with three steals against the Baltimore Orioles, he became the first Red Sox player to steal more than two bases in a game since Jerry Remy stole four on June 14; 1980; he then stole another three bases in the next game, and one more in the third game of the series, for a total of seven.^{[citation needed]}

On June 15, Ellsbury stole his 32nd base of the season, breaking the Red Sox rookie record, set 100 years earlier by Amby McConnell.^{[citation needed]}

He finished the season with 50 steals to lead the American League^{[citation needed]} and put him third on the list of Red Sox all-time stolen base leaders for a single season, behind Tommy Harper (54) in 1973 and Tris Speaker (52) in 1912.^{[citation needed]} He has also garnered praise for his defense in the outfield,^[who?] having played 178 games (1,430 innings) without committing an error in his major league career.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox.^[26]

2008 postseason[link]

Ellsbury hit .333, with a .400 OBP and a .567 Slugging Percentage with three stolen bases in the American League Division Series, in which the Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3–1 in the best-of-five series.^{[citation needed]}

In the second inning of Game 3 of the ALDS, Ellsbury hit the first three-run single in postseason history when Howie Kendrick and Torii Hunter let a pop-up fall to the ground between them.^[27] Shortly after, he stole second base.

After going 0–14 in the first three games of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Ellsbury was benched in favor of Coco Crisp with only a pinch hitting at-bat in game 4.^{[citation needed]} He did not play in games 5, 6 or 7, as the Sox eventually lost the series 4 games to 3.

2009[link]

Ellsbury at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays in September, 2009.

On April 12, Ellsbury played his 179th straight regular-season game without an error, breaking Mike Greenwell’s Red Sox franchise record for outfielders.^{[citation needed]} and on April 15, with six errorless chances, passed Coco Crisp for most errorless total chances by a center fielder, setting a new Red Sox franchise record of 433.^{[citation needed]}

On April 26, in a game against the New York Yankees, Ellsbury stole home while Andy Pettitte was in his windup. According to the April 26 edition of SportsCenter, Ellsbury's was the first steal of home plate by a Red Sox player with no other runners attempting to steal since Jeff Frye stole home in a game in 1999 and it was the first steal of home plate with no squeeze attempt or other runners attempting to steal (a "pure" steal of home) since Billy Hatcher in 1994. Following his return to the dugout after the steal, Red Sox fans called Ellsbury back for a curtain call for his performance.^{[citation needed]}

On May 20, Ellsbury tied a major league record for outfielders with twelve putouts in a nine-inning game, tying Earl Clark of the Boston Braves who did it against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10, 1929 and Lyman Bostock of the Minnesota Twins who did it against the Red Sox on May 25, 1977.^[28]

On May 27, Ellsbury went 0–3 to snap a 22-game hitting streak.^{[citation needed]}

On June 17, Ellsbury's streak of 232 games and 554 chances without an error ended at Fenway when he had a ball hit by Jorge Cantu of the Florida Marlins go off the top of his glove in the top of the first inning. It was the longest errorless streak by an outfielder in Red Sox history.^[29]

On August 21, Ellsbury tied Tommy Harper's Red Sox single season record for stolen bases (54), in a game against the New York Yankees, again facing Pettitte.^{[citation needed]} Ellsbury then broke the record with his 55th steal on August 25, against the Chicago White Sox.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury led the American League in stolen bases for the second consecutive year in 2009 with 70.^{[citation needed]} He also led the AL in triples with 10.^{[citation needed]}

Ellsbury won Defensive Player of the Year in MLB.com's annual This Year in Baseball Awards 2009.^[30]

2010[link]

During the offseason, Ellsbury changed his uniform number (with permission from the Red Sox and MLB) from 46 to 2. The number 2 had belonged to Brad Mills, the Red Sox' former bench coach, who left the organization to become the manager of the Houston Astros. Ellsbury has also worn number 23 in the past, but not in the majors.^{[citation needed]}

With the Red Sox signing free agent center fielder Mike Cameron and not re-signing left fielder Jason Bay, Ellsbury was moved to the starting left field position from center field. Ellsbury spent a considerable amount of time playing left field during the 2007 playoffs in late innings when players were being substituted, before earning the primary job in center field over Coco Crisp. The move was made as the result of Cameron's experience in center and inexperience in left. Ellsbury tends to play more flexibly and can thus be moved. Manager Terry Francona expressed excitement over the prospect of playing a true center fielder in left field, creating a larger fielding range and more aggressive style.^[31]

On April 11, Ellsbury collided with Red Sox third baseman Adrián Beltré, in a game against the Kansas City Royals. The collision resulted in hairline fractures to four of his left ribs. He was put on the 15-day disabled list on April 20. Ellsbury returned to the Red Sox on May 22.^{[citation needed]}

On May 28, Ellsbury returned to the 15-day DL after playing in only three games due to residual soreness in his left ribs from the collision with Beltré. He met with a thoracic specialist, who advised him that his ribs should be further along in the healing process before he would be able to play.^{[citation needed]} On July 26, Ellsbury started his rehab assignment with Single-A Lowell Spinners.^[32] He rejoined the Red Sox on August 4.^{[citation needed]} On August 9, he was the first baserunner since 1998 to steal four bases against the Yankees.^{[citation needed]}