"Jacoby MaCabe Ellsbury, the first Native American of Navajo descent to reach the Major Leagues and member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, is one of those rare athletes who are good at every sport they play. Born to Jim and Margie Ellsbury, Jacoby was a great basketball, football, and baseball player in high school. In his senior year, Jacoby hit .681 and had 82 stolen bases.

Ellsbury’s rareness reached new heights this season, as he joined only six other players in major league baseball history and the first ever for the Boston Red Sox to have 30 or more home runs, 30 or more steals, 200 or more hits and 100 or more RBIs in a single season. He joins the likes of Hank Aaron, Alex Rodriguez and Valdimir Guerrero.

The question for Red Sox fans, second after “how in the world did they collapse and not make the playoffs?” is whether their one shining light will win the American League’s Most Valuable Player award, which would make him the first American Indian to earn the distinction.

Before we take a longer look at Ellsbury’s mind-blowing 2011 season, let’s take a look back on the road Ellsbury took in becoming the best player on a very talented, if under achieving, team."

Get the Story:
Ralph Richardson: Why Jacoby Ellsbury Should be the American League MVP (Indian Country Today 10/8)