Nancy Tuthill: Jacoby Ellsbury, Navajo, is true poetry in motion

Monday, August 22, 2011  

When I watch Jacoby Ellsbury play major league baseball, I clearly see what "poetry in motion" is. His Gazelle-like leaping with elegance and ease to catch a high ball near the center field fence and his speed and suddenness of Lightning sprints to steal a base, even home plate, is electrifying. His baseball skills defines "poetry in motion" and Jacoby, literally is "in motion" to set some impressive milestones.

As a Quapaw Indian woman, who grew up on a farm near Quapaw, Oklahoma, my favorite athlete was Mickey Mantle. There was a time when everyone thought his mother was part Indian, but I do not have proof of this.

I actually got his autograph when I was 12 and he was one of the best baseball players ever, including winning the American League Triple Crown. I was in the football stands watching my older brother play football for Quapaw High School and Mickey was watching his younger brother play for Commerce High School. I was so excited just to see him but to get his autograph was the highlight of my young life.

Now, as a senior citizen, I have a new hero and he is a Navajo baseball player who we can all cheer for as a role model, Jacoby Ellsbury. Even if you cannot play baseball on the reservation or in the city, young Natives can go to college and study to become a school teacher, librarian, actor, artist, doctor or lawyer. Or go to vocational school to become a mechanic or IT specialist. Look at Jacoby and follow your dream.

Jacoby Ellsbury, an excellent athlete in High School, turned down Tampa Bay in 2002 when they drafted him. By attending college at Oregon State, he had the opportunity to study Business Communication while playing one of the sports he loved. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2005 and he played in the farm leagues until called up in September 2007. He was later named by MLB as the American League's Rookie of the month for September 2007, which included his games played in the World Series.

Jacoby was born in Madras, Oregon, in 1993 and was destined for greatness in Boston, Massachusetts. His full blood Navajo mother, from the Colorado River Indian Reservation, makes his favorite "fry bread" and who wouldn't? It makes me hungry just thinking about it. His father is non-Indian and a Forester for the Bureau of Indian Affairs working at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

After only three years playing for the Red Sox, his skills in stealing bases allowed him to be the best in the American League in 2008 with 50 stolen bases and in 2009 with 70 stolen bases. Unfortunately, in 2010 he was injured and had to nurse broken ribs. When he returned to play after fracturing four ribs, he re-injured his ribs, and was out for the remainder of of the season.

He earned numerous honors and awards in College, included records at Oregon State and the PAC 10. Then in the major league: Red Sox World Series Championship team in 2007, Red Sox Rookie of the Year in 2008, MLB.COM Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, and the All Star Team in 2011. Ellsbury received over 100,000 votes on the last day of voting. I was one of those people who voted all my 12 votes for Jacoby, did you?

Now in 2011, Ellsbury is showing everyone his versatility by hitting over 22 Home Runs with 39 games left in the season. As an Major League All Star, he has already made it into the 20 20 club with 20 stolen bases and 20 home runs, making him one of a handful of Red Sox to do this. In 2011 he could make it into the 30 30 club, as he already has 22 Home Runs and 33 Stolen Bases. According to Cash Cruth of MLB.COM, Jacoby is one of five players on pace to make 200 hits by the end of the season. Impressively, he is also in the top three in almost all offensive statistics for the Red Sox.

Jacoby also is a philanthropist donating to: The Navajo Relief Fund, Project Bread; and, Ellsbury - Read Project.

As a Native American Indian he is a role model not just to Navajos but to all Native kids and teens. Let's wish Jacoby all the best in his future endeavors.

Nancy Tuthill is a member of the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma. She was formerly with the American Indian Law Center, UNM School of Law, and she recently retired from ABC Television Network.