Jacoby Ellsbury feels right at home.
The New York Yankees aren’t playoff bound and Ellsbury’s season ended prematurely because of a hamstring injury. As the center fielder reflects on his first season in the Bronx after parts of eight seasons with the Boston Red Sox, however, he can’t help but be satisfied by how everything unfolded.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I like that comfort. I’d never been anywhere else. I like the, I always wanted to play for one team,” Ellsbury told WEEI.com’s Alex Speier before Friday’s game against his former team at Fenway Park. “It obviously didn’t work out that way. But this has been an unbelievable season in the sense of, the guys walking in the clubhouse. I’ve loved my first season in New York. I loved everything about it. I’m excited about the future. I’m excited about the next, at least, six years.”
Ellsbury hit .271 with 16 homers, 70 RBIs, a .328 on-base percentage and 39 stolen bases this season after signing a seven-year, $153 million contract with the Yankees over the offseason. The 31-year-old obviously is expected to be a big part of the Yankees’ future, and he may be asked to assume more of a leadership role with shortstop Derek Jeter retiring after a legendary career.
“No one’s going to replace Jeter — 20 years in one organization, five championships, all the statistics. You just try to be yourself, for me, lead by example and try to do everything the right way,” Ellsbury told Speier. “I know these guys in this clubhouse, like I said, are excited about next year. The goal is to get into the postseason and make a run every year. That expectation of it, I enjoy that. The fans enjoy it. They have high expectations. That’s one of the biggest reasons I chose New York, was because of that. I think you just have to be yourself.”
Ellsbury helped the Red Sox win two World Series titles after being drafted by Boston in the first round in 2005. The three-time stolen base champion was presented with a free-agent offer he couldn’t refuse, though, and his transition into a new organization has been smooth on a personal level despite a couple of hiccups.
