Re: Sox tidbits

from http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/10/21/he_made_the_tough_call/?page=1

Francona believes in staying with the players who got him to the playoffs and angered many fans by sticking with Mark Bellhorn when the quiet second baseman struggled early in the 2004 postseason. Ultimately, the manager's patience was rewarded as Bellhorn got some big hits in the biggest games.

He waited with Crisp as long as he could, but he finally capitulated and said, "You get to a point where - I always talk about doing the right thing, and I felt like this was in the best interest of our ball club."

How did Crisp take the news?

"I didn't expect Coco to jump up and hug me," said Francona. "If I was him, I wouldn't either. So we try to do it correctly and with respect and give him reasons why."

The 24-year-old Ellsbury was drafted out of Oregon State two years ago and advanced rapidly through the Sox system. He started the 2007 season in Double A Portland, moved up to Pawtucket, and came to the big leagues for two stints. In 22 games (15 starts), he hit .353 with three homers and 18 RBIs. He was not caught in nine stolen base attempts. He made spectacular plays in the outfield. He was compared with a young Fred Lynn or Johnny Damon.

Ellsbury is of Navajo descent and was scouted by the Indians when he was in college. They seriously considered drafting him and asked if he would have any problems wearing a cap adorned with the hideous image of Chief Wahoo. Ellsbury said he was not offended by the team name or mascot, but last week he told the Globe, "You can look at it that it's offensive or you can look at it that they are representing native Americans. Usually, I'll take the positive out of it."