I lol'ed.
The first time Jacoby Ellsbury appeared in a big league game, Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young had no idea who he was. With nothing to go on, Young ran through his basic mental checklist. Ellsbury looked athletic. He was playing center field, so that suggested he could move. And he was left-handed, so he’d leave the batter’s box quickly. All those observations meant nothing, though, once Ellsbury hit a routine grounder to Young.“I go up on the ball and shuffle my feet a little,” Young recalled. “I figured I had plenty of time. Then I look up and all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Oh, (expletive), I’ve got to let this thing go.’ ” Ellsbury introduced himself to the American League by beating out that grounder for his first big league hit. Fenway Park erupted. Young’s jaw practically hit the dirt. He still jokes that Ellsbury’s first hit “came on my watch.”
“When he beat it out, I’m like, ‘All right, note to self: This guy’s really, really fast,’ ” Young said. “I got to the plate for my next at-bat and I turn around to Tek (catcher Jason Varitek) and said, ‘That kid’s pretty fast.’ He starts laughing: ‘You should have seen the look on your face after he crossed first base.’ ”
