More Jacoby: '[T]he future of the franchise'

At left, in only his third Major League appearance, Jacoby Ellsbury proved he can change a game with his speed and aggressiveness. At right, Jacoby, with his dad (far left) and mom, was honored in Oregon in November. (Left: Globe Staff / Jim Davis; right: William Hamilton / The Oregonian.)
Boston Globe Sunday Magazine: The Jacoby Factor
The question isn't whether he's ready for the Red Sox, it's whether they're ready for him.

[Ellsbury's younger brother] Matt says that with Jacoby, whom he and his brothers call Coby, "Basically, it's not over until he wins."

Nothing personal. Except it is.

That trait was blindingly obvious when it came to running races. "I was always the fastest kid. But I really worked on it. I didn't want to just be the fastest," Jacoby says. "I wanted to be by far the fastest." All through his school years, he never lost a race.