Only in Boston. I’ve been hearing these phony “trumped-up” sports stories my whole life following the Red Sox. The sports media take a minor topic and inflate it, twist it and redefine it into a “serious” item for sports talk shows and columnists to dwell on for many days.
Such is the case currently with centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury’s rib injuries. Ellsbury broke several ribs back in April when he collided with Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre during a game. He’s been recovering ever since and is expected to rejoin the team within the next few weeks.
So, what’s the controversy? A few talk show hosts and columnists have raised questions about: a) whether Ellsbury is “soft” and should have recovered faster or been willing to return by now and play hurt; b) why Ellsbury chose to recuperate and work out at for the past month at the Athletes’ Performance Institue (API) in Arizona instead of rehabilitating with his teammates; c) why Ellsbury – perhaps with the advice of agent Scott Boras – chose to publicly air his disagreements and dissatisfaction with the team’s doctors over how his injury was diagnosed and treated.
My reaction? This is not a big deal. Yeah, maybe it’s taken longer than some expected for Ellsbury’s ribs to heal. But, if he’s hurt, he’s hurt. No matter what details emerge about any behind-the-scenes dynamics, the bottom line is that Ellsbury cannot play until he’s ready. He tried a premature comeback weeks ago and suffered a setback. He needed more time for his ribs to heal. He has not been a “problem player.” The team can use his help right now. And, even though Ellsbury chose to work out at API rather than with the team – he did so with the team’s approval – making this, in my view, a fairly petty matter.
What bothers me is the extent of time that has been devoted to Ellsbury’s situation on sports talk radio over the past two or three weeks, particularly the past few days. Callers and hosts have steadily criticized Ellsbury without having all the facts. Plus, the facts they’ve cited do not amount to much of a substantive complaint. So, why do people dump all over a player and exaggerate things and vent obnoxiously? They seem to use players – in this case, Ellsbury – as a scapegoat for venting their own personal frustrations. The talk show hosts keep raising Ellsbury purely to drum up some entertainment with some conflict at the center.
Then, there has been the predictable criticism of Scott Boras, Ellsbury’s agent. Many critics of Ellsbury claim that Boras is behind Ellsbury’s prolonged recovery and that Boras typically advises clients to not play until they are 100 percent ready – especially before they become eligible for free agency. I’m not a big fan of Boras, but, in this case, I think he, too, is receiving more criticism than deserved.
I don’t know the facts. Perhaps Ellsbury is being perfectionistic about wanting to be completely healed before he tries playing. But, why are fans and radio talk shows wasting so much time on this topic? Only Ellsbury knows what he needs to feel ready. There is no evidence that he’s a “slacker” or a guy who does not want to play and help the team. There has been speculation – not backed up publicly – that when Ellsbury was in the minors – he had a reputation among some, for avoiding playing when he was hurt, but might have been able to play. I’ve heard that speculation from only a couple of individuals – either a talk show host or a baseball writer.
The irony is that Ellsbury is over-rated in Boston. Often fans and media have seemed to perceive Ellsbury as more skilled than he is.
In reality, he’s an average leadoff hitter with an average to mediocre on-base-percentage. He’s improved as a hitter, but, is still average. He still has trouble hitting breaking pitches, despite a bit of improvement. He’s a fairly good fastball hitter. He’s a very good centerfielder who makes so many diving catches that, at times, he appears to be an incredible, outstanding fielder. And, as everyone knows, he’s one of the fastest, best baserunners in the game with one of the highest numbers of “stolen bases” most years.
Ellsbury chose to speak up when he was puzzled and disappointed by the opinions given by the Red Sox doctors who originally diagnosed his rib injuries. At one early moment, when he requested an MRI of his ribs, a Red Sox doctor or representative replied: “We don’t do MRIs of bruises…” That remark, understandably, bothered Ellsbury, particularly when the MRI later showed multiple fractures in his ribs.
I am a big fan of the “Felger and Massarotti Show” on “98.5 – The Sports Hub” an excellent sports talk show in Boston; however, I’ve really disagreed with both hosts – Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti – for devoting so much time to discussing and criticizing Ellsbury on recent shows. Felger often likes to question if a player is “soft” or not and seems to think athletes should always “suck it up” and play with almost any injury. Some of this amounts to ludicrous “pseudo – “macho” banter. By the way, I wish Felger and Massarotti were more critical of JD Drew for missing so many games rather than dumping disproportionate criticism on Ellsbury. Drew, at least, has made it a practice to miss uncountable games when some felt he could play while Ellsbury has had this one episode as his only major example.
I have not been a huge fan of Jacoby Ellsbury in the past, but, when he comes back, I’ll be rooting for him more than usual because of all the unwarranted criticism and whining directed at him in recent weeks. Go get em, Jacoby!
