Series hero Ellsbury is ready to play CF for Boston

Jacoby Ellsbury batted .438 in Boston's World Series sweep of the Rockies last October. J. Meric/Getty Images Sport

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It is past 5 p.m. on a gray and blustery early March day at the City of Palms Park, the spring home of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox. An hour after a ho-hum exhibition win over the Pirates, stars Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are long gone from the Boston clubhouse. Daisuke Matsuzaka, this afternoon's starter, has dressed, done news conferences in both English and in Japanese and disappeared into the afternoon. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, known for his work ethic, wandered off more than an hour ago. First baseman Kevin Youkilis has slipped out.

Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, the sage old veterans, phenom Jonathan Papelbon (who also pitched in the game), right fielder J.D. Drew and reliever Hideki Okajima are outta here. Manager Terry Francona, who dutifully talked with the press after the game, showered and met with some with his coaches, walked out a while ago.

Truth be told, virtually every coach and player on the big-league club -- maybe every one -- has taken off by now.

Except Jacoby Ellsbury.

The World Series hero, the pride of Madras, Ore., and the best bet to be the starting center fielder for the defending champions finally emerges from the clubhouse with a sheepish grin and a quick, "Hey."

Ellsbury is a busy man this spring. He has a job to win. Workouts to keep up with. At-bats to break down. People to meet. Obligations to keep.

It's been that kind of whirlwind few months for the 24-year-old Ellsbury. Heck, it's been that kind of breakneck career for Boston's first pick in the 2005 draft. "It's happened quickly," he says, leaning forward on a lawn chair outside of the team's clubhouse. "But I told myself in the minor leagues to be prepared for anything. You never know when you're going to get that opportunity. So always be ready for it."

Ellsbury, probably more than anyone, recognizes what he has in front of him this spring. After wowing the team and its fans late last season, and galloping through the postseason as if it were just another weight to be lifted or another base to be stolen, Ellsbury is in a fight to become Boston's every-day center fielder.

It's clear to those around the team that the Red Sox want Ellsbury to win the job. But the team hasn't been able to trade the other center fielder on the roster, Coco Crisp, and Francona and others are quick to remind everybody -- probably because they don't want to sully his trade value -- that Crisp, don't forget, is the incumbent.

The Sox, as it looks right now, could end up with both Crisp and Ellsbury on the Opening Day roster. And Ellsbury, for what it's worth, has been struggling in his first few games of the spring. Crisp hasn't been playing nearly as much.

Who will be the starter if both break camp with the Sox? The smart money remains clearly on Ellsbury. But nothing, officially, has been settled, and true to his nature -- and being the smart guy that he is -- Ellsbury is not about to take anything for granted.

"I know my role. I'm a young player. I'm here to help the team," Ellsbury says. "If I get the starting spot, I'm going to do everything I can to help the team. If I don't, then I'm going to do everything I can to help the team.

"Maybe my time's not now. Maybe it's next year. Maybe it's two years from now. But I'm not going to sit back and not compete. I'm going to do everything I can to earn it."

Ellsbury made a convincing case for the job with a stellar debut last year. He got his first call up in late June and fared well his first week. But it wasn't until he became a regular in September -- Francona put him in the lineup even as the Yankees were bearing down on Boston -- that it was evident that Ellsbury belonged. In 26 September games, 23 of them starts, (eight in center field in place of Crisp) Ellsbury hit .361 with a .390 on-base percentage. He had 10 extra-base hits and stole eight bases.

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