ELLSBURY

PAWTUCKET — Thou shalt not steal.

It’s rule No. 8 of the Ten Commandments.

But God wasn’t talking about baseball and stealing bases so PawSox manager Ron Johnson encourages his 23-year-old centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to steal bases as much as possible.

He’s good at it.

In fact, he’s the best base stealer that the PawSox have.

The PawSox leadoff batter is so good at stealing bases that Ellsbury has the potential to be one of Pawtucket’s all-time best base stealers in the history of the organization.

He has stolen six bases in 13 games for the PawSox so far. At that rate, Ellsbury may have a shot at breaking Lee Graham’s club record for stolen bases, 51, set back in 1983.

Of course, Ellsbury doesn’t actually want that to happen. He’d much rather get the call up to Boston. But putting his name in the PawSox record books for stolen bases would be a nice second prize.

Ellsbury says that he steals bases to give the PawSox a better chance to score runs.

“There are times in the game where [my teammates] need me on second base because we need to get a run in and that’s the time that I’ll try to get to [second base] any way possible, whether it’s reading the ball in the dirt advancing to second or stealing,” Ellsbury said last night after the PawSox game against Durham was rained out.

The game will not be made up.

“The guys hitting second and third know that I’ll be going quite a bit so they are willing to take a strike to let me get over to second,” Ellsbury continued. “It’s all about knowing the situation of the game and knowing when is a good time to go and when it’s a good time to back off a little bit.”

Since the Red Sox drafted Ellsbury with their first pick (23rd overall) of the 2005 June Draft, Ellsbury has stolen 84 bases. He has worked his way up from Lowell, to Wilmington, to Portland, to Pawtucket.

Ellsbury was promoted to Pawtucket on May 4, after batting .452 for Double-A Portland. He is hitting .256 for the PawSox with a triple, two RBI, and a .328 on-base percentage.

“It has been a good experience playing with a lot of guys that have the experience that I’m trying to get,” Ellsbury said about his promotion to Pawtucket. “I’ve learned quite a bit in Double A. At this level the pitchers pitch a little bit differently. They have more consistent stuff. They have better off-speed pitches so I’m just making the necessary adjustments that I need to do to succeed at this level.”

He said that the adjustments haven’t been too tough on him.

“It has been an adjustment but nothing huge,” said Ellsbury, who had a 19-game hitting streak earlier this year. “I think the biggest adjustment you make is going from A ball to Double-A, but at Triple A, you definitely notice the difference. I’m having a good time playing here so far.”

Ellsbury, who baseball experts frequently compare to former Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon, is just as good playing centerfield as he is at the plate. He was named the 2006 Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year and the 2006 Red Sox Minor League Base-Runner of the Year.

“It was a great honor to receive those awards,” Ellsbury said. “In our organization we have a lot of great defensive players and to get an award like that means a lot. There was a lot of hard work put into it like training in the offseason so hopefully I’ll continue to play well and continue to work hard and keep on developing that gift I’ve been given. That’s what the minor leagues are about — to work hard, to develop, and to get better each day.”

Receiving accolades are nothing new for him.

At Oregon State, Ellsbury was named the 2005 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year and was selected as a first team All-American by both Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

He grew up on the West Coast, but was excited about being drafted by Boston.

“I was very excited,” Ellsbury said. “I had been to the East Coast once before when I played in the Cape Cod League and got a taste of Red Sox Nation when I was in college. When I got drafted by the Red Sox my first thought was that they have a great tradition. Baseball means a lot to them and their fans. They enjoy people that go out there and play hard and compete and I’m just happy to be a part of that right now so it has been fun so far.”

He said that he loves it that Red Sox fans are such die-hard fans.

“Every day I’m getting a little bit more of a taste of Red Sox Nation,” Ellsbury said. “Once you get a little bit closer to Boston you really start to feel it. When you are in A ball you start to feel it. When you are in Double-A ball you feel it a little bit more. Triple-A, you really start to feel it and obviously when you hit the big leagues, you are there.”

Ellsbury attributes all of his achievements so far to his work ethic. It’s his work ethic, he said, that will one day lead him to the big leagues.

“I think I’m far from my potential right now and every day I’m gaining a little bit more knowledge and I’m getting better and that’s what it’s all about,” Ellsbury said. “I’m just going to keep on playing hard, developing, and getting better. When the call comes, hopefully I will have worked hard enough to be ready to contribute. I’m excited for the opportunities ahead of me.”

rlee@projo.com