BOSTON –– Tommy Harper and Jacoby Ellsbury spoke in the clubhouse yesterday, but the record that unites them did not come up.

In all likelihood, Harper was too modest to discuss it and Ellsbury too embarrassed. But it’s hard to believe it wasn’t on both their minds.

In 1973, 35 years ago, Harper stole 54 bases, setting a Red Sox franchise record, and this weekend, Ellsbury has a chance to break it.

A proud man, Harper nevertheless hopes it happens.

“I’ve had the record for a long time,” said Harper as he watched the Red Sox go through batting practice yesterday afternoon. “I would never root against him. I worked with him, so if it happens, I’d be happy for him. It would be neat, yeah.”

When Harper broke the franchise record in 1973, he topped the mark of Tris Speaker, who stole 52 in 1912. By then, Speaker had been dead for 15 years.

“To know the person (who breaks the record),” said Harper, “and to work with him, that would make it more special. Obviously, I wasn’t able to shake Tris Speaker’s hand, but I could shake Jacoby’s.”

By now, Harper, 67, expected the record would have been snapped. On June 1, just over a third of the way through the season, Ellsbury had 27 steals, exactly halfway to Harper’s single-season mark. “I had friends asking me, “Hey, Harp –– you think he’s going to break your record?’ ” recalled Harper chuckling. “I was saying, ‘Yeah, maybe next week.’ ”

But then, Ellsbury became tentative on the bases and his stolen base total stalled.

“It seemed,” Harper said, “like he and Ichiro [Suzuki] were stuck on 36 [steals] for about a month and a half.”

After Ellsbury got over his crisis of confidence on the base paths, he struggled at the plate. Unable to reach base consistently, his running game naturally suffered. Over the last six weeks, Ellsbury has reignited and needs five bases to tie Harper, six to beat him.

But it’s not Ellsbury’s stolen-base success alone that impresses Harper. He’s seen the rookie play all three outfield positions and play them well. He’s watched him fight through a midseason slump and make the necessary adjustments to boost his average to .275.

“And when he started to go poorly at the plate,” said Harper, “it never affected him at in the field. That tells me a lot about his character.”

So, too, does Ellsbury’s ability to integrate his running game into the Red Sox’ game plan. He hasn’t run for selfish reasons or to pad his total; he’s won, according to Harper, to help them win.

“When you have Dustin Pedroia hitting behind you at .327,” said Harper, “followed by Big Papi [ David Ortiz] and Jason Bay, you don’t want to give up too many outs.”

Harper approvingly notes that Ellsbury doesn’t run when his team is comfortably ahead or hopelessly behind. “Players in the other dugout notice that kind of stuff,” said Harper.

The stolen base may be enjoying a renaissance of sorts. In the ’90s and early part of this decade, when muscles bulged thanks to performance-enhancing supplements and home-run totals, the stolen base became an afterthought. Why take one base at a time, the thinking went, when one mighty, overly muscular swing of the bat could produce a run?

It wasn’t like the 1970s or 1980s, when 70 and 80 stolen-base seasons were almost commonplace.

“To steal 70 or 80 bags,” said Harper, “you’ve got to run when it’s not necessary. That’s just the way it is. You want bags that people admire and respect. We don’t need [the other kind].”

Harper watches Ellsbury’s technique, the way only one base stealer can admire another. He studies and critiques. He notes that Ellsbury’s leads are modest –– Harper was more aggressive –– and credits the outfielder’s explosive first step.

“I couldn’t steal the way he does,” said Harper with more than touch of admiration. “But if I told him to get out there a little more, it might mess him up.”

Last night, Ellsbury got on base in his first two at-bats –– a single in the first and a double in the second –– but each time, before he could contemplate a steal, Jed Lowrie produced base hits. Ellsbury scored twice.

That leaves just three games remaining, and six bases needed to become the all-time record holder. Making it more difficult, the Yankees have the catching tandem of Jose Molina and Pudge Rodriguez –– two of the toughest catchers in the game to run against.

If Ellsbury is going to top Harper, he’s going to have to earn it. But if it doesn’t happen this weekend, Ellsbury will make the record fall next year or the year after. It’s only a matter of time.

“That’s OK,” said a gracious Tommy Harper, smiling. “I’ll always have the Seattle Pilots [who were in existence for just one season] record [with 73 in 1969]. That one is mine.”

smcadam@projo.com