Jacoby Ellsbury emerged from the tunnel underneath the dugout at Fenway Park early last night oozing with confidence.

The Red Sox rookie was penciled into the lineup to play center field and bat eighth in the order, replacing the struggling Coco Crisp as Boston prepared to face the Cleveland Indians in Game Six of the ALCS.

Not exactly the perfect time of the season to give a 24-year-old his first postseason start, not when your club trails in the series three games to two, and one loss means elimination. But it was indicative of the confidence the Red Sox have in their young players . . . and symbolic of how much things have changed in recent years.

Trying to incorporate young players into their roster for the Red Sox is a little more challenging than for some other teams because of the stakes, according to vice president of player personnel Ben Cherington.

Kevin Youkilis was the very first of the young farmhands to arrive, in 2004. He’s still around and has played an important role for this club. So too, this season, have Dustin Pedroia, Brandon Moss, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Ellsbury, Jon Lester and, before they were traded to Texas, Kason Gabbard and David Murphy.

“All of them have been great,” Pedroia said. “A lot of us played together in the minor leagues and we’ve all gone the same route. It’s huge when you have home-grown guys coming up. If you look at a lot of teams, like the Indians and Twins, they rely on their home-grown guys. It’s huge for the Red Sox to start doing that, and with our payroll it makes us that much better.”

Obviously, talent and hard work are the main factors allowing young players to reach this level. But staying and being accepted by the players, coaches and the manager, also factor into rookies’ being able to contribute.

“Our veteran players get it,” Cherington said. “They understand how to win and understand that they were young once, too, and needed a hand with certain things. We have guys who go out of their way to do that.”

Cherington thinks that another aspect of the organization’s successful formula lies with the club’s manager and the entire coaching staff.

Manager Terry Francona, pitching coach John Farrell, bullpen coach Gary Tuck, first-base coach Luis Alicea, hitting coach Dave Magadan, third-base coach De Marlo Hale, and bench coach Brad Mills all have one thing in common.

“Every single one spent time in the minor leagues as either a coach or manager,” Cherington said. “So they really understand what development is all about, and it doesn’t necessarily stop when a guy gets to the big leagues. We’re fortunate to have veteran players and a coaching staff that gets it and helps along the way.”

The players the Red Sox have drafted and brought up through the organization are not your typical run-of-the-mill developmental players, according to Moss, who was a September call-up but is not on the playoff roster.

“All these guys have special talent,” he said. “To come up in a system like this, and make it to the major leagues with a team like this, it takes a little more than just your everyday player. Because when you come up and play for a team like this, you’re expected to perform right away.”

That’s not exactly how every organization treats its young guys, but fortunately for the Red Sox, all the players they draft very quickly get accustomed to how the things work in Boston.

“A lot of guys have that rookie cushion a little bit,” Moss said. “Not here. It says a lot about these guys.”

All the aforementioned players have been successful when called up, so the future appears bright for the Red Sox.

“It definitely shows now that they are going to give guys opportunities,” Pedroia said. “It’s another way to make the organization that much better.”

And last night, it was Ellsbury’s chance.

He served as a spark plug during the season and posted a .353 average with three homers and 18 RBI. Every time he’s played, he’s contributed in a big way. So with Crisp struggling at the plate, Francona felt he needed to make a change.

“Tito is trying to put the best lineup together that he can,” Cherington said. “The lineup he thinks gives the team the best chance to win the game. I understand that’s very generic answer, but it’s true in this particular case.”

Before the game, Ellsbury appeared to be in complete control of his emotions, knowing this is a tremendous opportunity for him.

“I’m feeling good,” he said during batting practice.”I’ve been preparing for this since the start of the postseason. I’m just happy to get the start. I feel ready. . . On the days we don’t play, we take batting practice just like everybody else, so I’m ready.”

Nervous?

“I’m anxious,” he said. “There’s a nervousness, but that’s good. It keeps you on your toes.”

And he kept the Indians on their toes with an RBI single in the third inning, giving the Sox a 6-1 lead at the time. Then he turned on the jets and scored from first base on a double into the left-field corner by Julio Lugo, making it 8-1.

jmcdonal@projo.com