Ellsbury speeds way toward spot in Sox outfield

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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Ask Boston Red Sox minor league instructor and coordinator Lou Frazier about the potential of top prospect Jacoby Ellsbury and his eyes sparkle, even in on a bright, sunny day afternoon in western Florida.

“The sky’s the limit with this kid,” said Frazier, whose official title is outfield/baserunning coordinator. “We never like to put a timetable on things, but guys don’t come around very often like him.

“I see some of the things in this kid that I did with some of the better base stealers when I was playing. I think he accelerates like Rickey Henderson, but he just doesn’t have the feel for stealing bases yet and his sliding technique needs work.”

Rickey Henderson? That’s a pretty lofty comparison. Then again, Ellsbury has already generated a lot of those, most notably to a former speedster who patrolled center field for the Red Sox and inspired his own legion of bearded fans before signing with the New York Yankees last year.

“It’s a great compliment to be compared to someone of his caliber, but I’m trying to be my own player,” said the 23-year-old native Oregonian. “I’ve watched him play, but I’ve watched a lot of center fielders play and I try to incorporate something from each of them.”

Since being drafted 23rd overall as Boston’s top selection in the 2005 first-year player (amateur) draft, Ellsbury has been quickly climbing the organizational ladder.

Ellsbury batted .317 with a home run, 19 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases in 35 games for Single-A Lowell (Mass.) in 2005. He began 2006 with Single-A Wilmington (N.C.) and hit .299 with four homers, 32 RBIs, and 25 steals in 61 games before getting promoted to Double-A Portland. In 50 games with the Sea Dogs, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound speed merchant hit .308 with two homers, 24 RBIs, and 25 steals. He has been caught stealing 20 times in 84 attempts as a pro.

“Right now, I think I’m a good base stealer, but at the next level, to be considered a base stealer, it’s not about speed anymore, it’s about technique and reading the pitchers,” said Ellsbury, who incorporated a lot more weightlifting into his offseason workout regimen to handle the rigors of a 162-game season. “That’s what I’m working on right now.”

To that end, the Sox made a surprising move Friday by cutting Ellsbury from the major league camp and sending him to the minor league camp just down the road. The move was done to get the blue-chip prospect more intensive, one-on-one instruction.

“That’s where I come in,” said Frazier, who, along with Sox first base coach Luis Alicea, has been working with Ellsbury since the first day of camp. “A fast guy without technique isn’t going to be very successful.”

Even since his demotion to the minor league camp, Ellsbury’s name keeps coming up in conversation. Then again, it’s hard to ignore a guy rated Boston’s top prospect and No. 33 overall among all minor league baseball prospects by Baseball America.

“I’m human, so I guess it’s nice to get recognition, but I want to keep going right up that list and at some point, I don’t want to be a prospect anymore,” said the lefthander. “I want to be a player.”

There’s not much question about Ellsbury’s talent, but Frazier says there’s still some work to be done.

“This is a guy who can turn a ballgame around just with his speed,” Frazier said. “He can do a lot of things defensively and offensively, once he gets on base. But that’s the key, getting on base.”

Even if Ellsbury reaches his potential, would a notoriously slow-footed organization such as Boston, which has historically eschewed stealing and preferred to wait for the two- or three-run homer, dare to give the speedster the green light?

“I don’t think in the past they’ve had someone like Ellsbury, but I think he can change the game around and I don’t think they’ll hold him down,” said Frazier. “He’ll have a permanent green light.”

Injury inoculation?

After a late summer rash of injuries debilitated the Red Sox pennant chase last season, the thought by some fans was Boston might try to institute some changes in its offseason training regimen. But short of encouraging players to stick to their prescribed workout regimens and maintaining the best possible shape, the Sox haven’t done anything radical.

“It’s part of the game, so you just have to keep doing what you’re doing,” said knuckleball starting pitcher Tim Wakefield, who was limited to 23 starts last season with a rib cage fracture. “Unfortunately, a lot of those injuries happened at the same time and it swept the rug right out from under us, but I think guys have gone home and just prepared as they normally would.”

Team captain and catcher Jason Varitek was another player bitten by the injury bug last year.

“I don’t know. You have to prepare as you normally do to be strong when you’re ready to go, but injuries are part of the game,” said Varitek, who played in only 103 games due to a left knee injury. “You can do things to try and prevent them, but freak things happen.”

Rookie phenom closer Jonathan Papelbon is making steady progress this spring as he makes the transition from reliever to starter. He’s also looking strong after missing the last month of last season with shoulder soreness.

“We just try to build off of last year. We’re not trying anything radical,” said Papelbon, who pitched in a minor league camp game against Pawtucket Monday afternoon.

The 26-year-old Papelbon threw 64 pitches, 42 of which were strikes, in 3 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, and a walk while striking out four batters.

Sign here please

The Red Sox agreed to contract terms with 13 players Sunday and renewed the contracts of two others, bringing the total number of players under contract through the 2007 season to all 40 on their major league roster.

First baseman Kevin Youkilis and pitcher Javier Lopez had their contracts renewed. Those agreeing to one-year contracts are pitchers Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, Nick DeBarr, Kason Gabbard, Devern Hansack, Kyle Jackson, Edgar Martinez, and David Pauley; second baseman Dustin Pedroia; catcher George Kottaras; and outfielders David Murphy and Brandon Moss.

Anybody need tickets?

As of Thursday, the Red Sox had sold 2,504,388 tickets to games at Fenway Park during the upcoming regular season. That figure is a record total for March 8 and is an increase of 108,811 over the total sold on this same date last year.