Baby Jesus in cleats

Low-key hero

Dedication, work ethic key to Ellbury's successThe New York Times had no problem calling Jacoby Ellsbury, then a mid-season recruit, the future of the Boston Red Sox.

Just this week, the Boston Globe practically pleaded with management to put him on the field full time.

In a recent issue, Men's Vogue called the first Navajo to play Major League Baseball, "Baby Jesus in cleats."

And through it all, Ellsbury, the 24-year-old outfielder born to a Navajo woman and her bilagaana husband, doesn't do what you would expect. He does not cheer on his own greatness in confident enthusiasm, nor does he dismiss the claims with exaggerated modesty.