CENTER FIELD :: Joba Stealing Jacoby's Thunder?

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Joba Stealing Jacoby's Thunder?

There's been a whole lot of hoopla recently about your favorite Yankee reliever and mine, Joba Chamberlain. And one of the biography points that gets discussed the most in articles about Joba's hard luck story is his Native American heritage- his dad is full-blood Winnebago Indian. What's more, the New York Daily News, CBS Sportsline, Baseball Reference, HuskerExtra and MiLB.com have all stated that Joba is the highest-drafted Native American in history.

Problem is: that's not true. Jacoby Ellsbury is.

Jacoby Ellsbury is Navajo- he was actually born on a reservation and lived there for six years, and is the first Navajo to play in the major leagues. Here's a great story on his Native American heritage from the Boston Globe and another from the New York Times. (side note: someone - I'm looking at you, NESN- needs to ask Jacoby to sing a Navajo song on camera, because I would love to see that.)

Jacoby Ellsbury was drafted #23 overall in the 2005 draft.
Joba Chamberlain was drafted #41 overall in the 2006 draft.

Jacoby, not Joba, is the highest-drafted Native American baseball player ever.

As best I can tell, Baseball America noted in a pre-draft piece in 2006 that Joba would be the highest-drafted Native American when he was taken with one of the first ten picks... but he wasn't taken in the Top 10 -- he wasn't drafted until the Yankees selected him at #41 with a sandwich pick in compensation for Tom Gordon. Somehow, the prospective statement based on a future event that never happened turned into a statement of fact- and then the rest of those writers linked above just ran with the statement without bothering to check their facts.

The Sports Column has an interesting piece on Native American players in the majors (along with Jacoby and Joba, there are only two more around- Kyle Lohse, Phillies pitcher, and Bobby Madritsch, who isn't currently active).

Comments (15)

[ Ian ] says:
on September 5, 2007 9:18 PM

Your facts are correct. Not surprising though to see a lazy writer from the Daily News not get his facts.

Good stuff Texy.

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on September 5, 2007 9:57 PM

Another new chapter in the Joba vs. Red Sox feud book - this time, the Red Sox phenom rookie beats the Yankees phenom rookie.

[ Billy ] says:
on September 6, 2007 9:49 AM

Excellent, I'm always up to hear about my peoples making it into the bigs. It's a rare thing to come from a reservation and succeed that way. Thanks.
(btw, I'm jicarilla apache from Dulce, NM reservation.)

[ Ian ] says:
on September 6, 2007 6:30 PM

Any hate mail yet or things status quo in Texy's world.

[ Red Sox Monster ] says:
on September 6, 2007 11:56 PM

Nice catch on this. It'll be interesting to see if they STILL do it now....

[ Steve ] says:
on September 8, 2007 11:18 AM

Winnebago? So they drive mobile homes instead of opening up casinos?

[ Dalt ] says:
on September 11, 2007 2:16 PM

No, Joba is not stealing any thunder. Both are talented Native Americans. Both have different backgrounds. Both will bring only more hatred to the bitter Yankees and Red Sox rivalry.

I also caught that draft error in the news stories. I don't know how so many publications could have got it wrong.

Great piece, but what I can quite understand is why the author had to mention, "(Jacoby) was actually born on a reservation and lived there for six years."

Um, ok. Joba was born in Lincoln, Neb., about an 90 minute drive to the Winnebago reservation. No, he didn't grow up there but that shouldn't take away any of his Native credibility.

Let the two Native talents grow. We shouldn't be knocking them down by any means. Both are great role models for Native children. It will be a great day when Joba and Jacoby meet on the diamond.

Good luck men.

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on September 11, 2007 2:23 PM

I mentioned Jacoby being born on a reservation for two reasons: (1) to back up my statement that he is, in fact, a Native American, and was raised with that heritage as a major part of his childhood culture, and (2) because I found it interesting. Joba's Native heritage shaped a huge part of who he is now, and I was trying to cut off any questions about whether or not Jacoby was similarly raised- or was one of those people who pulls the old "my grandmother's sister's husband was 1/16th Cherokee" type deals.

I never said Joba not being born on reservation makes him any less of a Native American- so if you read that into what I wrote, that's disappointing.

This is not a contest to see who is "more" Native American- because that would be pointless and stupid. There is no contest: they both are.

This is a question of a baseball record- stats and record books are the foundation of the sport, and it's extremely important, therefore, that those records are factually accurate. It's also a question of reporters who are fail to fact-check before they write something.

[ Native Oregonian ] says:
on September 17, 2007 6:21 PM

Jacoby was born near the Warm Springs Indian Reservation but not on it. He was in fact born in the border town called Madras. His mother relocated to Central Oregon but is not from here. He was raised with his mother's Navajo teachings but was not raised "on" the reservation. We, Central Oregonians are very proud of Jacoby and have to thank his mother Marjorie and for relocating to our area and raising such an awesome young man. I feel both of these atheletes do a great job in representing the native culture. As there are not many natives who make it to this level of play. We all hold them as our own even if they are not from our tribe.

[ Barbara Peterson ] says:
on September 29, 2007 10:58 PM

Jacoby was not born on a reservation, nor did he live on one for six years. He lived in Madras, just outside a reservation - which does not have Navajos on it. He spent 1 year on a Navajo reservation in Arizona when he was 12 eyars old. His mother has taught him some Navajo, but he is not fluent. He does know some songs, however. He is proud of his heritage, but he integrates so well into mainstream America because he was not raised on a reservation.

[ Barbara Peterson ] says:
on September 29, 2007 11:00 PM

Oops, sorry, Native Oregonian. Didn't see that you had already made that correction.

[ Native Oregonian ] says:
on October 1, 2007 6:21 PM

Jacoby did live on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation very briefly before moving to the border town Madras...so that part is correct. Both his mother and father still work on the reservation but both reside in Madras.

[ rezpoet ] says:
on October 2, 2007 12:53 PM

The important thing is now our kids have big league native ball players to look up to. I love the BoSox so naturally I hate the Yankees but I will still cheer for Joba Chamberlain.

[ byron abeyta ] says:
on October 22, 2007 4:14 PM

yeah both are Native American and i as a native american from New Mexico am proud that their are native figures in the league..GO SOX!!!

[ gemini7 ] says:
on July 27, 2008 4:07 PM

I'm happy and proud for Jacoby Ellsbury. It was only recent that I discovered him through my boyfriend who is from MA and was born into the Red Sox. We met a year and half ago and I've known the Red Sox only for that short period. I love the Red Sox now since knowing about the history going way back to Babe Ruth and the curse. It's just a horrible tragedy that the Red Sox have gone through so much but I'm happy for the Red Sox that they have pulled themselves through all along with the fans who never gave up from the grandparents who never had a chance to see them finally win! It's just so nice that Boston Red Sox have regained their pride and Red Sox Nation power! Everytime I see them play, I see glowing team players that are successful and really know how to rock the field! I don't like the word hate, but after learning what happened to the Red Sox with their sufferings and defeats, I am not happy to see the Yankees play. Ever since I've invited the Red Sox into my life, I will never be the same person again. I enjoy music preferably trance, techno and can't have Yankee lover DJ's anymore. It doesn't matter they won't have me as their fan either because I love the Red Sox. Although I'm not from MA or was born into it, I still love the Red Sox Nation because Jacoby needs me and all his Navajo Nation sisters and brothers to support him all the way! The Red Sox has changed my life in some way but it's positive and Jacoby and the success story behind him and the Red Sox Nation inspires me to live better. I lived on the Navajo reservation tens years of my life and lived the rest of the years in large cities. I know the hardships and the broken lives that take place on reservations. For people like Jacoby and Joba is a proof that Native Americans can lead successful lives too. Native Americans have suffered alot in the past and there was alot of bloodshed but some of us have moved on. Today we also have professional Native Americans that hold positions as doctors, lawyers and other professions. Anyone can be a success! Jacoby is the best and the Red Sox rules!!!

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