As this year's baseball playoffs begin, there is something to keep an eye on in Indian Country. Two of the most renowned franchises, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, each have a top baseball prospect; both of which are American Indian.
Jacoby Ellsbury, whose mother is full-blood Navajo, grew up on the Colorado River Reservation. He went to college at Oregon State where he had a strong college career. The Red Sox drafted him in the first round to play center field and he is known as the fastest player on the team.
Joba Chamberlain, on the other hand, took another path. After his father, Harlan, contracted polio while growing up on the Winnebago Reservation, he was forced to move to Lincoln, NE. Joba attended the University of Nebraska and also performed exceptionally at the college-level. Chamberlain signed with the Yankees in 2006 as a pitcher, and upon first seeing his son throw in a major-league uniform, Harlan cried tears of joy.
Perhaps now that Ellsbury and Chamberlain have arrived, they can finally get us past the distracting mascot issue. These two are not simply Natives baseball players. They are two of the best prospects in all of the game and have already shown they belong. I have always thought that if we had a modern-day Jim Thorpe, it would go a long way in changing how the typical Joe American views Natives. It would, also, likely have an impact on the little Indian boy or girl, who are looking for a player to cheer for. As Natives, knowing that these athletes exist helps give meaning to our own lives. It reassures us that we are not just a little speck on the corner of society, but we are actually active participants.
As most of America celebrates Columbus Day this year (Native American Day in South Dakota), I will be watching these two players represent. It seems only natural, since our ancestors occupied this "newly-discovered" land called America. And after all, what is more American than baseball?
