77 replies to this topic

[Flynn4ever]

Yes, as pointed out elsewhere he was an asshole, but he was our asshole. I completely understood fans of the other teams hating him for the same reason I loved him, he played hard, he bitched a lot and he got dirty. Yes, he has worn out his welcome here, but I'm glad he got to go out to applause. He was one of the 25 (barely in 2004, majorly in 2007) and he is a gamer. I hope Billy Beane finds some money to get the long-coveted Greek God of Walks in the offseason. Thanks Youks.

[Andrew]

Now I'll never get to see his crank.

[Al Zarilla]

It appeared, well, from my blurry vantage point, that Youks was the good soldier riding the Paw-Bos shuttle early in his career. He had a lot of big hits and made a lot of great plays in the field for my team. Pedey liked him. All good enough for me. Thanks a million, Youks.

[shepard50]

Youks was a homemade product at a time when we weren't making so many of them. He brought more power than I ever thought he'd have and his defence was all upside. His crazy batting stance actually worked - and I was always glad his sweaty, sweaty face was on our side.

Thank you Kevin, there is no graceful way to go out when you have left it all on the field. And that's a shame.

That said, Iwouldn't be at all surprised if you had a few big years of resurgence.

Edited by shepard50, 24 June 2012 - 06:00 PM.

[Hendu's Gait]

http://boston.redsox...556463&c_id=bos

[Savin Hillbilly]

I will say something that I suspect not many will echo. I liked Kevin Youkilis. I liked him for calling out Manny, I liked him for getting annoyed with the umpires (though yeah, he did overdo it at times). I liked the fact that he was a sarcastic, against-the-grain type, because in a baseball clubhouse I would probably be like that too. I always suspected that the guys he got along worst with were the Becketts and Lackeys and Drews, the good-ol-boys. (I thought it telling that Pedroia, a very different personality but also, it seemed, a bit of an outsider in that beer-video universe, was the one to jump on Valentine for dissing Youk.) I liked the fact that he succeeded with a bad body and a bad attitude.

Beyond personality, Youk was, in his 2008-2010 prime, an absolute beast at the plate. Over that three-year stretch he topped the AL in OPS, wOBA and wRC+, was 2nd in OBP and SLG, 4th in WAR, 5th in WPA, 6th in BABIP, and tied for 5th in ISO. His peak lasted such a relatively short time that it's easy to forget, in the light of the past two seasons, what an elite hitter he was.

And then there was his defense. He was a solid 3B when healthy, but he was an outstanding 1B. He had a 3B's quick reactions, soft hands, and great instincts--up there with the best I've seen--about how to handle the tricky 1B plays like balls hit between him and the 2B or between him and the pitcher.

Beyond all that, his competitiveness. I would put him up there with Dwight Evans on the list of Sox players in my lifetime who excelled at making the most of average speed. Dewey was a little faster than Youk, but Youk was, I think, just as good at the mental part of baserunning--balancing hustle with good judgment to make the most out of each situation.

The rise of Middlebrooks, combined with Youk's injury-fueled decline, made this deal inevitable. But Youk deserves huge love and gratitude from Sox fans. He has been a great player for us and a key contributor to the best era of Sox baseball since the 1910's.

Edited by Savin Hillbilly, 24 June 2012 - 06:33 PM.

[Dick Pole Upside]

I'm with you all the way, SH.

Youk played to win, always. Busted it at all times for the team. Gave everything he had on the field.

His time was up. Hope he finds whatever he needs and wants in the remainder of his career.

Thank you, Kevin!

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Hear, hear. You're not the only one who actually liked that damn badger.

[fineyoungarm]

I will say something that I suspect not many will echo. I liked Kevin Youkilis. I liked him for calling out Manny, I liked him for getting annoyed with the umpires (though yeah, he did overdo it at times). I liked the fact that he was a sarcastic, against-the-grain type, because in a baseball clubhouse I would probably be like that too. I always suspected that the guys he got along worst with were the Becketts and Lackeys and Drews, the good-ol-boys. (I thought it telling that Pedroia, a very different personality but also, it seemed, a bit of an outsider in that beer-video universe, was the one to jump on Valentine for dissing Youk.) I liked the fact that he succeeded with a bad body and a bad attitude.

Beyond personality, Youk was, in his 2008-2010 prime, an absolute beast at the plate. Over that three-year stretch he topped the AL in OPS, wOBA and wRC+, was 2nd in OBP and SLG, 4th in WAR, 5th in WPA, 6th in BABIP, and tied for 5th in ISO. His peak lasted such a relatively short time that it's easy to forget, in the light of the past two seasons, what an elite hitter he was.

And then there was his defense. He was a solid 3B when healthy, but he was an outstanding 1B. He had a 3B's quick reactions, soft hands, and great instincts--up there with the best I've seen--about how to handle the tricky 1B plays like balls hit between him and the 2B or between him and the pitcher.

Beyond all that, his competitiveness. I would put him up there with Dwight Evans on the list of Sox players in my lifetime who excelled at making the most of average speed. Dewey was a little faster than Youk, but Youk was, I think, just as good at the mental part of baserunning--balancing hustle with good judgment to make the most out of each situation.

The rise of Middlebrooks, combined with Youk's injury-fueled decline, made this deal inevitable. But Youk deserves huge love and gratitude from Sox fans. He has been a great player for us and a key contributor to the best era of Sox baseball since the 1910's.

$10 says Carlton Fisk agrees with you.

Edited by fineyoungarm, 24 June 2012 - 06:37 PM.

[Redkluzu]

He was my home boy. Cincy all the way. And I wish Cincy had traded for him.

Edited by Redkluzu, 24 June 2012 - 06:38 PM.

[Marbleheader]

Youk was amazing to watch at the plate.  For most of his career ,  he managed to exceed expectations and get every ounce of production he could out of his talent.  Defensively,  he was good at third,  but I hoped for his sake he could go somewhere he could play first,  where he was fantastic.  The timing is right for both sides to part company.  Fitting end today.

[JimBoSox9]

He was our Paul O'Neill, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. In a funny way, he's the most admirable hitter I've ever seen - he wasn't an elite natural talent, he didn't have a classic stroke, he had some holes in his swing, but he could work a count and grind an AB better than anyone. His approach and mentality with injury makes him the quintessential "coach's dream" (although maybe not in the clubhouse). He was a pleasure to watch and I hope his demise has been prematurely reported.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Lots of good comments here.

I'll just add that I really dislike some of the negative comments about him in some of the threads around here. The guy owes Boston fans nothing - he played hard for the Red Sox and helped them win some championships. He can't help it that age and injuries have caught up to him a bit. In fact, I suspect he was more aggravated with those things slowing him down than any fans ever were.

[Laser Show]

This is all I've got:



Thanks for everything Youk.

[HriniakPosterChild]

He sent PN23 to the sandbox. Thanks, Youk.

[dbn]

Youks was always the Red Sox that I was a huge fan of because he was a really good Red Sox, but never really liked all that much. Sort of the "love but not like" deal. Now I immediately feel a similar regret to that which I've felt after the breakups with the few great girlfriends I'd had for whom I only focused on what I didn't like about them.

[Sprowl]

I will say something that I suspect not many will echo. I liked Kevin Youkilis...
...
And then there was his defense. He was a solid 3B when healthy, but he was an outstanding 1B. He had a 3B's quick reactions, soft hands, and great instincts--up there with the best I've seen--about how to handle the tricky 1B plays like balls hit between him and the 2B or between him and the pitcher.

I'll echo that. Youkilis was always one of my favorite Red Sox, for 2007, his batting eye and Greek divinity, his unexpected power development, 2004, It gets better, and his irascibility, roughly in that order.

Youkilis was an uneven defender, hindered recently by his deteriorating health, but he was a great 1B in 2007, when he saved Julio Lugo from countless errors, and a great 3B during 2008 after Mike Lowell's hip started to break down. At his peak, Youkilis was really good.

Youkilis from last summer, before the best of times became the worst of times:

[bosockboy]

Not sure a player exceeded my expectations more...I envisioned a RH Sean Casey and got at least 3 years of a RH George Brett.

[Savin Hillbilly]

I'll echo that. Youkilis was always one of my favorite Red Sox, for 2007, his batting eye and Greek divinity, his unexpected power development, 2004, It gets better, and his irascibility, roughly in that order.

I had forgotten that, and it's an important part of the picture. One can be a grouch, and yet a mensch. I think Youk is one of those.

[Clemente38]

I was glad to be at the game today. Participated in the standing ovation when Youk came up to bat for the first time, as he tipped his helmet, many of us knew this was the last game in a Red Sox uniform. And when he was pulled from third, so he could get a full standing ovation from everyone in the seats, I grabbed my head when I realized he really was gone.

I know he had to go, I get it but that doesn't mean I won't miss him. He was one of our homegrown guys, a contributor in 2004, and a major player in 2007. I loved his first base defense, and when he was able to really battle and work the count, his at bats were fun to watch. He got the most out of his talent, and he played hard. I'll take that any day, all day.

I get why it is playing out this way, but that doesn't mean it didn't make me sad to see him go as he waved to the crowd and showed his appreciation of the Sox fans who had supported him.

I wish him luck in Chicago, unless it is against us of course, and may he regain his swing against the mfy.

Edited by Clemente38, 24 June 2012 - 08:46 PM.

[NJ Fan]

My favorite Youks moment of many was the silent treatment that he received from his '04 teammates, upon returning to the dugout when he hit his first career HR. He caught on immediately and did phantom high fives as a smile broke out on his face. He belonged.

Thanks, Youks!

[LogansDad]

Thanks Youk! That's about all I have to say... the man was a pleasure to watch for a long time. I enjoyed watching him play the game, with a lot of passion in a time when so many "big money" players seem to be just going through the motions. He will be a hard personality and player to replace... WMB may be ready as a player, as for the other, we will see.

Good luck in Chicago, Youk.

[BoSox Rule]

Always liked Youkilis. A small part of ending 86 years without a title and a big part of 07 and making it all seem real. Other than Billy Beane he may have been the biggest star of a book that changed the way front offices operate and changed the way people look at baseball.

[amh03]

I'm going to miss Youk...the guy plays with heart...he bounced between Pawtucket & Boston, between 1st & 3rd...he never took an at bat casually...

Thank you, Kevin...for making history in Boston!

[AnkleStigmata]

This thread needs an explicit mention of the fact that Youkilis set what then was the major league record for consecutive errorless games at 1B, 238 from July 2006 to June 2008. And as Sprowl notes, that involved catching a lot of throws from Lugo.

I managed to see, or not see, several freaky things involving Youkilis. I was at the one game in his Red Sox career in which he committed two errors, one at 1B and one at 3B when Lowell got injured and he moved over. In that same game he managed to strike out twice in the first inning (as the Sox scored 10 runs), AND later hit 2 HRs, the second the eventual game-winner. (This was the game a/k/a Charlie Zink's entire MLB career)

I'd also like to thank Youks for hitting the only inside-the-park HR at a game I've attended, while I was in the men's room under the bleachers.

[trekfan55]

Thank you Kevin.

I really enjoyed watching you in your prime. All your quirks, your stance, your stats, everything.

My wife, who seldom follows baseball could spot you easily.

You will be missed.

[Youks Baltic Roots]

Youk da man.

Thanks for being our red ass.

[aksoxfan]

Good Luck, Mr. Youklis. I will miss you.

[shepard50]

I put this in P&G but it really belongs here. I love players who show their emotions and this was an emotional moment at the very end of the end. Go well sir:

[mauidano]

Thanks for the memories Youk. You deserved all the love you got today. Hope you felt it. This relationship was over and it had run its course. Sometimes relationships don't always end on the nicest terms. This one didn't either but at least going out there was well deserved respect for all you brought. Time will erase some of the bad blood and we'll all remember the good times I hope.

[jose melendez]

Shalom Kevin Youkilis. The great era of judaica in Red Sox history is now over and we are left with a totally goyische team completely unprepared to compete post-rapture.

[shepard50]

Shalom Kevin Youkilis. The great era of judaica in Red Sox history is now over and we are left with a totally goyische team completely unprepared to compete post-rapture.

What harah you dafuk barosh! Let's not get fkakata - we have more mensches in the temple:

Kalish and (soon) Lavarnway will happily burn the menorah in his stead.

Shalom

[jose melendez]

Wait, Kalish is a jew? Nevermind. I am now okay with the Youk trade.

[Mike Greenwall]

Hey Youk,

Thanks for the triple I'll never forget.

Be well.

[Pearl Wilson]

He was never elected prom king and I'm more than ok with that. Youks was pretty fun to cheer for on the whole and a big part of 2007.

I'll echo that. Youkilis was always one of my favorite Red Sox, for 2007, his batting eye and Greek divinity, his unexpected power development, 2004, It gets better, and his irascibility, roughly in that order.

Theo said Youks would develop power secondary to his other plate skills and I believed. That was some sweet kool aid.

[biollante]

Saw him play in New Britain when he was onthe Trenton (?) team, from there I saw him make it to the Sox and win the World Series. He always had a good eye at the plate. I will also miss yelling "Youk".

[AlNipper49]

At the zenith of my Sox fandom I was clicking on SoSH every five minutes. The 'Youkilis has been called up' thread was one of those rare ones that had 25 posts in it before I saw it. It was really distinct and I'm not sure that we'll ever have another prospect like him.

He was really the perfect SoSH prospect -- stats that made the sabre types psyched but the hype to carry a discussion for days.

With that said, he and Papelbon were two marquee players that I've had the most difficulty rooting for.

(also his dad has been a semi contributing member of SoSH over the years, nobody has ever outed him)

[Rooster Crows]

I will say something that I suspect not many will echo. I liked Kevin Youkilis. I liked him for calling out Manny, I liked him for getting annoyed with the umpires (though yeah, he did overdo it at times). I liked the fact that he was a sarcastic, against-the-grain type, because in a baseball clubhouse I would probably be like that too. I always suspected that the guys he got along worst with were the Becketts and Lackeys and Drews, the good-ol-boys. (I thought it telling that Pedroia, a very different personality but also, it seemed, a bit of an outsider in that beer-video universe, was the one to jump on Valentine for dissing Youk.) I liked the fact that he succeeded with a bad body and a bad attitude.

Beyond personality, Youk was, in his 2008-2010 prime, an absolute beast at the plate. Over that three-year stretch he topped the AL in OPS, wOBA and wRC+, was 2nd in OBP and SLG, 4th in WAR, 5th in WPA, 6th in BABIP, and tied for 5th in ISO. His peak lasted such a relatively short time that it's easy to forget, in the light of the past two seasons, what an elite hitter he was.

And then there was his defense. He was a solid 3B when healthy, but he was an outstanding 1B. He had a 3B's quick reactions, soft hands, and great instincts--up there with the best I've seen--about how to handle the tricky 1B plays like balls hit between him and the 2B or between him and the pitcher.

Beyond all that, his competitiveness. I would put him up there with Dwight Evans on the list of Sox players in my lifetime who excelled at making the most of average speed. Dewey was a little faster than Youk, but Youk was, I think, just as good at the mental part of baserunning--balancing hustle with good judgment to make the most out of each situation.

The rise of Middlebrooks, combined with Youk's injury-fueled decline, made this deal inevitable. But Youk deserves huge love and gratitude from Sox fans. He has been a great player for us and a key contributor to the best era of Sox baseball since the 1910's.

I'm with this, and those expressing similar sentiments. The manufactured "consensus" that we all knew he was an asshole mantra, and words of similar import, over the past several weeks/months, have really pissed me off - often sounding like Bobby V plants or reminiscent of the pink hats who rode Foulke & Bellhorn out on a rail. We really don't have a clue what he was like in the clubhouse, or how how his teammaters felt. Unless and until there is uncontrovertible evidence to the contrary - these are my memories of Youks. I can't say he was one of my favorite players, but he seemed to give it all he had whenever he could.

Best wishes for a killer new phase of your career, guy, and thanks for the memories! You'll always be welcome back for free beers and backslaps.

Edited by Rooster Crows, 25 June 2012 - 06:29 AM.

[SoxVindaloo]

I was at the game yesterday and it was incredibly emotional. The crowd was clearly keyed in that this was going to be Youks last game and the buzz every time he did anything was amazing. I hope this is what he remembers when he looks back on his last season in Boston.
Thank You Youk, you defied every expectation to become a great player, with an unfortunately short peak, you will be missed.

Edited by SoxVindaloo, 25 June 2012 - 07:28 AM.

[Cuzittt]

Kevin Youkilis is my favorite baseball player. That is all I will say here... for I said far too much Here

[JMDurron]

My single favorite play from the 2007 was Youk's inside the park HR against Cleveland. I would embed the video, but I can't get it to play myself right now due to work filters.

I always found Youk's collapse onto the bench, and this subsequent quote highly amusing.

Less than 24 hours earlier, on the plane back from a three-game sweep of the Rangers in Texas, it was Youkilis who was getting into a fun-filled give-and-take with Dustin Pedroia about who was faster.
"I was just laughing, because I knew it hit off the wall pretty good and I knew he was going to score," said Pedroia. "It was just funny watching him run."

So, when Youkilis came back to the bench, he had plenty to talk and laugh about with the rookie second baseman.

Not to be outdone, Pedroia laced his second double of the night to right-center in the eighth.

"He says he's faster than me," said Youkilis. "He really thinks he's faster than me. He's going out and saying he's faster, and I don't know if anybody saw, but he hit a ball to right-center field that Trot Nixon was running after and he barely got to second base. I'd definitely would've been on third base. No doubt."

That player may have been gone before he was actually traded, but those memories are still appreciated.

[EastCoasterOutWest]

I know he had to go, I get it but that doesn't mean I won't miss him. He was one of our homegrown guys, a contributor in 2004, and a major player in 2007. I loved his first base defense, and when he was able to really battle and work the count, his at bats were fun to watch. He got the most out of his talent, and he played hard. I'll take that any day, all day.

My feelings exactly.

Youk is and will be missed.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Worst facial hair in Red Sox history.

I'll miss the bastard. As someone else said, he was annoying, but he was OUR annoyance.

[glennhoffmania]

I'm a big fan and always will be. How can you not like a guy who gives everything he has everytime he plays? The bitching and moaning didn't bother me. He seems like one of the guys who truly puts winning first. He did the Paw-Bos shuttle for a while, moved to 1B for Beltre, moved back to 3B for Gonzalez, and played LF when necessary. And most importantly he's the ette's favorite player so now she may be less interested in watching the games, which would suck for me.

[Dewy4PrezII]

<sub>I will miss Youk a ton. He was, at his peak, a beast in the field and at the plate. He annoyed the sox opponents and he wore his emotions on his sleeve and I respect that because that is exactly how I am. I was once told after a SoSH bash that I was intense and no one who ever met me would disagree...well Kevin Youkilis was and is intense and I appreciate him for it as well as for everything he did to bring WS'04 and WS'07 to Boston. I wish him well and I hope he continues to annoy opponents, especially the Yankees, Rays and any WC contenders other than the Red Sox for the remainder of the year.

My favorite memory was watching him at a bar in '06 during spring training swing and miss with a few hotties but like a good dirt dog he kept running out there until he found one who liked dumpy built, balding, goateed ball players.</sub>

Edited by Dewy4PrezII, 25 June 2012 - 01:14 PM.

[PaulinMyrBch]

I never for one second doubted what Youks was about. I'll miss him, but I'm not sad that Middlebrooks is ready. Just sad that Youks is gone.

[bosockboy]

I'm a big fan and always will be. How can you not like a guy who gives everything he has everytime he plays? The bitching and moaning didn't bother me. He seems like one of the guys who truly puts winning first. He did the Paw-Bos shuttle for a while, moved to 1B for Beltre, moved back to 3B for Gonzalez, and played LF when necessary. And most importantly he's the ette's favorite player so now she may be less interested in watching the games, which would suck for me.

Even moreso actually, he moved to 1B for Lowell, a completely unknown at that point due to his poor 2005.

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

Always a fan, though I am certain it was time for him to go. Too much time missed to injury and I'll be surprised if he puts together a 145-game season ever again.

But I loved his attitude. The so-called bitching and moaning never bothered me. He always struck me as consierably more intelligent than the average ballplayer and you could see his smarts in the way he turned his self-described "no tools" skill set into All-Star level performance, for a few years anyway.

He is also the last continuous link to the Duquette era. Youk (and Shoppach who counts as a Cherington acquisition at this point) were part of Duquette's final (2001) draft class (Shopach drafted well ahead of Youk, oddly enough; in fact, I believe that Shoppach and Youkilis are THE only two members of that draft still in the Major Leagues). For the first time, the Red Sox have roster built 100 percent by Theo and Ben.

[glennhoffmania]

Even moreso actually, he moved to 1B for Lowell, a completely unknown at that point due to his poor 2005.

Yup, total brain cramp on my part.

[Soxaholic]

My favorite player since 2006. Thanks, Youk.