Much of sports talk radio Wednesday centered around Kevin Youkilis and a piece about him written by the Boston Globe’s Jackie MacMullan. The story revolves around the Red Sox infielder and his over-the-top intensity, how he’s liked by some teammates and less by others.
When asked to comment on Youkilis and his desire to win and help the team, one unnamed teammate said he’ll “refrain.” Dustin Pedroia, on the other hand, praised Youk for what he brings to the table and his intangibles. David Ortiz did the same.
Few can argue with the numbers Youkilis puts up, but his antics carry just as much weight. Baseball has several long-standing traditions, one of which is that players are supposed to carry themselves in a stoic manner. Talk about a bunch of crap. Times are a changing, and I think Youkilis’ demeanor is good for the game. He loves being out there and loves playing baseball. He gets fans excited, certainly much more so than outfielder/mannequin J.D. Drew.
I can see why some players would get angry at times. He can go 3-for-4, but if that fourth at-bat is a double-play ground ball, helmets are flying and bats are broken. But he’s doing it because he wants the team to win.
Players have come through Boston (one rhymes with Fanny) who cared little about the outcome of the game. And while that may sit well with some people, it never really sat well with me. And it certainly doesn't sit well with Youkilis.
He brings an energy rarely seen, one that could be contagious if players were open to change.
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5 comments:
oh please....you see that alot in Little League,player strikes out and then throws a temper tantrum....."Youk" should grow up.....He's antics make him look like an idiot....of course the "MTV generation" thinks it's "entertaining".....ugh....
MTV generation? Good lord, how old are you? If I'm the MTV generation, you must be the phonograph generation.
Anyway, I get baseball's unwritten rule, but I love his desire. He's certainly a guy I want playing for my team. Again, it makes it looks like he cares with what's happening with the game.
I'll take Kevin Youkilis and you can have J.D. Drew or Daisuke.
yes, I'm very old. Is that how you get your kicks?...picking on old people?....go watch another episode of the "Real World", Scotty
I'll take JD Drew any day. Throwing a tantrum when you fail doesn't mean you care more, it just means you have a gigantic ego (as do babies).
Baseball is a hard game, sometimes you are going to make an out, make an error, make a bad pitch. Acting like you can't believe it when this happens is disrespectful to the game, to the opposition, to your teammates.
I like Youk, but he has yet to learn the lesson that the world doesn't revolve around his every success or failure.
I'll be honest, those are all good points, but nothing bothers me more than when JD Drew strikes out in a big spot and shows no emotion.
Watching the game today, I see how Youk's reactions can be irritating, but why do other players let it bother them?
If they do their job, and Youk takes care of what he has to do (no matter how he does it) then everything should work out fine.
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