Youkilis Retires

Youkilis shows off hi bizarre hitting style (NYTimes)

After one season in Japan, former Red Sox corner infielder Kevin Youkilis is calling it a career.

Youkilis, known simply as Youk to Fenway Faithful, enjoyed a 10-year major league career, spending the first eight and a half of those seasons with Boston. Drafted by Dan Duquette in the eighth round of the 2001 draft, the disciplined third baseman received a new nickname--"Greek God of Walks"--from Billy Beane's Oakland A's organization. That patience would serve him well in the big leagues, where he maintained a robust .382 OBP and 12.2 BB%.

Youkilis arrived on the scene in 2004, just in time to help the beleaguered BoSox end their 86-year championship drought. He was a solid reserve on that team and the following year's squad, backing up Kevin Millar at first and Bill Mueller at third. Both left following the 2005 season, allowing Youkilis to inherit the everyday first baseman job with the Red Sox acquiring Mike Lowell, an All-Star third-sacker, in their trade for Josh Beckett.

Already 27 by that point, Youkilis was more than ready. He batted .279/.381/.429 in his first full season along with 42 doubles and a career-high 91 walks and 100 runs scored. He was even better the following year, improving from a three win player to a five win stalwart and earning his first and only Gold Glove.

More importantly, Youkilis sparked Boston to another World Series title that year. A non-factor in the '04 run with just two at-bats, he was one of the team's best hitters in '07 and proved crucial to their victory. Youk was especially lethal during Boston's come-from-behind ALCS victory over the Cleveland Indians, batting .500/.576/.929 with 14 hits, three home runs, seven RBI, and 10 runs scored. Against Colorado in the Fall Classic he capped off a terrific postseason in which he batted .388/.475/.755 with 19 hits in 14 games.

The following year, 2008, would be the best of Youk's career. He enjoyed a power breakthrough with 29 home runs--equaling his output from the previous two seasons combined--43 doubles, 306 total bases, and 115 RBI, all career highs. He also hit .312/.390/.569, made his first All-Star team, won the American League Hank Aaron Award, and finished third in the MVP race behind teammate Dustin Pedroia and Justin Morneau. Youkilis was instrumental in helping the Red Sox reach the postseason again, and enjoyed another monster LCS (1.008 OPS), but it was not enough as the Sox were outdone by the Rays in seven games.

Statistically, 2009 was just as good for Youkilis, who posted a .961 OPS and was worth 6.6 bWAR while making the All-Star team again and finishing sixth in the MVP polling. He was on track for similarly great numbers in 2010 when a torn abductor muscle in his right thumb ended his season at the beginning of August. The injury effectively marked the end of Youk's brief reign as one of the best players in baseball.

The final year of Youk's career were frustrating and tumultuous (CBSSports)

His career started heading south in 2011, his last full season with the Sox. He moved back to third base to accommodate Adrian Gonzalez but the position change likely did more harm than good, as Youkilis was again plagued by injuries during the second half. He missed 42 games in all and appeared in just 22 from August 1st on, batting a reduced .190 over that time. Had he been able to stay healthy or hit more effectively down the stretch, Boston likely would have won at least one more game and thus been spared the humiliation of its great September collapse.

In the wake of said meltdown, Youkilis lost the trust of his teammates due to suspicion that he had leaked the chicken and beer information to the press. 2012 quickly turned out to be a nightmare for him and the team, as he got off to a slow start, had his effort questioned by new manager Bobby Valentine, and spent more time on the Disabled List. In his absence rookie call-up Will Middlebrooks excelled, making Youkilis expendable in the eyes of the organization and giving them a convenient excuse to trade him away. Ben Cherington did just that, dealing Youkilis for two nobodies in return. In a fitting finale, Youkilis had two hits, including a triple, in the last game he ever played for the Red Sox.

He moved on to Chicago, where he hit better with the White Sox but not well enough to convince anybody that his glory days were coming back. That led to his signing a one-year deal with the Yankees, which turned out to be a huge bust when he got hurt yet again and appeared in just 28 games. Nobody wanted him when his contract expired, and he took off for Japan.

The end came hard and fast for Youkilis, as it does for many athletes in their early 30s. Youk was an All-Star at 32, cast-off at 33, and done at 34. It wasn't surprising he tailed off so fast given his physique and unmatched intensity. Nobody played the game harder or with more passion than Youkilis, and like a shooting star he burned out quickly. Injuries took their toll as well, but he was a great player when he did play and had a Hall of Fame peak, even if it was short-lived (three years). Though he didn't play much (barely 1,000 games) or for very long, he accomplished a hell of a lot during his all-too-brief career.

And he did it with one of the most unorthodox batting stances I've ever seen.

Tables Turned on Bobby V.

 

How does it feel, Bobby Valentine, to have your effort unfairly criticized?

Another day, another loss, and more controversy in Red Sox Nation.

But what else is new?

Back in April Bobby Valentine questioned the dedication of Kevin Youkilis, one of the sport's most intense players with a reputation of wearing his heart on his sleeve, giving 110 percent all the time and treating every at-bat like it's life or death. 

"I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past, for some reason," Valentine said of his third baseman, who at the time was mired in an early season slump.  Boy, that vote of confidence from the skipper must have felt swell.

We all know how that turned out.  Dustin Pedroia fired back, and Valentine apologized.  But Youkilis never forgave his manager for making those remarks, and their hostile relationship (combined with the emergence of rookie Will Middlebrooks) led Boston GM Ben Cherington to dump Youk on the White Sox for pennies on the dollar in late June.  The three time All-Star has since rescued his season, providing several clutch hits for first place Chicago.  Meanwhile, back in Boston, the Red Sox are a dozen games below .500 as they put the finishing touches on what will be their worst season in recent memory.

So today, when WEEI radio host Glenn Ordway asked Valentine if he had "checked out," Bobby V. nearly blew his stack. He was insulted that Ordway even had the nerve to ask him that.  Valentine, like Youkilis, is a fiery, passionate and proud baseball man who cares deeply about his job and works incredibly hard at it.  Say what you want about both men, but you can not question their effort.

After all, it's not Valentine's fault the team stinks (there's a long list of culprits headed by Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Daniel Bard, among others).  He deserves better.  But so did Youkilis, and that's why I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for the field general.  He got a dose of his own medicine, and frankly it's too damn bad that he doesn't like the taste. 

What goes around, comes around Bobby Valentine.  Hopefully you learned your lesson and remember to keep your big mouth shut from now on.

Youk

Youk departs with a final curtain call to the Fenway Faithful

Kevin Youkilis, one of my favorite Red Sox players and the only remaining member from the 2004 championship team besides David Ortiz, was traded last Sunday to the Chicago White Sox.  In a fitting farewell, he smacked a pair of hits (including a triple) in front of a cheering home crowd as part of a 9-4 Red Sox win over the Atlanta Braves.  A few months back I identified him as one of the five most important Red Sox at the beginning of the year, but it's clear the organization does not feel the same way about their fiery veteran with the most unorthodox batting stance I've ever seen.

Like Carlton Fisk three decades before him, another gritty, tenured team leader has traded in his Sox.
In return, Boston receives Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart.  I'll freely admit that I had never heard of either one, and after doing some research on baseball-reference I doubt many other Red Sox fans knew much about this pair of scrubs either.  Lillibridge is a 28 year-old super-utility guy who's played all the infield positions (minus pitcher and catcher) as well as the outfield, so he's a versatile reserve to have on the bench.  Given the myriad injuries that have plagued the Red Sox this year, Bobby Valentine can use him to plug numerous leaks while the team gets healthier.  His career batting line is an unimpressive .214/.282/.357 in 524 career at-bats, not surprising given that he strikes out more than four times per every walk, though in 97 games last year he hit a solid .258/.340/.505, good for a 123 OPS+, with 13 home runs and ten steals.

Stewart, a 25 year-old sophomore, was a starter last year but pitched terribly, as his 5.88 ERA and 1.60 WHIP indicate. This marks the third time he's been dealt in the past three calendar years; he was drafted by the Reds in '08 but they traded him, along with Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Roenicke, to the Blue Jays for Scott Rolen at the '09 trade deadline. Two summers later, after making just three starts for Toronto, he and Jason Frasor were sent packing to the Windy City for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen.  Following eight more abysmal starts with the White Sox, who really had nothing to lose as they played out the string of a losing season, he was converted to a relief pitcher.  Coming out of the bullpen this season hasn't boosted his performance, though; his ERA and WHIP are an even 6.00 and 1.50, respectively.  He hardly walks anybody--just two batters per nine innings for his career and 1.2 this season--but the lack of free passes doesn't mean he has good control.  Stewart makes way too many mistakes and is extremely susceptible to the long ball, has already given up ten in thirty innings this year. He doesn't miss bats (5.6 career K/9 rate) and his pitches are very hittable (12.1 H/9 rate).  In my mind he's not worthy of a major league roster spot, especially not in the AL East where you need to squeeze contributions out of all 25 players.

But that's what you get when you sell low on an injured, struggling 33 year-old to a first place team that doesn't want to part with any important pieces.  White Sox GM Kenny Williams couldn't even throw in a player to be named later or a bag of balls.  Still, I find it hard to believe that was the most a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion who was playing at an MVP level as recently as 2010 could fetch in a trade.  What Boston really needs, even if Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz were healthy, is starting pitching, something the White Sox could have supplied (although Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that they are still looking to add a starter).  I would have much rather seen Cherington get a John Danks, Gavin Floyd, or Philip Humber, who have all been pretty bad this season but have proven themselves to be solid options at times in the past.  And while it's neither here nor there, I'm still fuming over the fact that he didn't aggressively pursue the very affordable Edwin Jackson last winter or sign Roy Oswalt when he had the chance.  Instead he went out and got us Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey.  Thanks a lot.


There was no doubt Youkilis had to go.  23 year-old Middlebrooks (.307/.341/.558) is clearly the future.  Even if his 41/8 K/BB rate hints that regression is going to strike sooner rather than later, I think he'll be a fixture at third in Beantown for years to come (keeping my fingers scrossed that he's not a flash in the pan like Kevin Maas, Chris Shelton, and about a million other big leaguers).  If only the team had committed to their young star sooner, they could have parted ways with Youkilis when they cleaned house last winter, when he had more value.  This spring he was victimized of a perfect storm engendered by his slump/back injury/DL stint, Will Middlebrooks' tearing the cover off the ball, Valentine questioning his commitment (totally uncalled for), a struggling Red Sox team and a trigger happy GM desperate to make a move, factors that all conspired to push him out the door.  His own attitude played a role as well, since he's much too competitive to accept a bench role this early in his career.  He was clearly unhappy splitting time with Middlebrooks at third, and the last thing this Red Sox team needs is another malcontent stewing in the dugout.  The timeshare wasn't working out, anyways, as it forced Adrian Gonzalez to play rightfield at times, which may have contributed to his prolonged slump.

I believe this is a great deal for the White Sox, who have nothing to lose in this trade, especially not with incumbent third basemen Brent Morel and Orlando Hudson combining to produce just one home run and 16 RBI .  They don't have to worry about Lillibridge and Stewart blossoming into stars, and best case scenario the trade lights a fire under Youk, regular playing time helps him get back in a groove, and he's a productive hitter for them.   Even if his struggles persist, he's a great clubhouse guy to have during the dog days of August, someone to keep the troops motivated.  It's easy to get complacent over the course of a 162 game season, so it's nice to have somebody like Youkilis who treats every at-bat like it's life-or-death.  Buyer beware; Youkilis has always been much better in the first half and tends to fade down the stretch.  His .905 OPS before the All-Star break is 86 points higher than it is after the break.  I'm confident Youk will turn his season around, though.  From this point forward I'd expect ten home runs, 40 RBI and a .270-ish batting average.  Not the Kevin Youkilis of old, but still plenty valuable.  He will contribute, even if it's only by taking pitches, working counts, and drawing walks.

Youkilis certainly can't complain about the deal. He gets his starting gig back, and won't have to worry about losing playing time next time he endures another rough spell.  Manager Robin Ventura has been batting him second, a cushy spot in front of Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko, so he'll have plenty of opportunities to score runs.   The White Sox are on top of the AL Central while the Red Sox are tied with Tampa Bay for third in the AL Beast. So it's possible he's jumping off a sinking ship and landing in a lifeboat headed for the postseason.  He's even moving from one hitter's haven to another, though in 20 career games at the Cell (small sample size) he owns a paltry .234/.341/.390 batting line.  Oh, and he won't have to deal with the rabid Red Sox fan base and ever-present media.

So now I'll take a look back at his career in Boston, a nice run that came full circle-he was called up back in May of '04 to replace an injured Bill Mueller.  Eight years later he found himself replaced by Middlebrooks, who'd filled in for him when he spent three weeks on the all-too-familiar Disabled List.

-Batting eighth, he went yard in his first major league game on May 15th, 2004 off 1996 Cy Young winner Pat Hentgen of the Toronto Blue Jays.  It was a fourth inning solo shot that gave the first-place Red Sox a 3-0 lead.  Mark Bellhorn and Big Papi also provided solo blasts.
-Was named AL Rookie of the Month for May, 2004 despite playing just thirteen games.  He batted .318/.446/.477 with 15 runs scored
-On August 8th, 2005, Youkilis teamed up with Adam Stern and Gabe Kapler to set the AL record for most Jewish players on the field at one time
-It may surprise you that Youkilis, the Greek God of Walks, had just one season (2006) with more than 80 free passes.  He never led the league in on-base percentage, but did finish second behind MVP Joe Mauer in 2009.
-In 2006 he led the major leagues in sacrifice flies with eleven
-His 2007 Gold Glove was well-deserved; he didn't commit a single error at first base.  In fact, he set the record for most consecutive errorless games by a first baseman, a run that spanned 238 games from 2006 through '08.
-Started the 2008 All-Star Game at first, becoming just the sixth Red Sock and the first since Mo Vaughn to do so.  Was also named to the team as a reserve in 2009 and 2011.  2008 was his career year- he set personal bests with 168 hits, 43 doubles, 29 home runs, 115 RBI, .312 average, .569 slugging percentage, and 306 total bases.  He fwon the AL Hank Aaron Award (Aramis Ramirez was the NL recipient) finished third in the MVP race behind Dustin Pedroia and Justin Morneau, but he and Morneau were the only ones named on every ballot.
-Has a career .306/.376/.568 line in the postseason
-Was a .303/.399/.509 hitter at Fenway, .271/.376/.464 everywhere else.
-Another strange home/road split; at Fenway he was successful in just seven of 18 stolen base attempts (38.9 percent success rate) but on the road was a sterling 19 of 22 (86.4 percent success rate).
-Youk was never very durable.  From 2006 through 2011, his six full seasons as an everyday player for Boston, he missed an average of 30 games per year.  He has never played more than 147 games in any given season, and probably never will.
-Has a knack for coming through with men on base, and the statistics back it up. Always rises to the occassion with men on base. Is batting .325/.434/.552 for his career with runners in scoring position, and then ompare that to .255/.349/.420 when the bases are empty.
-Most similar player according to baseball-reference is former teammate Trot Nixon, who spent ten years in a Red Sox uniform.  Other similar players include Andre Ethier, Nick Markakis, Ryan Zimmerman

So long, Youk, and farewell.  We'll miss you.

Red Sox Offense First Half Review

The All-Star Game is tonight and the Red Sox are exactly where they should be at the unofficial halfway point; leading the AL Beast with the second best record (55-35, two fewer wins than the Phillies) in the bigs.  Granted, the streaking Yankees are hot on their tail and the resilient Rays could go on a run, but Boston seems primed to pull away in the second half once it recovers to full health with Crawford, Lester and Buchholz returning to action.  At this point, it's seems safe to say the Bosox are where they are because of their hitting, which leads the AL in runs, hits, doubles, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases.  It's also second in triples, third in home runs, scored in double digits a dozen times and has improved each month so far.  Five players have at least ten long balls, three are hitting over .300 and six of the nine starters qualify as above average hitters at their position.  Top to bottom, this lineup is deep and talented with a good balance of power, speed, and patience.  It doesn't hurt that they know how to take advantage of Fenway's friendly confines (OPS 107 points higher at home) either. 

Without further adieu, here are your 2011 Beantown Bombers, five of whom were chosen as All-Stars this year.

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia-He received much of the blame for the pitching ineffectiveness during the slow start and had his game-calling skills questioned.  Perhaps it was an adjustment period for him and the hurlers?  The staff seems fully comfortable with Salty now, and his bat has come around, too.  After a punchless April, he flashed power by slugging .475 in May and put together a Joe Mauer-ish .327/.407/.538 line in June.  His overall numbers mirror his career averages, but the lack of offensive production from his fellow backstops means he actually ranks as slightly above average at the dish.  He can't touch V-Mart's hitting prowess, but at least he catches two in every three games.  Fun fact; they both have six home runs this year.

1B Adrian Gonzalez (AS)-AL MVP frontrunner in the midst of a career year.  The sweet swinging southpaw leads the league in hits, doubles, RBI, batting average, and total bases while supplying great defense at first base.  His shoulder may have hampered him a bit during the first two weeks at the season, but he turned his and the Sox's seasons around.  Since the team's 2-10 slide to open the year, A-Gone went on a sizzling .369/.425/.618 triple slash tear and threw in 70 RBI for good measure.  Gonzo ranks second in the league in positional player WAR (behind only the incomparable Jose Bautista) and is absolutely raking right now.  The walks and homers are down a bit and he leads the league in double plays grounded into, but I'm not going to nitpick; he's been all that and a bag of Doritos.

2B Dustin Pedroia (AS)-One of the few Red Sox to enjoy a nice start, the pint-sized keystoner suffered through a brutal month-plus stretch that saw his numbers tumble to .239/.349/.324 on June 4th.  He had been playing through an injury and after Tito gave him a much needed breather, the lasers started flying.  His power returned  and he's hit safely in all but two games since then (a Gonzalez-esque .367/.476/.658 clip) to haul those unsightly stats back up to a more than respectable .284/.395/.442 line.  On pace to set career highs in walks and stolen bases, Pedey ranks third in the league in positional player WAR and has played well in the field, too.  And who would have guessed that he would have twice as many stolen bases as Crawford at the break?

3B Kevin Youkilis (AS)-Youk has been a steady source of production at the hot corner this season.  Just check out his monthly splits, which are nearly identical, if you want proof of his consistency.  The Greek God of Walks ranks fifth in the league in positional player WAR and is enjoying a typical stellar season with a .911 OPS, 40 extra base hits and more RBI than any Red Sox not named Adrian.  He does have some concerning platoon splits; his OPS is nearly 500 points lower on the road and over 200 points lower against righties, and while he has always hit better at Fenway and torched lefties these are unusually stark contrasts to keep an eye on after the break

SS Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie-Shortstop has been a black hole in Boston since Nomar was in his prime, so why should 2011 be any different?  This tandem, subpar at the plate and average in the field, are adequate at best.  Their combined offensive production resembles that of Derek Jeter this season, a compliment in 2009 but an unflattering comparison in 2011.  Lowrie was on fire in April but fell back to earth, and Scoots is beginning to decline.  Scutaro seems to have a hold on the starting job for now, but that could change down the stretch as Lowrie is eight and a half years younger, can switch hit and needs more big league experience.

LF Carl Crawford-Crawford's been a major disappointment thus far in what has been the worst season of his distinguished career.  He's had some shining moments with several walk-offs and four hit days, but it seems the pressure to live up to his mammoth contract may be getting to him.  He was clearly pressing, a mental issue evident that translated to a career low walk percentage and career high chase percentage.  Hopefully some time on the DL will help him clear his head, but he needs to exhibit more patience and be more aggressive on the basepaths when he returns next week.  He's too good and young to play this poorly and should figure it out once he gets back in the swing of things, but at least he has company in Dan Uggla, Adam Dunn and Jayson Werth regarding marquee free agents with underwhelming statistics so far.

CF Jacoby Ellsbury (AS)-It seems that Ellsbury has put it all together in his age 27 season, as he's finally developed a power stroke to go along with his blazing speed.  Jacoby has already set a career high in home runs, is about to set a career high in doubles and is sporting a healthy .490 slugging percentage and .174 ISO.  This improved pop, combined with his league leading steals total and above average defense, helped earn him his first All-Star nomination.  He ranks fourth in the league in positional player WAR and has been nothing short of superb as this lineup's catalyst.  Could threaten 100 runs, 200 hits, 20 homers and 50 steals if he keeps it up.

RF JD Drew-Has been downright horrible this year, but hasn't received as much negative attention thanks to Crawford's equally dismal first half.  Drew, 35, is also sputtering through the worst season of his career and seems to be declining precipitously.  He has to play everyday with that $14 million dollar paycheck, but that's only hurting the team.  Although he is still solid in the field, no team can afford to have a corner outfielder hit .229/.329/.317 with ten extra base hits and 21 RBI.  He's been underrated during his tenure in Boston and has taken more than his fair share of flak for the hefty price tag and backward Ks in the scorecards, but he's basically useless at the moment, leading Theo to consider a trade for the resurgent Carlos Beltran.

DH Davis Ortiz (AS)-Papi avoided a slow start for the first time since 2007, and it's made quite a difference in his numbers.  Although he's the same age as Drew and Scutaro, he's hitting much better than the both of them combined because he cut down on his whiffs and is hitting much better against southpaws this season.  His .304/.391/.574 is right in line with his 2003-2004 efficiency averages, and has more walks than strikeouts (a feat he accomplished in 2006 and 2007).  He slumped during the recent interleague road trip and lost twenty points on his average, but seems to have gotten his timing back.  Not the elite hitter he was in his prime, but still very dangerous and always hits well in the second half.

The other guys-The bench has been solid so far.  Captain Varitek has equaled Salty's production, so the Sox haven't lost any offense on days when they need to rest the latter.  McDonald has been atrocious and Cameron slumped his way onto the Florida Marlins, but Reddick and Sutton have both been great in limited roles.  Navarro's been decent as well.  Right now, McDonald is the only weak spot, but it's a glaring one considering he plays the most..