Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis bid farewell to the Fenway Park crowd in Sunday’s 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Kevin Youkilis was traded to the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart and utility infielder Brent Lillibridge. Youkilis helped the Boston Red Sox win two World Series titles in his eight-year career with the franchise.
The 33-year-old three-time All-Star was showered with support from fans in the Red Sox’ 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He came out of the game after he hit an RBI triple in the 7th inning. When Youkilis reached the dugout, the Fenway Faithful gave him a standing ovation to which Youkilis responded by acknowledging the fans at the top step of the dugout
Youkilis was pushed out by a bad start to the 2012 season as well as suffering a back injury in early May. He was also replaced by a young, upstart third baseman in Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks has nine home runs and 34 RBI’s through his first 41 games. When Youkilis came off the DL later in May, the writing was on the wall. He continued to struggle facing questions every day about how he is dealing with all of the trade rumors and playing every other day.
Youkilis was batting just .174 in June with only 1 RBI before Sunday’s win. Meanwhile Middlebrooks was hitting at a .432 clip with RISP, which is the best in the majors.
This trade helps the Red Sox get something in return for an aging player whose skills were eroding because he endured numerous injuries over the years. Stewart was a top prospect in 2011, but he has yet to fulfill his promise. He has made 17 appearances in 2012 with a 6.00 ERA this season. Lillibridge can play first base, third base, and in the outfield. He was a favorite of Ozzie Guillen when Guillen was the manager of the White Sox. While both of these players are not All-Stars, they can provide the Red Sox with depth. Also, this means the Red Sox have a consistent lineup with Adrian Gonzalez as the everyday first baseman and Middlebrooks manning the third base spot. Youkilis had a team option for next season that likely wasn’t going to be exercised.
The downside to the Youkilis trade is if Youkilis goes on a tear and helps the White Sox reach the playoffs over the Red Sox in October.
In April, Bobby Valentine commented that Youkilis “wasn’t as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past.” This led to a discontent between the manager and player. The storm came swirling again over the weekend when Valentine said he told Youkilis he was playing Middlebrooks over Youkilis on a full-time basis. Youkilis replied that they never had that conversation.
Youkilis played both first and third base in his tenure with the Red Sox. He finished third in the MVP race behind teammate Dustin Pedroia, who won the honors in 2008. In 2009, Youkilis finished sixth in the MVP voting.
Youkilis finished his Red Sox career with a .287 average, .388 OBP, 133 home runs, and 564 RBI’s.
It became time for Youkilis to leave, but he left an indelible mark in the organization with his gritty at-bats and work ethic. He battled teammates (Manny Ramirez in 2008) and opponents (New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain threw at his head twice) based on his emotions during the game.
Now, Youklis will attempt to show the doubters his career is not over in a White Sox uniform and he will be coming to Fenway Park in July.