Welcome to the club, Youk. As you can see, there are some pretty big names on this list. The Red Sox front office mailed his contract a day late, making him a free agent after the season. He wound up being a free agent and spending more years in Chicago instead of Boston. He seemed to hit a home run every time he returned to Fenway Park and was an All-Star as late as He put up terrific numbers, especially in the postseason, and his gritty play and unusual batting stance made him one of the most popular players in recent Red Sox history.
But his place within the organization soured in He was believed to be the source who ratted out his teammate starting pitchers who were pounding chicken and beer during the great collapse down the stretch of the '11 season. And things went from bad to worse when new manager Bobby Valentine questioned his intensity at the start of the season.
The emergence of Will Middlebrooks at third made him expendable. Soon his playing time became sporadic and it was clear that the home-grown Red Sox star had to go. He was dealt for pennies on the dollar to the White Sox with lingering animosity towards Boston's new manager. He was arguably the most valuable player of the curse-breaking World Series.
He had a slow and was cut during midseason. He went on to finish the season and play in the division series as a member of the Yankees…the same team who he helped sink the previous October. His name, unpronounceable in New England, became a rallying cry for seven seasons. He was a beloved and extraordinarily talented player. He was a home-grown superstar who, with a month to go in , looked like he was going to win the AL MVP.
Then in the offseason, he turned down a contract extension and found himself in the middle of a three-way trade that would have sent him to the White Sox and send Alex Rodriguez to Boston. The deal was voided by the league, and the relationship was ruined. The great irony was that for so many years, Sox fans felt that Garciaparra would be the one to lead the team to the title. Then, his trade to the Cubs was looked as the final piece that got the team over the hump.
He has since patched up his relationship with the Red Sox, but his fall from icon to Pariah was so fast it was startling. After 11 seasons in Boston where he hit. No trade. No contract offer out of respect.
The Red Sox said, "You were the best pure hitter in baseball for a decade. Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out. Boggs responded by joining the Yankees, rediscovering his stroke and Gold Glove ability and winning his lone World Series title. Despite all of the great moments in Boston, Boggs won his ring and rode a horse in the Bronx and got his 3, hit in Tampa.
The Red Sox have never retired Boggs' number despite meeting the team's requirements of 10 years with the team and a Hall of Fame induction. His number is retired in Tampa Bay —the team, no doubt, most people associate him with. Can you imagine going back in time and trying to explain to Red Sox fans of the past about the curious case of Manny Ramirez? Having to say "Yeah, he put up amazing numbers, hit clutch homers and had a larger than life personality. And he helped win a second one as well.
But Manny Ramirez was like a trip to Las Vegas. It was fun at first. Then, it got dangerous, but still exciting. Then, it got strange and caused us all to look around and say, "This is going to end OK, right?
And finally it just had to end or else it was going to get really ugly. Then again, pushing an old guy to the floor and lying about knee injuries was pretty ugly.
He was traded to the Dodgers in the stretch run and the Red Sox breathed a sigh of relief. Ask Indians fans and Dodger fans about their experience with Ramirez. It was eerily similar.
The personification of the long-haired, free-spirited idiots who slayed the curse, Johnny spoke in his book about his loyalty to Boston and how he would never play for the Yankees…and then, he signed with the Yankees before the season.
One of the great Red Sox of all time, Evans was the only player who played in the postseason for the Sox in , , and An eight-time Gold Glover, he was the only AL hitter to get 20 or more homers each year of the s. Evans finished his career as a part-time DH for the Baltimore Orioles. Seeing him in an Orioles uniform just didn't look right. Dan Duquette and company had a hard time with a popular AL MVP who did charity and helped heal the racial tensions of the organization.
He went to the Angels and was never the same after injuries and weight issues derailed his career. He clashed with Roger Clemens throughout a very public contract squabble in On one hand, Clemens was 33, which is right around the time pitchers start to decline. On the other hand, he was tied for the all-time win total in Red Sox history with Cy Young and won three awards named after Young. Clemens left for Toronto for the season, and Duquette said he was in the twilight of his career.
Clemens responded with back-to-back Cy Young seasons. He would go on to win four Cy Youngs after leaving Boston, giving him seven overall and becoming more identified with the Yankees than with the Red Sox. Now, how Clemens injected his motivation is currently under investigation. But the greatest pitcher in Red Sox history was always welcomed back with a chorus of boos. Bill Lee's struggles with all baseball authority is chronicled in the wonderful documentary Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey.
Zimmer responded by not pitching him down the stretch in —that fateful year where the Red Sox lost to Bucky "Bleeping" Dent. Middlebrooks coming into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves had hit safely in each of his past six at-bats with runners in scoring position, and his. Youkilis, meanwhile, came into Sunday's game batting. One major league scout for a team that had entertained trading for Youkilis said he'd never seen Youkilis' swing look worse.
And there was further friction with Valentine, the manager telling reporters that he'd told the veteran his playing time would be cut for Middlebrooks, Youkilis saying the next day that conversation never took place. With the White Sox winners of just five of their past 16 games, falling out of first place in the AL Central, and ranking last in all significant offensive categories at third base, where they were playing converted second baseman Orlando Hudson , the time had come to move on Youkilis.
Just as the time had come for Cherington to eliminate the one obvious source of great discontent in the Boston clubhouse, and reduce the lineup shuffling that had Adrian Gonzalez playing right field or Middlebrooks sitting.
That's pretty clear. The Red Sox admittedly did not get a lot back: A maybe in right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart , who as recently as was ranked the No. The stats would argue that the White Sox are receiving a player in decline, a player whose WAR wins above replacement went from a career high of 6. But if there is one thing Boston came to appreciate about Youkilis, whose departure leaves David Ortiz as the last remaining player who was here in , it was this: Even while putting up numbers that twice resulted in top-six finishes in the MVP voting third in , sixth in , and an on-base percentage of.
The White Sox are likely to see what Youkilis' college coach in Cincinnati, Brian Cleary, saw that none of the big schools, never mind big league scouts, saw in this chubby kid with a chip on his shoulder. Every at-bat was life and death, but that's why he is where he is. He wasn't athletic, a tools guy. He was a grinder, a gritty guy. Youkilis' farewell at Fenway would be hard to top.
He tripled in his last at-bat, was removed for a pinch runner to a standing ovation, received heartfelt embraces from teammates and heard one last tumultuous "Youuukk" during an emotional curtain call. Around the league, Kevin Youkilis has a reputation for being a fiery, emotional player who rarely holds anything back. His antics don't always go over well with fans of other teams.
Or players from other teams. Or umpires, for that matter. But in Boston, Youk is a much-loved part of the club's core. A home-grown Red Sox star who has been with the organization since he was selected as an eighth round draft choice in Youkilis has no illusions about the type of player he is.
As he said in a recent interview with ESPNBoston's Joe McDonald, "I don't have to be best friends with all my teammates and I don't have to be best friends with guys around the league, but as long as they can say, 'He plays as hard as he can every day There's no questioning that. Youkilis grinds out virtually every at-bat as though it is a game-changer. He's not flashy and doesn't even necessarily look like an athlete. But his dedication shows through his excellent numbers, and his consistency has become crucial to the club's success.
So when he began talking to McDonald about the possibility of leaving the Red Sox when he becomes a free agent, it got Boston's attention. Probably for the first time in my life I haven't worried about if I had to go to another team and it doesn't bother me His words were those of a man making peace with the possibilities.
It's difficult to imagine a Red Sox team without Youk, but next season could well be his last in Beantown. At the moment, Youkilis is a tremendously productive player getting the job done at the plate and fielding a quality third base. His lifetime OPS of. But the man is 32 years old. He'll be 34 prior to the start of the season. Assuming he gets to that point without a contract extension, he'll probably hit the free agent market looking for one last big deal.
How far will the Red Sox be willing to go to re-sign a stocky 34 year old with plenty of mileage? There will be other teams in need of his services who won't have the depth that Boston enjoys. If a bidding war ensues, it would likely end with Youk leaving town. Hand in hand with the timing of his free agency is the probable decline he'll face. Youkilis is already at the tail end of his prime, playing a demanding position and going all-out on every play. He's a hard swinger who has taken more than his share of bumps and bruises.
Anyone who watches Youk play knows how often he drills foul balls off his feet or how often he launches himself after a line drive.
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