Kevin Youkilis
Encyclopedia
Kevin Edmund Youkilis also known as "Youk" (icon), is an American
professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox
of Major League Baseball
. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio
, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001 after playing college baseball
at the University of Cincinnati
.
Known for his ability to get on base, Youkilis (while still a minor leaguer) was nickname
d "The Greek God of Walks" in the best-selling book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. A Gold Glove Award
-winning first baseman
, he once held baseball's record for most consecutive errorless games at first base (later broken by Casey Kotchman
). He is also a two-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series
Champion, and winner of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award
.
An intense performer on the playing field, Youkilis is known for his scrappiness, grittiness, dirt-stained jerseys, and home-plate collisions. He has excelled despite a physique that led many observers to underestimate his athletic ability: he was called "roly-poly" by his high school coach, "pudgy" by his college coach, a "fat kid" by general manager Billy Beane
, and a "thicker-bodied guy" by the Red Sox scout who recruited him. Or, as Jackie MacMullan
wrote for the Boston Globe: "He does not look like an MVP candidate; more a refrigerator repairman, a butcher, the man selling hammers behind the counter at the True Value hardware store." Youkilis was named to the Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 36 on the list in 2009, No. 38 in 2010, and No. 35 in 2011.
at the hands of the notoriously anti-Semitic Cossack
s. He became homesick, however, and returned to Romania after a couple of years, although he changed his surname from "Weiner" to the name, "Youkilis", to avoid army and jail.
Youkilis is the son of a Romania
n Jewish
jewelry wholesaler, who Youkilis has described as a "well-known third baseman in the Jewish Community Center fast-pitch softball league." At the age of 14, Youkilis had an uncredited one-line speaking role in the romantic comedy film, Milk Money. He attended Sycamore High School
in the northeastern suburbs of Cincinnati, where he played third base, shortstop, first base, and the outfield for the school team which won the AAU
National Championship in 1994, and he was the only player to homer off of current Rockies
pitcher Aaron Cook in high school.
and his ultimate choice, the University of Cincinnati
(UC)—an institution that was the alma mater
of both his father and Youkilis' longtime idol, Sandy Koufax
, although it had just finished a dismal 12–46 season. UC coach Brian Cleary spotted Youkilis at a winter camp. "I looked at him and said, Well, we need somebody," said Cleary. "I'd love to tell you I saw something no one else did, but he was just better than what we had."
While majoring in Finance, Youkilis excelled as a player for the Cincinnati Bearcats
from 1998 to 2001. "I take no credit," said Cleary. "He coaches himself. He knows his swing. Any time we said anything to him, he was already a step ahead. He made the adjustments he had to make. I just think he's a really smart guy who had a great feel for what he had to do." In his junior year in 2000, he was a second-team All-American and first-team All-Conference USA
, as he set school records by hitting three home runs in one game and 19 for the season; still, he went undrafted. "He was kind of a square-shaped body, a guy [who] in a uniform didn’t look all that athletic," Cleary said. "He wasn't a tall, prospect-y looking guy. He looked chubby in a uniform.... It wasn't fat. He was strong. [But] I think the body did scare some people away."
During the period between his junior and senior years, he played in the Cape Cod League, finishing sixth in the league in batting average. In his senior year in 2001 he repeated as second-team All-American. He set UC career records for home run
s (56), walks
(206), slugging percentage (.627), and on base percentage
(.499) with a batting average of .366. "He had a great eye ... he hardly ever struck out
looking," said Brad Meador, UC's associate head coach. "When he did, you knew the ump
missed the call." Cleary, noting how driven Youkilis was to succeed, told his father: "Your son's going to be a millionaire some day. I don't know if it's in baseball, but he's going to make some money one of these days." Youkilis was later inducted into UC's James Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame.
Yet, when asked what he liked about Youkilis, former Boston scout
Matt Haas said: "At first glance, not a lot. He was unorthodox. He had an extreme crouch—his thighs were almost parallel to the ground. And he was heavier than he is now. But the more I watched him, the more I just thought, 'Throw the tools out the window. This guy can play baseball.'"
In 2001, at Haas's urging, the Boston Red Sox drafted Youkilis in the eighth round (243rd overall), to the chagrin of Billy Beane
, who had hoped that he would be able to draft him in a later round. ESPN
reported that: "questions about his defense and power with wood kept him out of the top part of the draft." He signed for a mere $12,000 signing bonus
. "Kevin would have played for a six-pack of beer," his father said.
"Teams didn’t appreciate performance as much then as they do now," observed Red Sox VP of Player Personnel Ben Cherington eight years later. "His college performance was off the charts. If he [were] in the draft this year, he'd be at least a sandwich pick
, if not a first rounder. His performance was that good, in college and on the Cape. Now, teams appreciate what that means. There’s no way he’d last that long now."
, a Short-Season A Class franchise in the New York-Penn League. He went on to lead the league with a .512 OBP, 52 runs
, and 70 walks (against just 28 strikeouts), while hitting for a .317 batting average (third in the league) in 59 games. He also reached base safely by hit or walk in 46 consecutive games (the third-longest such streak in the minor leagues). Peter Gammons
wrote that August: "Remember this name: Kevin Youkilis, who resembles Steve Balboni
." Honored by the Spinners with a "Youkilis bobblehead night", Youkilis said: "It's an honor—you know you've made it when you get a bobblehead of yourself." Promoted from Lowell towards the end of the season, he played five games with the Augusta GreenJackets
of the South Atlantic League
, a Low-A Class league
. He was named Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year.
In 2002, Youkilis appeared in 15 games for Augusta, in 76 games for the Sarasota Sox (40 of them at first base), and in 44 games for the Trenton Thunder
. He hit .310, with eight home runs and 80 RBIs for the year, and he was voted Trenton's "Player of the Year." His .436 on-base percentage was the fifth-highest in the minors in 2002, and his 80 walks were seventh-most. In recognition of his performance, the Boston Red Sox named Youkilis their 2002 Minor League Player of the Year.
After the 2002 season, Boston's then-assistant general manager, Theo Epstein
, sent Youkilis to the Athletes' Performance Institute
in Tempe, Arizona, where he engaged in an intensive six-week training regimen. Youkilis then moved his off-season home to Arizona, and attended the Institute in the 2004–08 off seasons as well.
In 2003, Youkilis started the season with the Portland Sea Dogs
. In 94 games, he led the Eastern League with a .487 on base percentage (best all-time for the team through 2007), and was third in the league with a .327 batting average (second-best all-time for the team through 2007). Later, he earned a spot on the Eastern League All Star team, the Baseball America
AA All-Star team, and on the U.S. roster for the 2003 All-Star Futures Game
. After Portland, Youkilis moved up to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox
, the Boston Red Sox Class-AAA franchise. During his time with Pawtucket, Youkilis managed to complete a streak he started while in Portland: he reached base in 71 consecutive games, tying future teammate Kevin Millar
's minor-league record for consecutive games reaching base. His 104 walks were the third-highest number recorded in the minors in 2003. Asked, however, about the focus in baseball on five-tool player
s, Youkilis quipped, "I don't even know if I have a tool."
Writing for ESPN, John Sickels
evaluated him as follows in mid-2003:
Youkilis spent the 2003–04 winter in Mexico, playing for Navojoa
of the Mexican Pacific League. In 2004, he appeared in 32 games for Pawtucket, hitting .258 with three home runs, and a .347 on base percentage, before being called up to the Red Sox on May 15.
In his minor league career through 2005, he batted .299 with a .442 OBP while playing 340 games at third base, 59 at first base, and 2 at second base.
regular starting third baseman Bill Mueller
was placed on the disabled list
, Youkilis was called up for the first time. "I didn't sleep much," Youkilis said. "I got about four hours of sleep.... They told me the night before I was playing.... I got in there, and man, I was just amped up and excited." During his first major-league game in Toronto
, with his parents watching from the second row behind the dugout, Youkilis (in his second at bat) homered against 1996 Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen
, becoming just the seventh player in team history to hit a home run in his first game. As a prank, the team initially gave Youkilis the silent treatment when he returned to the dugout after his homer. "This one will go down probably as the greatest day of my life," he said.
Later, Youkilis was swept up in the team's ritual annual hazing
, in which he and other rookies were made to wear skimpy Hooters
waitress outfits, orange satin shorts and tight, clingy white tank tops, for the team trip from Canada through US Customs in Florida. "I walked into the locker room, and all my clothes were gone," Youkilis said. "There was just a Hooters outfit and shoes." Youkilis was named AL Rookie of the Month for May, after leading AL rookies with nine walks and a .446 OBP as he batting .318 with 7 RBIs, and 15 runs in 13 games. Noting ways that his life had suddenly changed, he said: "I'm staying in the best hotel I've ever stayed in, and my paycheck has quadrupled." In mid-July he was sent back down to AAA, however, to make room for Ramiro Mendoza
, though he was brought up again towards the end of the season.
On September 24 of that year, which was Yom Kippur
, Youkilis appeared in the dugout
in uniform, but declined to participate in the game out of deference to the religious holiday. Youkilis was named the club's Rookie of the Year by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
. For the season, in 44 games, he saw an average of 4.67 pitches per plate appearance, first among major leaguers with at least 90 plate appearances. As Youkilis observed, "Fighting off pitches, fouling off pitches, laying off pitches, making it so the opposing pitcher can't breathe; that's my job." He was on the roster for the Red Sox for the ALDS, making his sole appearance in Game 2 against the Angels. "It's been an unbelievable ride," Youkilis said. "It's a great first year, a year you probably can't top. Hopefully, it ends like a Cinderella story." He was removed from the roster for the next round, the ALCS, and was on the roster but did not play in the World Series.
On the Red Sox Opening Day
roster for the first time in his career in 2005, Youkilis found himself on the way back down to Pawtucket on April 13 as the team needed to activate Curt Schilling
, and Youkilis happened to still have minor league options; but told that he would be back, Youkilis decided to keep his Boston apartment and commute to Pawtucket. Up and down all season as the Red Sox made use of his options, he got a call-up—prompted by Bill Mueller having back spasms in batting practice—one August day as he was in Pawtucket's clubhouse before a game. Without changing out of the same white pants that he wore for both Boston and Pawtucket home games, he packed his car, drove the 40 miles to Boston, walked into the Red Sox clubhouse, changed his jersey and cleats, and was ready to play.
He ultimately played 43 more games for Pawtucket in 2005 before being called up permanently. On September 18, he fractured the tip of the ring finger
of his right hand fielding a ground ball, and did not play again until October 2, the final day of the regular season. In 2005 with Boston, Youkilis hit .278 with a .400 on base percentage in 79 at bats in 44 games during five stints with the team. He saw an average of 4.68 pitches per plate appearance, the most of any Red Sox player with at least 50 at bats. He made 23 appearances at third base, 9 at first base, and 2 at second, and batted at least once from all nine spots in the batting order.
for the first time in his professional career, 18 games in left field
. Despite his inexperience in the outfield, Youkilis did not commit an error
while in the outfield; he did, however, commit eight errors while playing the infield.
Youkilis tied for the major league lead in sacrifice flies
(11) and led the AL with 4.43 pitches per plate appearance and by hitting line drives 24% of time that he put balls in play. Also that year, Youkilis was 2nd in the American League
(AL) in pitches seen (3,009) and percent of pitches taken (63.8), 4th in OBP with runners in scoring position with two outs (.524), 7th in bases on balls
(91; the six players ahead of him averaged 41 home runs and 14 intentional walks, while Youkilis hit only 13 homers and was not intentionally walked once), tied for 7th in "bases taken" (22; advanced on fly balls, passed balls, wild pitches, balks, etc.), 8th in doubles (42) and batting average with runners in scoring position
with two out (.375), 9th in walk percentage (13.8%), and 10th in times on base (259). He scored 100 runs, hit for a .325 batting average with runners in scoring position, and hit four first inning leadoff home runs. He did this despite struggling in the second half of the season with plantar fasciitis
and a problematic abdominal muscle.
in 1978), and became the first Red Sox hitter since Trot Nixon
to hit an inside-the-park home run. During the hitting streak, on May 20, he hit what would be the shortest homer by a Sox player during the season
—a 321-foot homer around the Pesky Pole
. The home run would not have cleared the fence at any of the other 29 ballparks in baseball. Although the hit streak ended on June 2, he did walk three times in an 11–6 win over the Yankees.
His manager Terry Francona
said, "He's taking more of what the pitchers give him, using the whole field. He's going to work the count about as good as any hitter in baseball. Last year if he got a two-strike breaking ball, he might swing and miss. This year he's fouling it off, or taking it to right field."
On June 1, Yankees pitcher Scott Proctor
hit Youkilis in the head with a pitch; Proctor was ejected from the game. On August 30, Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain
threw a pair of 98 mph pitches over Youkilis's head; Chamberlain was ejected, and later also suspended two games for "inappropriate actions". "That's the second time," Youkilis observed. "Scott Proctor hit me in the head. Coincidence? I don't know. It doesn't look good."
On June 25, 2007, Youkilis played in his 120th consecutive game at first base without an error, breaking the prior Red Sox record set in 1921 by Stuffy McInnis
. On September 7, he played in his 179th consecutive game at first base without an error, which broke the prior AL record set in 1973 by Mike Hegan
.
On September 15, Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang
struck Youkilis on his right wrist with a pitch, resulting in a deep tendon
bruise that kept him out until September 25, when returned with the aid of a cortisone
shot. In 2007, Youkilis was 6th in the AL with 15 hit by pitch
(HBP).
Youkilis's streak at the end of the regular season was 190 games; while he was charged with an error in the sixth inning of an October 16, 2007, playoff game against the Cleveland Indians
, postseason games are not included in the record. Youkilis said, "I’m not worried about making the error. I’m worried about trying to help the team win and trying to get an out any way we can." Leading the league with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, and an AL-record 1,079 error-less chances at first, Youkilis won the 2007 AL Gold Glove award for first basemen.
While he batted .288 for the season, with men on base he hit .340 with a .435 OBP. He was 6th in the league in pitches per plate appearance (4.27).
In the first inning of Game 1 of the ALDS against the Angels he hit his first post-season home run. It was his first homer since returning from being hit by Wang, and Youkilis said his wrist "felt a lot better as the days have progressed. I think the best thing about it is that it's playoff time, and adrenaline helps the most." In the 7-game ALCS against the Indians he hit three more home runs, had 14 hits (tying the LCS
record jointly held by Hideki Matsui
and Albert Pujols
since 2004), and scored 10 runs (bettering Matsui's 2004 ALCS record) while batting .500 (another new ALCS record, bettering Bob Boone
's .455 in 1986) with a .576 OBP and a .929 slugging percentage.
Still, in the World Series
against Colorado
, he did not start the team's away games. Francona faced a dilemma when playing without a DH in the NL park of having to bench either Youkilis, 120-RBI man Mike Lowell
, or 117-RBI man David Ortiz
, as he had to choose from among them which two would play first base and third base. Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe called it "the most difficult decision any American League manager has had to make in the 34-year history of the DH". Youkilis said: "It doesn't bother me. I want to play, but I totally understand the situation. Look, I'm doing everything I've always wanted to do. I'm playing in a World Series. I'm playing every day. I'm happy. I just want to win.... If I have to take a seat, that's just the way it has to be." Youkilis hit two doubles (both in Game 1) and had three walks in only 12 plate appearances in the 4-game win over Colorado, as he was not in the starting lineup for the away games. Dismissing questions as to whether he was upset about being benched for the last two games of the World Series, Youkilis said: "Move on and go to another team if you’re worried about your playing time, and think you deserve to play over somebody else."
Youkilis was selected the 2007 recipient of the Jackie Jensen
Award for spirit and determination by the Boston BBWAA chapter.
. In March 2008, his role as the designated player representative of the Red Sox became known during the resolution of a player-management dispute regarding non-payment of coaches and staff for the Red Sox trip to Japan.
On April 2, 2008, on an unassisted game-ending play against the Oakland A's
, Youkilis broke the Major League record for most consecutive error-less games by a first baseman, previously held by Steve Garvey
, at 194 games. In his 205th game without an error on April 27, Youkilis also established a new major league record for first basemen, when he fielded his 1,701st consecutive chance without an error, passing the old mark of 1,700 set by Stuffy McInnis from 1921 to 1922. His streak, which started on July 4, 2006, was snapped at 238 games (2,002 fielding attempts) on June 7, 2008 against the Seattle Mariners
.
He was named AL Player of the Week for May 5–11, after batting .375 while leading the AL with five home runs, and tying for the American League lead with 10 RBIs.
In an early June game at Fenway Park
, one camera reportedly showed Manny Ramirez
taking a swing at Youkilis, and the two had to be separated by teammates in the Red Sox dugout. "I think they were just exchanging some views on things," manager Terry Francona said. "We had a lot of testosterone going tonight." Asked about the incident the following year, Youkilis said: "We have two different approaches to the game. Winning and losing isn’t life and death to Manny."
He was the AL's starter at first base on the 2008 AL All Star team
that played the 79th Major League Baseball All Star Game at Yankee Stadium, voted in by the fans with 2,858,130 votes in his first year on the ballot. Youkilis became the sixth Red Sox first baseman to start an All Star Game at first base, following Jimmie Foxx
(1938; 40), Walt Dropo
(1950), Mickey Vernon
(1956), George Scott (1966), and Mo Vaughn
(1996).
In early July, Manny Ramirez
was traded away by the Red Sox. Youkilis took over the cleanup spot.
In 2008
, Youkilis led the AL in at bats per RBI (4.7), was 3rd in slugging percentage (.569) and sacrifice flies (9), 4th in RBIs (115), extra base hits (76), and OPS (.958); 5th in hit by pitch (12); 6th in batting average (.312) and on-base percentage (.390); 7th in doubles (43) and in times advanced from first to third on a single (14); 8th in total bases (306), 10th in at-bats per home run (18.6), and 12th in home runs (29). He was also 2nd in extra base hit percentage (12.2% of all plate appearances) and tied for 7th in times advanced from first to third on a single (14).
Youkilis also batted .356 against relief pitchers, .358 with men on base, and .374 with runners in scoring position. He drew seven intentional walks during the 2008 season, the first season he had garnered any, and also led the AL with a .353 batting average after the sixth inning. Youkilis became just the third modern major leaguer (since 1901) ever to bat over .300 with more than 100 RBIs during a season in which he spent at least 30 games at both first and third base; St. Louis' Albert Pujols
(2001) and Cleveland's Al Rosen
(1954) are the only other players to accomplish the feat.
Youkilis finished third in the balloting for the 2008 AL MVP Award, receiving two first-place votes (one from Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News
), while his teammate Dustin Pedroia
won and Justin Morneau
came in second. Only Youkilis and Morneau were named on all ballots.
In the ALCS
Game 5 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays
, the Red Sox were down by seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Youkilis scored the winning run for the Red Sox to complete the second-largest comeback in MLB postseason history. Before Game 4 of the 2008 World Series
, he was named the winner of the AL Hank Aaron Award
for the best offensive performance of the 2008 season.
Youkilis batted cleanup for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
, tying for the lead among all WBC players in home runs (3) and runs (9), and tying for second on the team in RBIs (6) and walks (6), through the first two rounds. He had to leave the team with a left ankle sprain, however, before the WBC semifinals.
Youkilis hit a walk off home run against the Yankees on April 24, 2009. "He has skills, man," said David Ortiz
. "I don't know how he do it. He just do it." He was subsequently placed on the disabled list
, but returned to play on May 20. "It's frustrating not being able to play," he said. "Watching baseball is not something I like to do."
Youkilis was picked to be a reserve on the AL 2009 All Star team by Tampa Bay and AL manager Joe Maddon
, after coming in second in the fan vote to Mark Teixeira
, 3,309,050 to 3,069,906.
On August 6, 2009, with the Red Sox suffering numerous injuries, Youkilis played left field for the first time since he played 18 games there in 2006. On August 8, he again played left field, and made a couple of twists and turns on a fly ball hit by Johnny Damon
before committing an error.
On August 11, 2009, after 6' 5" pitcher Rick Porcello
of the Detroit Tigers
hit him in the back with an 89 mph pitch, Youkilis immediately charged Porcello on the mound. Youkilis threw his helmet at the fast back-pedaling Porcello, and tackled him as Porcello grabbed at Youkilis, both went down, and both benches cleared. Both players were tossed from the game, and each received a five-game suspension.
Hearing that his friend and former minor league teammate Greg Montalbano had died of testicular cancer
at the age of 31 late on August 21, Youkilis dedicated his next game to his friend's memory. After inscribing "GM" in marker on his cap, he hit two home runs in the game against the Yankees, while driving in six runs. Both times as he crossed home plate
, he looked up and pointed to the sky. "That was for him," Youkilis said. "There are some crazy things that have happened in my life. You ... feel like there’s somebody out there somewhere pushing balls out for you, and doing great things."
In 2009, Youkilis was 2nd in the AL in OBP (.413) and OPS (.961), 4th in hit by pitch (16), 5th in slugging percentage (.548), and batted .305 overall and .362 with runners in scoring position. He also led the AL in pitches per plate appearance (4.42), was 6th in batting average on balls in play (.363), and 10th in walk percentage (13.6%). “Statistically, if you consider 2008 and 2009, you could make the case there has been no better player in the league [in that time],’’ said Red Sox EVP Epstein. Of the players with 1,000 plate appearances in the AL over the 2008–09 seasons, none had a higher OPS than Youkilis (.960).
In the field, while Youkilis split his time primarily between first base and third base and therefore did not qualify for the fielding percentage title at either, his .998 fielding percentage in 78 games at first matched that of the league leader Lyle Overbay
, and his .974 fielding percentage in 63 games at third base was better than league-leader Melvin Mora
's .971.
Youkilis finished sixth in balloting for the 2009 AL MVP Award, receiving two second-place votes. He was selected as the Red Sox most valuable player (winner of the 2009 Thomas A. Yawkey Memorial Award) in voting by the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
On May 18, 2010, Youkilis hit his 100th career home run off C.C. Sabathia
.
On August 2, Youkilis' season was cut short by a right thumb abductor muscle tear, which he had played through for two weeks. At the time of his injury, he was tied for 3rd in the major leagues in runs scored (77), and led all major leaguers with a .798 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers. He was 3rd in the AL in on-base percentage (.411), tied for 5th in walks (58), tied for 7th in extra-base hits (50), 8th in slugging percentage (.564), and 9th in total bases (204). He had surgery to repair the tear on August 6.
The injury limited him to only 102 games for the season, his fewest since his 2005 sophomore year. Slowed by his injury, he had only 362 at bats, but batted .307/.411/.564 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs.
For the years 2008–10, his .964 on-base/slugging percentage ranked second in the major leagues, behind Albert Pujols
(1.074).
Youkilis was named to the 2011 AL All Star team, for the 82nd All Star Game
. At the All Star break, he was 3rd in the league in doubles (26), 4th in on base percentage (.399), 6th in RBIs (63), 7th in OPS (.911), and 9th in walks (49). For the season, he led all AL third basemen in fielding percentage, at .967.
's best-seller Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
was published. The book focuses on Oakland Athletics
' General Manager
Billy Beane
's use of Sabermetrics
as a tool in the evaluation of potential prospect
s. In the book, Lewis discusses then-prospect Youkilis in detail, and refers to him as "Euclis, the Greek God of Walks", a moniker that has stuck. Youkilis is actually not of Greek
extraction (see "Background and early career", above). Beane put more stock in empirical evidence than in scouts' hunches, and did not care that Youkilis was pudgy (or, as Lewis put it in the book, "a fat third baseman who couldn't run, throw, or field"), but just loved his ability to get on base (helped in no small part by his 20/11 vision). The book brought minor leaguer Youkilis his first national recognition.
Lewis also revealed that Beane repeatedly tried to trade for Youkilis before Youkilis reached the major leagues. His attempts were blocked, however, by Beane admirer, and former Red Sox GM, Theo Epstein.
Asked by a reporter what he thought of the nickname, Youkilis quipped: "It's better than being 'the Greek God of Illegitimate Children.'" But according to his dad, "Kevin disliked that Greek God of Walks stuff." Fans actually rooted for Youkilis to take pitches. "It was frustrating to hear fans say, 'Get a walk!'" Youkilis said. "I'll take a walk—a walk's as good as a hit—but don't you want me to hit a home run or something?"
On August 8, 2005, while playing for the Red Sox, Youkilis took the field in the 9th inning along with Adam Stern
and Gabe Kapler
, setting a "record" for the most Jewish players on the field at one time in AL history, and the most in Major League Baseball
history since four Jewish players took the field for the New York Giants
in a game in 1941.
Youkilis was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg
75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, published in affiliation with Fleer
Trading Cards and the American Jewish Historical Society
, commemorating the Jewish Major Leaguers from 1871 through 2008. He joined, among other Jewish major leaguers, Ryan Braun
, Brad Ausmus
, Ian Kinsler
, Brian Horwitz
, Gabe Kapler
, Jason Marquis
, Jason Hirsh
, John Grabow
, Craig Breslow
, and Scott Schoeneweis
.
He was one of three Jewish players in the 2008 All-Star Game, joining Braun and Kinsler, and one of three Jewish players on the Team USA 2009 World Baseball Classic team, joining Braun and Grabow. Kinsler says that "Youkilis always says something to me on the bases. 'Happy Passover
,' he'll throw something at me."
Youkilis was named the Jewish MVP for 2008, beating out fellow All-Stars Braun and Kinsler. He was voted the top Jewish baseball player of the decade 2000–09 in online balloting, beating out Shawn Green
and Braun. Through the 2010 season, his .294 batting average placed him 6th on the career all-time list (directly behind Phil Weintraub
) for batting average by Jewish major leaguers, his 112 home runs placed him 8th (behind Braun), and his 470 RBIs placed him 9th (behind Ausmus).
In Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
, a 2010 documentary film narrated by Dustin Hoffman
, Youkilis noted:
established by Youkilis in 2007. Youkilis's foundation focuses on raising support and awareness for the health, advocacy, safety, and medical healing of children across Massachusetts, in his hometown of Cincinnati, and beyond. Rallying the support of volunteers, local business, and the heart of Red Sox Nation
, Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids teams with existing, community-based children's charities and medical research efforts that lack sufficient funding and awareness. One organization that Hits for Kids works with is the Joslin Diabetes Center
's Pediatric Health Services. He has a special sensitivity about youth suicide
, since his college roommate, a close and supportive friend of his since high school, committed suicide on Thanksgiving during his sophomore year. To this day, he said, "I sit back at night and wonder what I could’ve done."
"In my religion, the Jewish religion, that's one of the biggest things that's taught, is giving a mitzvah
, forming a mitzvah", said Youkilis. "I was always taught as a kid giving to charity. You're supposed to give a good amount of charity each and every year.... It's just a great thing when you can make a kid smile that's going through some hard times in life ... I wish more people, not just athletes, would give people just a little bit of their time. It doesn't take much ... It can make a huge difference."
After the first game of the ALDS, Youkilis re-shaved his head for good luck in a sign of solidarity with cancer patient Mitt Campbell. Following the team's 2007 World Series
victory, Youkilis shaved his goatee for a $5,000 donation by Gillette to his foundation.
All profits from his charity wine "SauvignYoouuk Blanc", released in 2008, support Hits for Kids.
, Mexico. The ceremony was attended by Red Sox teammates Mike Lowell
, David Ortiz
, and Dustin Pedroia
. Sambataro, a Newton, Massachusetts
native, is the CEO
of Youkilis's charity Hits for Kids.
show Man v. Food
. The episode was filmed in Boston's Eagle's Deli and featured Youkilis rooting against host (and New York Yankees
fan) Adam Richman
in an eating challenge. In 2011 he appeared in the music video for the Dropkick Murphys
song Going Out in Style
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001 after playing college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
Known for his ability to get on base, Youkilis (while still a minor leaguer) was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "The Greek God of Walks" in the best-selling book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. A Gold Glove Award
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
-winning first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, he once held baseball's record for most consecutive errorless games at first base (later broken by Casey Kotchman
Casey Kotchman
Casey John Kotchman is an American Major League Baseball first baseman.-High school:He was on the 2001 national champion team of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...
). He is also a two-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
Champion, and winner of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
.
An intense performer on the playing field, Youkilis is known for his scrappiness, grittiness, dirt-stained jerseys, and home-plate collisions. He has excelled despite a physique that led many observers to underestimate his athletic ability: he was called "roly-poly" by his high school coach, "pudgy" by his college coach, a "fat kid" by general manager Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
, and a "thicker-bodied guy" by the Red Sox scout who recruited him. Or, as Jackie MacMullan
Jackie MacMullan
Jackie "Mac" MacMullan is an American freelance newspaper sportswriter and NBA columnist for the sports website ESPN.com. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she played Division I basketball for the Wildcats, MacMullan was a columnist and associate editor of the Boston Globe...
wrote for the Boston Globe: "He does not look like an MVP candidate; more a refrigerator repairman, a butcher, the man selling hammers behind the counter at the True Value hardware store." Youkilis was named to the Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 36 on the list in 2009, No. 38 in 2010, and No. 35 in 2011.
Background and early career
The Youkilis family name has an unusual history. His Jewish great-great-great-grandfather, a native of 19th-century Romania, moved to Greece at the age of 16 to avoid conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
at the hands of the notoriously anti-Semitic Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s. He became homesick, however, and returned to Romania after a couple of years, although he changed his surname from "Weiner" to the name, "Youkilis", to avoid army and jail.
Youkilis is the son of a Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
jewelry wholesaler, who Youkilis has described as a "well-known third baseman in the Jewish Community Center fast-pitch softball league." At the age of 14, Youkilis had an uncredited one-line speaking role in the romantic comedy film, Milk Money. He attended Sycamore High School
Sycamore High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Sycamore High School is a four-year public high school in the north-east suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Sycamore Community School District. The current building was built in 1974 in a very modern architectural style employing the progressive and experimental open...
in the northeastern suburbs of Cincinnati, where he played third base, shortstop, first base, and the outfield for the school team which won the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
National Championship in 1994, and he was the only player to homer off of current Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
pitcher Aaron Cook in high school.
College
When he graduated from high school in 1997, Youkilis weighed about 227 pounds and was 6' 1". He was recruited by two Division I schools: Butler UniversityButler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
and his ultimate choice, the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
(UC)—an institution that was the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of both his father and Youkilis' longtime idol, Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, although it had just finished a dismal 12–46 season. UC coach Brian Cleary spotted Youkilis at a winter camp. "I looked at him and said, Well, we need somebody," said Cleary. "I'd love to tell you I saw something no one else did, but he was just better than what we had."
While majoring in Finance, Youkilis excelled as a player for the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
from 1998 to 2001. "I take no credit," said Cleary. "He coaches himself. He knows his swing. Any time we said anything to him, he was already a step ahead. He made the adjustments he had to make. I just think he's a really smart guy who had a great feel for what he had to do." In his junior year in 2000, he was a second-team All-American and first-team All-Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, as he set school records by hitting three home runs in one game and 19 for the season; still, he went undrafted. "He was kind of a square-shaped body, a guy [who] in a uniform didn’t look all that athletic," Cleary said. "He wasn't a tall, prospect-y looking guy. He looked chubby in a uniform.... It wasn't fat. He was strong. [But] I think the body did scare some people away."
During the period between his junior and senior years, he played in the Cape Cod League, finishing sixth in the league in batting average. In his senior year in 2001 he repeated as second-team All-American. He set UC career records for home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (56), walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(206), slugging percentage (.627), and on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(.499) with a batting average of .366. "He had a great eye ... he hardly ever struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
looking," said Brad Meador, UC's associate head coach. "When he did, you knew the ump
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
missed the call." Cleary, noting how driven Youkilis was to succeed, told his father: "Your son's going to be a millionaire some day. I don't know if it's in baseball, but he's going to make some money one of these days." Youkilis was later inducted into UC's James Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame.
Yet, when asked what he liked about Youkilis, former Boston scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
Matt Haas said: "At first glance, not a lot. He was unorthodox. He had an extreme crouch—his thighs were almost parallel to the ground. And he was heavier than he is now. But the more I watched him, the more I just thought, 'Throw the tools out the window. This guy can play baseball.'"
In 2001, at Haas's urging, the Boston Red Sox drafted Youkilis in the eighth round (243rd overall), to the chagrin of Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
, who had hoped that he would be able to draft him in a later round. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that: "questions about his defense and power with wood kept him out of the top part of the draft." He signed for a mere $12,000 signing bonus
Signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
. "Kevin would have played for a six-pack of beer," his father said.
"Teams didn’t appreciate performance as much then as they do now," observed Red Sox VP of Player Personnel Ben Cherington eight years later. "His college performance was off the charts. If he [were] in the draft this year, he'd be at least a sandwich pick
Sandwich Pick
Sandwich pick is a term for a type of draft pick awarded to Major League Baseball teams for the loss of free agents who meet the minimum requirements by the Elias Rankings...
, if not a first rounder. His performance was that good, in college and on the Cape. Now, teams appreciate what that means. There’s no way he’d last that long now."
Minor leagues (2001–04)
In 2001, Youkilis made his professional debut as a third baseman with the Lowell SpinnersLowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
, a Short-Season A Class franchise in the New York-Penn League. He went on to lead the league with a .512 OBP, 52 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and 70 walks (against just 28 strikeouts), while hitting for a .317 batting average (third in the league) in 59 games. He also reached base safely by hit or walk in 46 consecutive games (the third-longest such streak in the minor leagues). Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
wrote that August: "Remember this name: Kevin Youkilis, who resembles Steve Balboni
Steve Balboni
Stephen Charles Balboni is a retired Major League Baseball player with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. He was a player with home run power and a tendency to strike out. He was nicknamed "Bye Bye" because of his home run hitting prowess...
." Honored by the Spinners with a "Youkilis bobblehead night", Youkilis said: "It's an honor—you know you've made it when you get a bobblehead of yourself." Promoted from Lowell towards the end of the season, he played five games with the Augusta GreenJackets
Augusta GreenJackets
The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league baseball team that plays in Augusta, Georgia, as a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Lake Olmstead Stadium has been the home of the GreenJackets since the 1995 season, although Augusta has fielded a team in the South Atlantic League since 1988...
of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, a Low-A Class league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
. He was named Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year.
In 2002, Youkilis appeared in 15 games for Augusta, in 76 games for the Sarasota Sox (40 of them at first base), and in 44 games for the Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
. He hit .310, with eight home runs and 80 RBIs for the year, and he was voted Trenton's "Player of the Year." His .436 on-base percentage was the fifth-highest in the minors in 2002, and his 80 walks were seventh-most. In recognition of his performance, the Boston Red Sox named Youkilis their 2002 Minor League Player of the Year.
After the 2002 season, Boston's then-assistant general manager, Theo Epstein
Theo Epstein
Theo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
, sent Youkilis to the Athletes' Performance Institute
Athletes' Performance Institute
Athletes' Performance Institute is a private personalized performance training institute, described by MLB.com as "a high-tech fitness boot camp for professionals," and by ESPN as "a sprawling weight room/running track/football field/swimming pool/café/spa." Training programs can include aspects...
in Tempe, Arizona, where he engaged in an intensive six-week training regimen. Youkilis then moved his off-season home to Arizona, and attended the Institute in the 2004–08 off seasons as well.
In 2003, Youkilis started the season with the Portland Sea Dogs
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Established in 1994 and based in Portland, Maine, the Sea Dogs play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League....
. In 94 games, he led the Eastern League with a .487 on base percentage (best all-time for the team through 2007), and was third in the league with a .327 batting average (second-best all-time for the team through 2007). Later, he earned a spot on the Eastern League All Star team, the Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
AA All-Star team, and on the U.S. roster for the 2003 All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
. After Portland, Youkilis moved up to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
, the Boston Red Sox Class-AAA franchise. During his time with Pawtucket, Youkilis managed to complete a streak he started while in Portland: he reached base in 71 consecutive games, tying future teammate Kevin Millar
Kevin Millar
Kevin Charles Millar is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current analyst for MLB Network and New England Sports Network. Millar played college baseball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he continues to reside in the off-season. Millar is the nephew of former...
's minor-league record for consecutive games reaching base. His 104 walks were the third-highest number recorded in the minors in 2003. Asked, however, about the focus in baseball on five-tool player
Five-tool player
In baseball, a five-tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities....
s, Youkilis quipped, "I don't even know if I have a tool."
Writing for ESPN, John Sickels
John Sickels
John Sickels is an American baseball writer, formerly of ESPN.com, who specializes in minor league baseball and amateur baseball.-Biography:...
evaluated him as follows in mid-2003:
Youkilis is an on-base machine. He never swings at a bad pitch, and is adept at working counts and out-thinking the pitcher. Unlike some guys who draw lots of walks, Youkilis seldom strikes out. He makes solid contact against both fastballs and breaking pitches. Youkilis' swing is tailored for the line drive, and he may never hit for much home run power. But he hits balls to the gaps effectively, and could develop 10–14 home run power down the road. Youkilis does not have very good speed, though he is a decent baserunner. His defense at third base draws mixed reviews. His arm, range, and hands all rate as adequate/average. He doesn't kill the defense at third base, but he doesn't help it much, either, and is likely to end up at first base down the road.
Youkilis spent the 2003–04 winter in Mexico, playing for Navojoa
Mayos de Navojoa
The Mayos de Navojoa is a Mexican baseball team in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico .They have been champions of the league twice. The first time was at the 1978–79 season, with Chuck Goggin as coach...
of the Mexican Pacific League. In 2004, he appeared in 32 games for Pawtucket, hitting .258 with three home runs, and a .347 on base percentage, before being called up to the Red Sox on May 15.
In his minor league career through 2005, he batted .299 with a .442 OBP while playing 340 games at third base, 59 at first base, and 2 at second base.
2004
On May 15, 2004, when Red Sox2004 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
regular starting third baseman Bill Mueller
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, Youkilis was called up for the first time. "I didn't sleep much," Youkilis said. "I got about four hours of sleep.... They told me the night before I was playing.... I got in there, and man, I was just amped up and excited." During his first major-league game in Toronto
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, with his parents watching from the second row behind the dugout, Youkilis (in his second at bat) homered against 1996 Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen
Pat Hentgen
Patrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in...
, becoming just the seventh player in team history to hit a home run in his first game. As a prank, the team initially gave Youkilis the silent treatment when he returned to the dugout after his homer. "This one will go down probably as the greatest day of my life," he said.
Later, Youkilis was swept up in the team's ritual annual hazing
Hazing
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
, in which he and other rookies were made to wear skimpy Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
waitress outfits, orange satin shorts and tight, clingy white tank tops, for the team trip from Canada through US Customs in Florida. "I walked into the locker room, and all my clothes were gone," Youkilis said. "There was just a Hooters outfit and shoes." Youkilis was named AL Rookie of the Month for May, after leading AL rookies with nine walks and a .446 OBP as he batting .318 with 7 RBIs, and 15 runs in 13 games. Noting ways that his life had suddenly changed, he said: "I'm staying in the best hotel I've ever stayed in, and my paycheck has quadrupled." In mid-July he was sent back down to AAA, however, to make room for Ramiro Mendoza
Ramiro Mendoza
Ramiro Mendoza , nicknamed "El Brujo" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed. Although Mendoza made 62 starts in his major league career, he was primarily known as a middle relief pitcher...
, though he was brought up again towards the end of the season.
On September 24 of that year, which was Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
, Youkilis appeared in the dugout
Dugout (baseball)
In baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
in uniform, but declined to participate in the game out of deference to the religious holiday. Youkilis was named the club's Rookie of the Year by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
. For the season, in 44 games, he saw an average of 4.67 pitches per plate appearance, first among major leaguers with at least 90 plate appearances. As Youkilis observed, "Fighting off pitches, fouling off pitches, laying off pitches, making it so the opposing pitcher can't breathe; that's my job." He was on the roster for the Red Sox for the ALDS, making his sole appearance in Game 2 against the Angels. "It's been an unbelievable ride," Youkilis said. "It's a great first year, a year you probably can't top. Hopefully, it ends like a Cinderella story." He was removed from the roster for the next round, the ALCS, and was on the roster but did not play in the World Series.
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
2005
While virtually nobody else knew it, Youkilis broke his toe during spring training in 2005, and was back playing again in a matter of days. It was "in Vero Beach", Youkilis said. "I was trying to make the team."On the Red Sox Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
roster for the first time in his career in 2005, Youkilis found himself on the way back down to Pawtucket on April 13 as the team needed to activate Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
, and Youkilis happened to still have minor league options; but told that he would be back, Youkilis decided to keep his Boston apartment and commute to Pawtucket. Up and down all season as the Red Sox made use of his options, he got a call-up—prompted by Bill Mueller having back spasms in batting practice—one August day as he was in Pawtucket's clubhouse before a game. Without changing out of the same white pants that he wore for both Boston and Pawtucket home games, he packed his car, drove the 40 miles to Boston, walked into the Red Sox clubhouse, changed his jersey and cleats, and was ready to play.
He ultimately played 43 more games for Pawtucket in 2005 before being called up permanently. On September 18, he fractured the tip of the ring finger
Ring finger
The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human hand, and the second most ulnar finger, located between the middle finger and the little finger. It is also called digitus medicinalis, the fourth finger, digitus annularis, digitus quartus, or digitus IV in anatomy.- Etymology :According to László A...
of his right hand fielding a ground ball, and did not play again until October 2, the final day of the regular season. In 2005 with Boston, Youkilis hit .278 with a .400 on base percentage in 79 at bats in 44 games during five stints with the team. He saw an average of 4.68 pitches per plate appearance, the most of any Red Sox player with at least 50 at bats. He made 23 appearances at third base, 9 at first base, and 2 at second, and batted at least once from all nine spots in the batting order.
2006
In 2006, his first full season in the majors, Youkilis became a regular first baseman (with 127 games at first). Until that time, he was primarily a third baseman, though he did play nine games at first base with the Red Sox in 2005, and 56 games at first base in his minor league career. Also in 2006 he played in the outfieldOutfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
for the first time in his professional career, 18 games in left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
. Despite his inexperience in the outfield, Youkilis did not commit an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
while in the outfield; he did, however, commit eight errors while playing the infield.
Youkilis tied for the major league lead in sacrifice flies
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
(11) and led the AL with 4.43 pitches per plate appearance and by hitting line drives 24% of time that he put balls in play. Also that year, Youkilis was 2nd in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) in pitches seen (3,009) and percent of pitches taken (63.8), 4th in OBP with runners in scoring position with two outs (.524), 7th in bases on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(91; the six players ahead of him averaged 41 home runs and 14 intentional walks, while Youkilis hit only 13 homers and was not intentionally walked once), tied for 7th in "bases taken" (22; advanced on fly balls, passed balls, wild pitches, balks, etc.), 8th in doubles (42) and batting average with runners in scoring position
Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position
Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position is a baseball statistic derived by dividing a players hits with runners in scoring positions by his at bats with runners in scoring position...
with two out (.375), 9th in walk percentage (13.8%), and 10th in times on base (259). He scored 100 runs, hit for a .325 batting average with runners in scoring position, and hit four first inning leadoff home runs. He did this despite struggling in the second half of the season with plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot.Longstanding cases of plantar fasciitis often demonstrate more degenerative changes than inflammatory changes, in which case they are termed plantar fasciosis. The suffix...
and a problematic abdominal muscle.
2007
Youkilis had a career-high 23-game hitting streak starting on May 5, 2007, and ending on June 2, 2007, in which he hit .426 (43–101) with 13 doubles, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs, and a .468 OBP. At one point during the hitting streak, he had 9 straight games with at least two hits (tying a Red Sox record set by Jim RiceJim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
in 1978), and became the first Red Sox hitter since Trot Nixon
Trot Nixon
Christopher Trotman Nixon is an American retired professional baseball right fielder. He played from 1996-2008 for three different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Boston Red Sox...
to hit an inside-the-park home run. During the hitting streak, on May 20, he hit what would be the shortest homer by a Sox player during the season
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...
—a 321-foot homer around the Pesky Pole
Pesky's Pole
Pesky's Pole, commonly referred to as The Pesky Pole, is the nickname for the right field foul pole at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. It is named after Johnny Pesky, who played second base, shortstop and third base for the Red Sox from 1942 to 1952, except for 1943-45 during World War II....
. The home run would not have cleared the fence at any of the other 29 ballparks in baseball. Although the hit streak ended on June 2, he did walk three times in an 11–6 win over the Yankees.
His manager Terry Francona
Terry Francona
Terry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for...
said, "He's taking more of what the pitchers give him, using the whole field. He's going to work the count about as good as any hitter in baseball. Last year if he got a two-strike breaking ball, he might swing and miss. This year he's fouling it off, or taking it to right field."
On June 1, Yankees pitcher Scott Proctor
Scott Proctor
Scott Christopher Proctor is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent.-Minor leagues:Proctor was drafted in the 17th round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Mets out of Martin County High School, but decided to attend Florida State University,...
hit Youkilis in the head with a pitch; Proctor was ejected from the game. On August 30, Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain
Joba Chamberlain
Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Chamberlain was born and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chamberlain's parents, Harlan Chamberlain and Jackie Standley, were never married and split up when Joba was 18 months old...
threw a pair of 98 mph pitches over Youkilis's head; Chamberlain was ejected, and later also suspended two games for "inappropriate actions". "That's the second time," Youkilis observed. "Scott Proctor hit me in the head. Coincidence? I don't know. It doesn't look good."
On June 25, 2007, Youkilis played in his 120th consecutive game at first base without an error, breaking the prior Red Sox record set in 1921 by Stuffy McInnis
Stuffy McInnis
John Phalen "Stuffy" McInnis was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball.McInnis gained his nickname as a youngster in the Boston suburban leagues, where his spectacular playing brought shouts of "that's the stuff, kid".From 1909-27, McInnis played for the Philadelphia Athletics ,...
. On September 7, he played in his 179th consecutive game at first base without an error, which broke the prior AL record set in 1973 by Mike Hegan
Mike Hegan
James Michael "Mike" Hegan is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder and later radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians. In 1969, Hegan hit the first home run in Seattle Pilots history in his first at-bat.He is the son of longtime Indians catcher Jim Hegan...
.
On September 15, Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese Major League Baseball pitcher. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees for the 2000 season, and played for the Staten Island Yankees...
struck Youkilis on his right wrist with a pitch, resulting in a deep tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
bruise that kept him out until September 25, when returned with the aid of a cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
shot. In 2007, Youkilis was 6th in the AL with 15 hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
(HBP).
Youkilis's streak at the end of the regular season was 190 games; while he was charged with an error in the sixth inning of an October 16, 2007, playoff game against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, postseason games are not included in the record. Youkilis said, "I’m not worried about making the error. I’m worried about trying to help the team win and trying to get an out any way we can." Leading the league with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, and an AL-record 1,079 error-less chances at first, Youkilis won the 2007 AL Gold Glove award for first basemen.
While he batted .288 for the season, with men on base he hit .340 with a .435 OBP. He was 6th in the league in pitches per plate appearance (4.27).
In the first inning of Game 1 of the ALDS against the Angels he hit his first post-season home run. It was his first homer since returning from being hit by Wang, and Youkilis said his wrist "felt a lot better as the days have progressed. I think the best thing about it is that it's playoff time, and adrenaline helps the most." In the 7-game ALCS against the Indians he hit three more home runs, had 14 hits (tying the LCS
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
record jointly held by Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
and Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
since 2004), and scored 10 runs (bettering Matsui's 2004 ALCS record) while batting .500 (another new ALCS record, bettering Bob Boone
Bob Boone
Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
's .455 in 1986) with a .576 OBP and a .929 slugging percentage.
Still, in the World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
against Colorado
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, he did not start the team's away games. Francona faced a dilemma when playing without a DH in the NL park of having to bench either Youkilis, 120-RBI man Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees , Florida Marlins , and the Boston Red Sox...
, or 117-RBI man David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
, as he had to choose from among them which two would play first base and third base. Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe called it "the most difficult decision any American League manager has had to make in the 34-year history of the DH". Youkilis said: "It doesn't bother me. I want to play, but I totally understand the situation. Look, I'm doing everything I've always wanted to do. I'm playing in a World Series. I'm playing every day. I'm happy. I just want to win.... If I have to take a seat, that's just the way it has to be." Youkilis hit two doubles (both in Game 1) and had three walks in only 12 plate appearances in the 4-game win over Colorado, as he was not in the starting lineup for the away games. Dismissing questions as to whether he was upset about being benched for the last two games of the World Series, Youkilis said: "Move on and go to another team if you’re worried about your playing time, and think you deserve to play over somebody else."
Youkilis was selected the 2007 recipient of the Jackie Jensen
Jackie Jensen
Jack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...
Award for spirit and determination by the Boston BBWAA chapter.
2008
In 2007, Youkilis had earned $424,500, the fourth-lowest salary on the club. In February 2008, he signed a one-year contract for $3 million, avoiding salary arbitrationArbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
. In March 2008, his role as the designated player representative of the Red Sox became known during the resolution of a player-management dispute regarding non-payment of coaches and staff for the Red Sox trip to Japan.
On April 2, 2008, on an unassisted game-ending play against the Oakland A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Youkilis broke the Major League record for most consecutive error-less games by a first baseman, previously held by Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
, at 194 games. In his 205th game without an error on April 27, Youkilis also established a new major league record for first basemen, when he fielded his 1,701st consecutive chance without an error, passing the old mark of 1,700 set by Stuffy McInnis from 1921 to 1922. His streak, which started on July 4, 2006, was snapped at 238 games (2,002 fielding attempts) on June 7, 2008 against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
He was named AL Player of the Week for May 5–11, after batting .375 while leading the AL with five home runs, and tying for the American League lead with 10 RBIs.
In an early June game at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, one camera reportedly showed Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
taking a swing at Youkilis, and the two had to be separated by teammates in the Red Sox dugout. "I think they were just exchanging some views on things," manager Terry Francona said. "We had a lot of testosterone going tonight." Asked about the incident the following year, Youkilis said: "We have two different approaches to the game. Winning and losing isn’t life and death to Manny."
He was the AL's starter at first base on the 2008 AL All Star team
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
that played the 79th Major League Baseball All Star Game at Yankee Stadium, voted in by the fans with 2,858,130 votes in his first year on the ballot. Youkilis became the sixth Red Sox first baseman to start an All Star Game at first base, following Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
(1938; 40), Walt Dropo
Walt Dropo
Walter Dropo , nicknamed "Moose", was an American college basketball standout and a professional baseball first baseman...
(1950), Mickey Vernon
Mickey Vernon
James Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...
(1956), George Scott (1966), and Mo Vaughn
Mo Vaughn
Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn , nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played from 1991 to 2003...
(1996).
In early July, Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
was traded away by the Red Sox. Youkilis took over the cleanup spot.
In 2008
2008 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2008 season began on March 25, in Tokyo, Japan for the MLB Japan Opening Day 2008. The Red Sox were attempting to become the first repeat World Series Champions since the 1999–2000 New York Yankees and also be the first repeat Champions of the 21st century. They also tried to...
, Youkilis led the AL in at bats per RBI (4.7), was 3rd in slugging percentage (.569) and sacrifice flies (9), 4th in RBIs (115), extra base hits (76), and OPS (.958); 5th in hit by pitch (12); 6th in batting average (.312) and on-base percentage (.390); 7th in doubles (43) and in times advanced from first to third on a single (14); 8th in total bases (306), 10th in at-bats per home run (18.6), and 12th in home runs (29). He was also 2nd in extra base hit percentage (12.2% of all plate appearances) and tied for 7th in times advanced from first to third on a single (14).
Youkilis also batted .356 against relief pitchers, .358 with men on base, and .374 with runners in scoring position. He drew seven intentional walks during the 2008 season, the first season he had garnered any, and also led the AL with a .353 batting average after the sixth inning. Youkilis became just the third modern major leaguer (since 1901) ever to bat over .300 with more than 100 RBIs during a season in which he spent at least 30 games at both first and third base; St. Louis' Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
(2001) and Cleveland's Al Rosen
Al Rosen
Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
(1954) are the only other players to accomplish the feat.
Youkilis finished third in the balloting for the 2008 AL MVP Award, receiving two first-place votes (one from Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
), while his teammate Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...
won and Justin Morneau
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
came in second. Only Youkilis and Morneau were named on all ballots.
In the ALCS
2008 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 10, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FloridaBoston won a pitcher's duel on a sac fly by Jed Lowrie in the fifth and an RBI double by Kevin Youkilis in the eighth. Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was nearly unhittable in Game 1 of the 2008 ALCS. He held the Rays hitless...
Game 5 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays
2008 Tampa Bay Rays season
The Tampa Bay Rays' 2008 season, the 11th season in franchise history, marked the change of the team's name from the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" to the "Tampa Bay Rays", as revealed on November 8, 2007. The change in name also came with a change in logo and uniforms, with new team colors of Columbia...
, the Red Sox were down by seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Youkilis scored the winning run for the Red Sox to complete the second-largest comeback in MLB postseason history. Before Game 4 of the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
, he was named the winner of the AL Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
for the best offensive performance of the 2008 season.
2009
Youkilis signed a four-year, $41.25 million contract with the Red Sox on January 15, 2009. The deal also included a team option (at $14 million, with a $1.25 million buyout) for 2013. Later that year, he was voted # 36 on the Sporting News list of the 50 greatest active baseball players, voted on by a panel that included members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.Youkilis batted cleanup for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
, tying for the lead among all WBC players in home runs (3) and runs (9), and tying for second on the team in RBIs (6) and walks (6), through the first two rounds. He had to leave the team with a left ankle sprain, however, before the WBC semifinals.
Youkilis hit a walk off home run against the Yankees on April 24, 2009. "He has skills, man," said David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
. "I don't know how he do it. He just do it." He was subsequently placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, but returned to play on May 20. "It's frustrating not being able to play," he said. "Watching baseball is not something I like to do."
Youkilis was picked to be a reserve on the AL 2009 All Star team by Tampa Bay and AL manager Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...
, after coming in second in the fan vote to Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
, 3,309,050 to 3,069,906.
On August 6, 2009, with the Red Sox suffering numerous injuries, Youkilis played left field for the first time since he played 18 games there in 2006. On August 8, he again played left field, and made a couple of twists and turns on a fly ball hit by Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
before committing an error.
On August 11, 2009, after 6' 5" pitcher Rick Porcello
Rick Porcello
Frederick Alfred "Rick" Porcello III is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
hit him in the back with an 89 mph pitch, Youkilis immediately charged Porcello on the mound. Youkilis threw his helmet at the fast back-pedaling Porcello, and tackled him as Porcello grabbed at Youkilis, both went down, and both benches cleared. Both players were tossed from the game, and each received a five-game suspension.
Hearing that his friend and former minor league teammate Greg Montalbano had died of testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
at the age of 31 late on August 21, Youkilis dedicated his next game to his friend's memory. After inscribing "GM" in marker on his cap, he hit two home runs in the game against the Yankees, while driving in six runs. Both times as he crossed home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
, he looked up and pointed to the sky. "That was for him," Youkilis said. "There are some crazy things that have happened in my life. You ... feel like there’s somebody out there somewhere pushing balls out for you, and doing great things."
In 2009, Youkilis was 2nd in the AL in OBP (.413) and OPS (.961), 4th in hit by pitch (16), 5th in slugging percentage (.548), and batted .305 overall and .362 with runners in scoring position. He also led the AL in pitches per plate appearance (4.42), was 6th in batting average on balls in play (.363), and 10th in walk percentage (13.6%). “Statistically, if you consider 2008 and 2009, you could make the case there has been no better player in the league [in that time],’’ said Red Sox EVP Epstein. Of the players with 1,000 plate appearances in the AL over the 2008–09 seasons, none had a higher OPS than Youkilis (.960).
In the field, while Youkilis split his time primarily between first base and third base and therefore did not qualify for the fielding percentage title at either, his .998 fielding percentage in 78 games at first matched that of the league leader Lyle Overbay
Lyle Overbay
Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent.-Amateur career:...
, and his .974 fielding percentage in 63 games at third base was better than league-leader Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora , affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
's .971.
Youkilis finished sixth in balloting for the 2009 AL MVP Award, receiving two second-place votes. He was selected as the Red Sox most valuable player (winner of the 2009 Thomas A. Yawkey Memorial Award) in voting by the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
2010
In 2010, Youkilis was again named to Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 38 on the list. A panel of 21 MLB executives was polled to arrive at the list.On May 18, 2010, Youkilis hit his 100th career home run off C.C. Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia
Carsten Charles "CC" Sabathia is an American professional baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball...
.
On August 2, Youkilis' season was cut short by a right thumb abductor muscle tear, which he had played through for two weeks. At the time of his injury, he was tied for 3rd in the major leagues in runs scored (77), and led all major leaguers with a .798 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers. He was 3rd in the AL in on-base percentage (.411), tied for 5th in walks (58), tied for 7th in extra-base hits (50), 8th in slugging percentage (.564), and 9th in total bases (204). He had surgery to repair the tear on August 6.
The injury limited him to only 102 games for the season, his fewest since his 2005 sophomore year. Slowed by his injury, he had only 362 at bats, but batted .307/.411/.564 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs.
For the years 2008–10, his .964 on-base/slugging percentage ranked second in the major leagues, behind Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
(1.074).
2011
In 2011, Youkilis was again named to Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 35 on the list. A panel of 21 MLB executives was polled to arrive at the list.Youkilis was named to the 2011 AL All Star team, for the 82nd All Star Game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
. At the All Star break, he was 3rd in the league in doubles (26), 4th in on base percentage (.399), 6th in RBIs (63), 7th in OPS (.911), and 9th in walks (49). For the season, he led all AL third basemen in fielding percentage, at .967.
Moneyball
In 2003, author Michael LewisMichael Lewis (author)
Michael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic and Home Game: An...
's best-seller Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's modernized, analytical, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite...
was published. The book focuses on Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
' General Manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
's use of Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
as a tool in the evaluation of potential prospect
Prospect (sports)
In sports, a prospect is any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team, or isn't established with the team yet. Prospects can sometimes be assigned to farm teams...
s. In the book, Lewis discusses then-prospect Youkilis in detail, and refers to him as "Euclis, the Greek God of Walks", a moniker that has stuck. Youkilis is actually not of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
extraction (see "Background and early career", above). Beane put more stock in empirical evidence than in scouts' hunches, and did not care that Youkilis was pudgy (or, as Lewis put it in the book, "a fat third baseman who couldn't run, throw, or field"), but just loved his ability to get on base (helped in no small part by his 20/11 vision). The book brought minor leaguer Youkilis his first national recognition.
Lewis also revealed that Beane repeatedly tried to trade for Youkilis before Youkilis reached the major leagues. His attempts were blocked, however, by Beane admirer, and former Red Sox GM, Theo Epstein.
Asked by a reporter what he thought of the nickname, Youkilis quipped: "It's better than being 'the Greek God of Illegitimate Children.'" But according to his dad, "Kevin disliked that Greek God of Walks stuff." Fans actually rooted for Youkilis to take pitches. "It was frustrating to hear fans say, 'Get a walk!'" Youkilis said. "I'll take a walk—a walk's as good as a hit—but don't you want me to hit a home run or something?"
Career highlights as a Jewish baseball player
Adam Stern
Adam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....
and Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.He has played portions of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays...
, setting a "record" for the most Jewish players on the field at one time in AL history, and the most in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history since four Jewish players took the field for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in a game in 1941.
Youkilis was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, published in affiliation with Fleer
Fleer
The Fleer Corporation, founded by Frank H. Fleer in 1885, was the first company to successfully manufacture bubblegum; it remained a family-owned enterprise until it was taken private in 1989....
Trading Cards and the American Jewish Historical Society
American Jewish Historical Society
The American Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of the American Jewish heritage and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation and dissemination of materials relating to American...
, commemorating the Jewish Major Leaguers from 1871 through 2008. He joined, among other Jewish major leaguers, Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
, Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
, Brian Horwitz
Brian Horwitz
Brian Jeffery Horwitz, nicknamed "The Rabbi," is an American baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has won two minor league batting titles, and made his major league debut in 2008....
, Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.He has played portions of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays...
, Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
, Jason Hirsh
Jason Hirsh
Jason Michael Hirsh is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who is a free agent.Hirsh was a dominant minor league pitcher in 2005–06, winning the Double-A Texas League Pitcher of the Year Award and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Award in successive seasons, as he went...
, John Grabow
John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" , is a Major League Baseball left-handed reliever....
, Craig Breslow
Craig Breslow
Craig Andrew Breslow is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist....
, and Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
.
He was one of three Jewish players in the 2008 All-Star Game, joining Braun and Kinsler, and one of three Jewish players on the Team USA 2009 World Baseball Classic team, joining Braun and Grabow. Kinsler says that "Youkilis always says something to me on the bases. 'Happy Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
,' he'll throw something at me."
Youkilis was named the Jewish MVP for 2008, beating out fellow All-Stars Braun and Kinsler. He was voted the top Jewish baseball player of the decade 2000–09 in online balloting, beating out Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
and Braun. Through the 2010 season, his .294 batting average placed him 6th on the career all-time list (directly behind Phil Weintraub
Phil Weintraub
Philip Weintraub, nicknamed Mickey was an American baseball player who had, as of February 2010, the second most runs batted in in a single game ....
) for batting average by Jewish major leaguers, his 112 home runs placed him 8th (behind Braun), and his 470 RBIs placed him 9th (behind Ausmus).
In Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story is a 2010 American documentary film narrated by Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Ira Berkow, and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Miller...
, a 2010 documentary film narrated by Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
, Youkilis noted:
It’s something that I probably won’t realize until my career is over, how many people are really rooting for me and cheering for me. And it’s not just because I went 3-for-4, or had a great game. It’s just the fact that I represent a lot of Jewish people and a lot of the Jewish heritage, and the struggles that a lot of our people have had.
Philanthropy
Kevin Youkilis Hits For Kids is a charitable organizationCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
established by Youkilis in 2007. Youkilis's foundation focuses on raising support and awareness for the health, advocacy, safety, and medical healing of children across Massachusetts, in his hometown of Cincinnati, and beyond. Rallying the support of volunteers, local business, and the heart of Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation refers to the fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase "Red Sox Nation" was first coined by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986, article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the New York...
, Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids teams with existing, community-based children's charities and medical research efforts that lack sufficient funding and awareness. One organization that Hits for Kids works with is the Joslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education. It is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Among the Harvard Medical School Affiliated institutions, Joslin is unique in its sole...
's Pediatric Health Services. He has a special sensitivity about youth suicide
Youth suicide
Youth suicide is when a young person deliberately ends his or her own life. Rates of attempted and completed youth suicide in Western societies are high...
, since his college roommate, a close and supportive friend of his since high school, committed suicide on Thanksgiving during his sophomore year. To this day, he said, "I sit back at night and wonder what I could’ve done."
"In my religion, the Jewish religion, that's one of the biggest things that's taught, is giving a mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
, forming a mitzvah", said Youkilis. "I was always taught as a kid giving to charity. You're supposed to give a good amount of charity each and every year.... It's just a great thing when you can make a kid smile that's going through some hard times in life ... I wish more people, not just athletes, would give people just a little bit of their time. It doesn't take much ... It can make a huge difference."
After the first game of the ALDS, Youkilis re-shaved his head for good luck in a sign of solidarity with cancer patient Mitt Campbell. Following the team's 2007 World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
victory, Youkilis shaved his goatee for a $5,000 donation by Gillette to his foundation.
All profits from his charity wine "SauvignYoouuk Blanc", released in 2008, support Hits for Kids.
Family
In November 2008, Youkilis married Enza Sambataro in Cabo San LucasCabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
, Mexico. The ceremony was attended by Red Sox teammates Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees , Florida Marlins , and the Boston Red Sox...
, David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
, and Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...
. Sambataro, a Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
native, is the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Youkilis's charity Hits for Kids.
In popular culture
Youkilis made an appearance in season 1 episode 8 of the Travel ChannelTravel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
show Man v. Food
Man v. Food
Man v. Food is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008, on the Travel Channel. The program is hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big food" offerings of a different American city before facing off against a...
. The episode was filmed in Boston's Eagle's Deli and featured Youkilis rooting against host (and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
fan) Adam Richman
Adam Richman (actor)
Adam Richman is an American actor and television personality. He was the host of the Travel Channel's eating challenge program Man v. Food and is currently hosting Man v. Food Nation.-Early life and education:...
in an eating challenge. In 2011 he appeared in the music video for the Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
song Going Out in Style
Going Out in Style
Going Out in Style is the seventh studio album by the Dropkick Murphys and was released on March 1, 2011. It was the band's second studio release on their Born & Bred Records label, and marks the longest gap between two Dropkick Murphys albums, as it was released almost four years after 2007's The...
.
Awards and distinctions
- 1999 All-American Collegiate Player
- 2000 Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
All StarAll-starAll-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
(IF) - 2001 2nd-team College All-American (3B)
- 2001 Conference USA All Star (IF)
- 2001 Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year
- 2002 Trenton Player of the Year
- 2002 Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year
- 2003 Futures Game All Star
- 2003 Eastern LeagueEastern League (U.S. baseball)The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
All Star (Utility) - 2003 Baseball AmericaBaseball AmericaBaseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
AA All Star Team - 2003 International LeagueInternational LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Post-Season All Star - 2004 AL Rookie of the Month: May
- 2004 World Series Champion (Boston Red Sox)
- 2007 World Series Champion (Boston Red Sox)
- 2007 AL Gold Glove (1B)
- 2006–08 Most consecutive errorless games by a first baseman (238 games)
- 2008 AL All Star Starter (1B)
- 2009 AL All Star Reserve (1B)
- 2009 Red Sox MVP
- 2011 AL All Star Reserve (3B)
Statistics
| Year | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 Major League Baseball season * Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *... |
BOS 2004 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record... |
74 | 208 | 38 | 54 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 35 | 0 | 33 | 45 | .260 | .367 | .413 |
| 2005 2005 Major League Baseball season Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star... |
BOS 2005 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2005 season included the Boston Red Sox attempting to win the American League East in the American League. The Red Sox finished 95-67, with the same record as the New York Yankees... |
44 | 79 | 11 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 19 | .278 | .400 | .405 |
| 2006 2006 Major League Baseball season In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine... |
BOS 2006 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2006 season was a season in American baseball. It included the Boston Red Sox attempting to win the American League East division... |
147 | 569 | 100 | 159 | 42 | 2 | 13 | 72 | 5 | 91 | 120 | .279 | .381 | .429 |
| 2007 2007 Major League Baseball season The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1... |
BOS 2007 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for... |
145 | 525 | 85 | 152 | 35 | 2 | 16 | 83 | 4 | 77 | 105 | .288 | .390 | .453 |
| 2008 2008 Major League Baseball season The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the... |
BOS 2008 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2008 season began on March 25, in Tokyo, Japan for the MLB Japan Opening Day 2008. The Red Sox were attempting to become the first repeat World Series Champions since the 1999–2000 New York Yankees and also be the first repeat Champions of the 21st century. They also tried to... |
145 | 538 | 91 | 168 | 43 | 4 | 29 | 115 | 3 | 62 | 108 | .312 | .390 | .569 |
| 2009 2009 Major League Baseball season The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to... |
BOS 2009 Boston Red Sox season The Boston Red Sox' 2009 season is the 109th in the team's history. The Red Sox came in off a loss in the American League Championship Series during their 2008 season. The team is in the 97th season at Fenway Park, the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball.-Roster:-Regular season:The Red... |
136 | 491 | 98 | 150 | 36 | 1 | 27 | 94 | 7 | 77 | 125 | .305 | .413 | .548 |
| Total | 5 years | 689 | 2,413 | 424 | 705 | 174 | 9 | 93 | 408 | 19 | 354 | 522 | .292 | .391 | .487 |
External links
- Official Blog
- Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids
- Profile on Jewish Baseball News
- http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/hardball-questions-kevin-youkilis/Interview, The Hardball TimesThe Hardball Timesis a website which publishes news, original comments and statistical analysis of baseball each week Monday through Friday, in addition to the Hardball Times Annual book which features essays by leading sabermetric personalities. The website features the slogan "Baseball. Insight...
, 5/2/05] - "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," The Jewish Ledger, 3/5/08
- http://www.projo.com/redsox/content/sp_bb_boston_redsox17_01-17-09_V3D0E61_v17.3f1147f.htmlMilk and Honey movie excerpt. The Providence JournalThe Providence JournalThe Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
, 1/17/09]