Youk’s brother is no fan of Boston
I’ve been in denial about the seemingly impending Kevin Youkilis trade. I wouldn’t categorize him as my binky but when all my binkies pretty much got dfa’d, traded or retired, I kind of clung to him as a remnant of when this team could do no wrong. Plus, as someone who has been very critical of the way he’s acted and things he’s said in the past, I felt like I watched him mature right before our eyes. So it’s fair to say that I developed a fondness for Youk and when he’s gone I will miss him.
Having written that, I get the business of baseball and I see why it wouldn’t be the worst thing to trade him. Watching Will Middlebrooks play is fun and every time they announce he’s in the lineup I’m actually excited to see what he’ll do. Even in the midst of losing streaks. So that takes the sting out of losing someone like Youk, for me anyway.
Were Youk my brother I’m sure I’d be taking all the trade talk personally. So I understand why his chef brother Scott decided to use Twitter to release some of that anger. I think, though, it’s fair to say Chef Youk has the same communication issues that plagued his brother early on. Which is to say, he doesn’t communicate very well.
To read it clearly you can click the photo to make it larger
The first tweet was “Love that #teamyouk may be changing sox real soon. #Chicago is better town anyways!” Then he adds to the reasons Chicago is better than Boston.
Now I understand getting irrational because anyone who reads my blog or my Twitter feed knows I can get as irrational as anyone. But there is something blindingly stupid, in my opinion, about trashing the city that embraced your brother even at times when he didn’t necessarily earn being embraced. Boston has adored Youk from the beginning and to start some Twitter vendetta against the town is not only stupid but really just obnoxious. Boston, the only city Youk has played for in the bigs, is where he developed a fan base so strong he turned his popularity into a charity. If he leaves here he’s leaving with TWO World Series rings. Boston is a hell of a place and regardless of what happens with the team Youkilis should be leaving here with fond (and some bittersweet) memories.
And he probably will. It isn’t fair to judge Kevin Youkilis but the assholiness of his brother, but it’s also difficult for me to just let said assholiness go. Which is why I did respond to that tweet I quoted but didn’t get a response back. My response: “Yeah, it isn’t like Kevin accomplished anything in Boston like winning a World Series or developing a huge fan following.”
No one likes when these situations arise. You never want to see a player you like traded and especially not when it looks like it’s a scenario where the new guy is replacing the old guy. It’s tough to watch happen even if you think it’s for the best. So I get there are going to be emotions flying around about this…but I won’t stand for our city or fans to be maligned unfairly. And one of Chef Youk’s follow up tweets: “Yep. This is the ugly side of sports in Boston” is actually something I’ve heard and read from other people as well. As if Boston is the only sports town that ever traded a player. The situation with Youk is lousy but it is far from unique in sports, especially baseball. While I get that Youk’s brother probably thinks he’s just defending him, the man is a chef who owns two restaurants. He’s not some highly sensitive tween who can’t control his impulses. He knows what he’s writing and he knows how he sounds (and that he’s offending not the team but the fans who have so completely supported his brother) and he’s doing it anyway.
It’ll be amusing if it turns out that 1) Youk doesn’t get traded to Chicago or 2) Youk doesn’t get traded at all because then the good chef will have much egg on his ace.
Not that I think he’ll notice.
I don’t really see what Scott said as all that surprising or a very big deal. Being traded from a team he loved and has loved him has got to be hard for Kevin as well as his family. Scott just sounds like he’s venting his hurt and I can understand that.
I think insulting the city…not the team but the city…that has done nothing but give his brother unconditional support, repeatedly, is lousy. Once I chalk up to being upset about his brother. The piling on comes across really ignorant and obnoxious to me.
I’m sure there will be many who disagree with me, though. :)
I’m just sad today because I love that ballplayer. Youk is one of the great dirt dog Sox of all time. It was time for Will Middlebrooks to play regularly in the bigs. It was time for Kevin Youkilis to get a new start. He was going to have a helluva time breaking through his slump under part-time playing conditions. And as for the kid (who reminds me a little bit of another Kid), he has thoroughly earned his shot. But I’m still sad. I’ll miss Youk. I wish him a glorious comeback and more years of rakin’ in the bigs. But most of all, I’m grateful for all that he gave to the ballclub over the years he was here. I love that he got that last triple; that my last memory of him in a Sox uniform is sliding into third like a beached whale, fierce and dirty and brave; and all his teammates applauding and hugging him; and the fans roaring on their feet in their standing tribute. If all that would fit on a tweet, I’d send it to that bro of his, and sign it “THAT’S Youk in Boston, dude.”
I can fully understand why Youkilis was traded.
No doubt he’s not aging as well as other players, as injuries and diminished play becomes his and our reality. And roster spots for returning players are essential – Kevin was a casualty of an up and coming guy who is simply playing better… the business of baseball.
His brother Scott, however, lashed out out. I think there’s something in Scott’s rant that maybe is not about the City of Boston, but more about the manner in which Kevin was sent packing to Chicago. I am of the opinion Kevin’s brother was mad at the Boston Red Sox and in his zeal to get his feelings known might have heaped it on the city instead of where he might otherwise have intended.
Beazer, we remember Trot as a real dirt dog. And so was Kevin. Maybe he wasn’t the smartest guy ever to lace em up and you’re pointing out watching him mature was pretty evident. But if there ever was a guy who wanted every at bat to count, every play that came his way made and every K or error drove him nuts – it was Kevin Youkilis.
No one can ever accuse this guy of mailing it in.
He played his ass off for this team and for that I am and will always be very grateful.
I will say, the handling of his departure by his manager simply sucked.