As he stepped into the batters box for his first plate appearance I was particularly eager to see how Yankees fans would react to Kevin Youkilis being on their side now.  Would they cheer? Would they boo?  Would they stay neutral as they look warily upon this new relationship?

Apr 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Kevin Youkilis (36) doubles to left during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Predictably, (as I predicted quietly to myself) it was a resounding Yooouuuk cheer.  And I just had to chuckle.

Really, Yankees fans?  You love this guy so much already?  Gimme a break.

Look, I know all fans root for the laundry above all else.  But excuse me for being a little jaded at how quickly Youk was embraced by his new group of fans.  They absolutely hated this guy when he wore red.

I thought this would be a relationship that would take some getting used to, at least from the fan’s perspective.  After all, sleeping with the enemy is not a fun chore.

It just goes to show you, fans are truly fickle.  The guy they hated yesterday is now their new hero now that he wears their uniform. And he did go 1 for 3 with a double today.

I know I’m not breaking any new ground here.  I just thought that it was amusing that I predicted a positive Yooouuuk chant and Yankee fans delivered on cue.  Would Red Sox fans do it differently if the situation were reversed?  No way.  They root for laundry too.

But I still have to wonder:  what does Joba Chamberlain think about all of this?

“I’ll always be a Red Sock.” Yep, that’s what Youk said on his first official day as a Yankee.

Oct 1, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) sits in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

While being interviewed on Ricky Keeler’s Yanks Go Yard radio broadcast the other night we noted that Youkilis would have a hard time pleasing Yankee fans, who universally have hated him over the years, unless he got off to a quick start. This was a quick start, only backwards.

Yankee teammates were in the clubhouse today, apparently ready to good-naturedly haze Youk over the remark. To give this full context, Youkilis said. “To negate all the years I played for the Boston Red Sox and all the tradition, you look at all the stuff I have piled up at my house, to say I’d just throw it out the window, that’s not true. I’ll always be a Red Sock.

“Guys play on different teams and that’s a part of your history; that’s a part of your life and you can’t change that. It was great years in Boston. One bad half-year doesn’t take away from all the great years I had there and all the good things I’ve been able to do along the way and accomplish as a team, as an individual. It was great.”

Fair enough. But did you really have to fire, ready, aim in your debut with the New York media Kevin? Today Youk was in full-on backpedal mode: ‘‘Trust me, there’s no way that was meant to say my heart is in Boston or anything like that. My heart is here with the Yankees.’’ Youkilis readily admitted the comment ‘‘by itself looks terrible.’’

It all stems from two things: A-Rod’s probable long recovery from a second hip surgery in less than four years and his alleged involvement with a so-called anti-aging clinic in which the director of the clinic, Anthony Bosch, has been tied to performance enhancing drugs with up to 20 professional athletes- most of them baseball players.

Oct 14, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez reacts after striking out in the 2nd inning against the Detroit Tigers during game two of the 2012 ALCS at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

It remains to be seen how the Yankees and A-Rod will handle the future of their relationship.  Money plays a big part in it. It’s doubtful the team will be willing to eat the remaining five years and $114 million on the contract so agreements, if any, will have to be worked out for a parting to happen.

The flip side of all this trouble around A-Rod right now is that the team and its fans have a chance, however remote, to be rid of him forever and that has to make both parties ecstatic.

Say what you want, but there has been a constant love-hate relationship between the fans and A-Rod ever since he first pulled on the Yankee jersey back in 2004.

Some never wanted him there in the first place.  Others looked at his act when he got to New York and quickly soured on him.  Most of that has to do with negative comments A-Rod directed toward Derek Jeter years ago in an Esquire magazine article.  For them, that was enough to forever hate the intruder from Texas.

If he doesn’t play this year and has played his final game in pinstripes, it is likely Kevin Youkilis will play a big part in the scenario.  He’s only signed with New York for one year but if A-Rod stays away and Youkilis produces well, you know the Yankees will likely want to keep him at third base.  Certainly, that is an idea that makes the stomachs of Red Sox fans everywhere turn.

September 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox fans have always wondered how they’d feel about Youk if he didn’t play for their team.  Well, now they’re about to find out with him playing on the team’s most hated rival, possibly long term, if indeed it’s over for A-Rod in New York.  It should make for an interesting summer at Fenway and beyond.

For more thoughts on this story please click below for a link to my web show. http://youtu.be/0BXZ8EmX__A

Jun 2, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) during their game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Practically from his debut in 2004, Youkilis was beloved among Red Sox Nation. His quirky batting stance coupled with his hard-nosed attitude and great defense at first base led to the calls of “YOOOOUUUUK” every time he stepped to the plate. From 2007-2010, he averaged a .303/.401/.534 slash line while averaging a similarly impressive 23 home runs and 89 RBIs in 132 games per year.

His career immediately started to decline once he injured his wrist in July 2010. He was out for the year, a season where he was on pace to set career highs in home runs and RBIs. When he came back in 2011, he was just not the same player– batting just .258/.373/.459 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs in 120 games. Youkilis was even worse in 2012, batting just .233/.315/.377 in 42 games for the Red Sox.

His unimpressive statistics along with the emergence of top prospect Will Middlebrooks led to his trade to the White Sox on June 22, 2012. He was slightly better upon joining the White Sox, batting .236/.346/.425 the rest of the way, but not nearly the player he was in his early years. Due to said early years, however, he did have a fair amount of value on the free agent market.

Youkilis is a versatile enough player to handle both corner infield positions and packs enough punch at the plate to be a valuable piece. If he can stay healthy, it’s not ridiculous to expect a 20 home run season. However, that’s a gargantuan “if.” Youkilis is not even close to being worth the 1 year/$12 million contract the Yankees signed him to, a deal making the Napoli and Victorino deals look like Rays’ signings.

“Youk” was always a favorite of mine in a Boston uniform. I hope that Red Sox fans are not so short-sighted that they boo Youkilis, as he was a useful player for several years. As long as he isn’t playing against the Red Sox, I’ll cheer for Youk, and it’ll sure he weird to play against him on Opening Day. I wish the man well in his future endeavors, as we can’t forget the business side of the game. Yankees fans ought to appreciate what they’re getting in Youk, one of the hardest playing athletes I’ve ever seen. When Youkilis travels to Boston in the future, he’ll always hear the occasional “YOOOUUUK” over his shoulder.

September 21, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) fields a ground ball in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With Alex Rodriguez heading for another hip surgery for a torn labrum on his left hip and backup Yankee third baseman Eric Chavez signing a one-year, $3 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yankees reportedly have offered former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis a one-year, $12 million contract. ESPN, The New York Times and other media sources broke the news yesterday afternoon.

After an unusually quiet winter meeting week in Nashville, New York’s hand is being forced to secure the services of a quality veteran third baseman as they are facing the prospect of A-Rod being sidelined until June, possibly longer if his rehab doesn’t go as planned. The deal makes even more sense given that one of the last remaining third basemen the Yankees were looking at, infielder Jeff Keppinger, apparently reached an agreement on a three-year, $12 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. Keppinger’s in, Youk would have been the odd man out and the Yankees badly needed to fill a hole. Last year in a split season with Boston and the White Sox, Youkilis hit .235 with 19 homers and 60 RBIs.

To be certain, it looks like Youk’s gritty all out play is finally catching up with him as he looks for what may be one of his last pay days. Both his average and power numbers are down as are walks for a guy who was once one of the game’s greatest grinders at the plate. Loved Youk in Boston and will hate it when he comes to Fenway in an attempt to rake his old mates over the coals.

Living these days is making me nervous 
Archaic doctrine no longer serve us 
Now we’re left as silent witnesses 
We don’t know quite what this is 
Other than a war that can’t be won 

Tension 
Too much to mention 
Living on both sides of the gun
- Both Sides Of The Gun, Ben Harper 

Larry The Boss won’t find an answer in-house; he has no MLB-ready 1b prospects in the farm system and former Dodger 1b/OF Jerry Sands and Mauro Gomez may not be ready yet, except as a platoon.

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The Hysteria Helium has leaked out of the countless Trade Rumor balloons; the wrinkled bladders litter the blogosphere; just 21 deals got done.  So, how did the 6 AL East trades impact the Red Sox’ post- season playoff chances?

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Here’s what we know.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com confirmed the Sox are looking to deal Beckett, but given his 10 and 5 rights, his large contract for the next two years along with his sub par performance this season, an August deal may be more likely given the fact that he’s likely to clear waivers.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the Braves and Rangers have been contacted by the Red Sox and have engaged in talks surrounding Beckett. Both clubs are said to be teams that Beckett might accept a trade to and while the Dodgers could also be on that list, the Sox have yet to contact Magic Johnson and companies new team. Late last week we heard the Rangers were not interested in Beckett but given their rash of injuries to their rotation, acquiring a proven postseason pitcher could change their minds.

Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports that one executive informed him that the Red Sox are trying to “dump” Beckett but finding a taker will be difficult unless the Sox take on a majority of his salary.  Using the word “dump” is reminiscent of the Kevin Youkilis situation when Cherington gave Youk to the White Sox for a prospect and a utility player who is now in Cleveland.  While the deal had to be made, the Beckett situation isn’t as pressing, unless of course you poll Red Sox Nation; the majority want him gone.

But to give him away for nothing? The postseason is going to be a stretch this year for our beloved Boston club and giving away Beckett for virtually nothing isn’t going to help this club this year.  Unless of course you consider that given the urgency to trade the tall Texan, maybe the clubhouse cancer rumors are true.  Maybe Beckett is this large pain in the ass that we’ve heard so much about and now Cherington is trying to finally clean up the clubhouse.

Unloading him for all but a bag of practice balls and a “reach first safely” card won’t make this team better on the field.  An off season move could be had that would see a somewhat decent return for Beckett, but if he needs to go now, so be it and make the move Ben.

This could be the first of many moves that sees Ben unload remains of the Theo Epstein era; cleaning up Theo’s mess of egos and overpaid contracts.  It won’t be easy but shipping the egotistical Beckett out of town is a good start.  It’s just unfortunate they can’t get much for him.  Given the factors mentioned above, it’s easy to see why not.

While the reports don’t look promising for Boston to move Beckett, we’ve come to learn that anything is possible at the trade deadline and if Theo sculpted Ben, then don’t be surprised if this deal does indeed happen.

The results are in and have been calculated.  Based on 568 total votes, Red Sox Nation gave Cherington a failing grade on the deal that saw the Red Sox receive Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge, who is no longer in Boston.

There were four options to choose from when voting and 34% (192 votes) were cast for “Fail – could have gotten more for Youkilis” while the second place option, pulling in 31% of the votes was “Fail – should have never traded Youkilis.”

Of the remaining votes, 28% believed that Cherington deserved a passing grade while feeling the compensation was acceptable but not great and just 7% of the voters felt that the deal was the best possible outcome available.

The results never really changed when Will Middlebrooks was hurt.  Red Sox fans appeared to be upset with the deal right from the start and it showed in the final results. Of course it didn’t help matters when Youkilis went to the windy city and started raking at the plate.

The Sox could be busy over the next four days or they could remain fairly quiet.  Either way I’m sure we will have plenty to say about Cherington and the moves that he makes or doesn’t make.

As always, thanks for voting and be sure to check out our latest poll, asking if you think the Red Sox should fire Bobby Valentine.

Boston traded the versatile outfielder to the Cleveland Indians for minor league pitcher Jose De La Torre.

Lillibridge who was part of the Kevin Youkilis deal, was recently designated for assignment by the Red Sox last week. The 28-year old played in ten games for Boston, collecting two singles.  On the year, split between Boston and Chicago, Lillibridge has a slash line of .165/.212/.177 line in 86 plate appearances.

De La Torre, 26-years old, has a 2.91 ERA with a 9.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 for the Indians doulbe-A and triple-A minor league clubs, working in 55.2 innings.

http://tilwemeetagain.net/main/page_products_til_we_meet_again__mlb_caskets.html

I’m calling it…3:28 PM…EST…July 22nd…

The frustrated surgeon snaps off the gloves and the nurse covers the patient’s head and Red Sox hat with a white sheet.

R.I.P. Boston Red Sox, 2012.

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Kevin Youkilis has been all to friendly back in his old haunting grounds of Fenway Park. July 16, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) reacts after scoring a run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

How many times can it be said before the patience of the Nation snaps. Jon Lester had a bad game. Lately that’s like saying the sun rose in the east. Lester’s line last night against the Chicago White Sox looked liked this:
4 innings pitched, 7 hits, 6 earned runs, 3 BB, 4 Ks and 1 HR. The pitiful coda to an ugly start for Lester was a stinging three-run homer in the fourth inning that left a mark by none other than, you guessed it, Kevin Youkilis.

For anyone who has followed my posts or for that matter the Red Sox this year, my apologies for yet another rewind. For those of you tuning in for the first time, can I reiterate, “My kingdom for a clean first inning!”

White Sox hitters took Lester deep into counts in the first inning at Fenway Park last night and made him pay. Lester gave up two runs in a 26 pitch first inning that was only salvaged by a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to mercifully close the top half of the first frame. Lester labored through the first two innings, throwing 50 pitches and putting the bullpen decidedly in jeopardy.

The Fenway Faithful, who just 24 hours before had witnessed a glimpse of what Boston’s starting lineup woulda, shoulda, coulda been with both Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford back in action, were pleased to see Ellsbury smack a single, steal second base and score on a Crawford single. That’s what speed and getting healthy is all about.

Crawford kept the pressure on by swiping second on a slider to Daniel Nava. Nava grounded out to second to move Crawford to third base. With two out Adrian Gonzalez sizzled a single to plate Crawford and knot the score at 2-2.

The White Sox lead the AL Central for a reason. In the second they took the lead on an Alexei Ramirez single and an Alejandro De Aza double that plated Ramirez to make the score 3-2 Chicago.

Lester was inattentive and could not stay out of hot water in the third. He walked Adam Dunn and then essentially gave Captain Slew Foot a stolen base, Dunn’s first of the year. He got out of the inning but didn’t look pretty doing it as his pitch count rose to 67. Mike Aviles smothered a sure-thing base hit that would have scored Dunn. Aviles went flat out on a scorcher up the middle by A.J. Pierzynski and ended the inning with a gun ‘em out throw to Adrian Gonazalez to keep the ChiSox in check.

After Boston failed to produce in the bottom of the third, Lester gave up a double to Dayan Viceodo, a walk to Gordon Beckham and a three-run back-breaker bomb to Youk in what would prove to be his last inning. When the dust settled, Chicago held a 6-2 lead and Lester left after yet another awful 91-pitch, four-inning effort.

The Sox rallied in the eighth on a Crawford single, a Middlebrooks single to score Crawford and a Kelly Shoppach pinch-hit two-run bomb to make it 7-5. In the end, however, Lester’s shortened six-run abomination simply proved to be a hole too deep.

Downers:
1. What’s up with Jarrod Saltalamacchia? I’ll tell you what’s up. For the first time in years Salty has to the deliver the mail almost every day. Kelly Shoppach is serviceable but Salty is wearing down under the rigors of Varitek-like stress. He’s swinging at bad pitches and is getting into a prolonged funk. Last night he was 0-3 with a strike out and two-runners left on base.
2. David Ortiz and the Red Sox have been extremely quiet about his bum achilles heel, aggravated while rounding second base after Adrian Gonazalez’ homer Tuesday night. It’s the kind of quiet that makes a Sox fan all too familiar with Boston’s disabled list more than a little concerned.

Uppers:
1. If there was a plus side for Boston, it was Carl Crawford. Frankly, he went wild. He singled to plate Ellsbury in the first, scored a run, beat out an infield hit (the kind that used to absolutely incense Sox fans when he played for the Rays) and easily swiped two bases in a futile attempt to keep Boston’s offense chugging along. In the eighth he triggered a Red Sox rally by again using his speed on a slow bouncer to Youk that produced another single. And oh yeah, he stole his third base of the night, the first time a Red Sox player has done it since 1928. Crawford eventually scored on a Will Middlebrooks single. That’s being seriously in the mix.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury wasn’t far behind Crawford in the plus category. Ells went 2-5, stole a base and scored a run last night, building on his solid return to Fenway the night before.

We hooked up with Matt the senior editor at Southside Showdown to help us get more familiar with the Red Sox opponents.  Of course we asked him about Youkilis along with speculation surrounding the trade deadline and much more.  Enjoy.

1. Let’s get this out of the way right away. The Youkilis trade. The white sox have to be giggling given what they gave up and how youk has reforms his swing. Tell us how exciting it’s been since youk was acquired?

Yeah there is definitely some giggling from the fans and Kenny Williams continues to carry his trademark smug smirk.  I was under the impression that his production was just a matter of reps, since he hadn’t been able to play every day after his injury with the emergence of Middlebrooks.  But I think it goes without saying that it’s been great having him on the team.  The White Sox were awful with him at 3B, utilizing players that were collectively hitting under .200.  As a bonus he spent his first stretch as a home player at U.S. Cellular Field passing out game winning hits like they were candy.  Folks around here loved Brent Lillibridge, but the sad faces about his departure quickly disappeared with the way Youkilis has performed.

2. With John Danks out, will the sox acquire another starter? If so, who?

It’s very tough to answer this.  For starters, it’s unclear when Danks may come back.  Could be in a week, could be a month.  KW has been mum, as usual, about his intentions on the matter, but there have been some rumors circulating about perhaps acquiring Ryan Dempster or even Cole Hamels.  I think both are probably long shots, as the organization doesn’t have a ton to give up in return.  Unfortunately the problem will probably continue to be addressed internally, with guys like Dylan Axelrod and other young guys in the system coming up for spot starts.

3. Only 3.5 games up on the surging Tigers, what moves do you feel the club needs to make before the trade deadline?

The bullpen situation has got to be addressed.  Jesse Crain has missed a lot of time to injury and is on the DL right now.  Every pitcher in the bullpen save for Matt Thornton is a rookie.  That’s a funny little quirk maybe, the team that everyone said had the worst farm system in baseball fielding a bullpen of rookies while in first place but it’s not likely to keep them there.  Upgrades there can be had more cheaply than starting help can so I see that as an ideal place for an addition to be made.

4. Who’s been the biggest surprise of the season? The biggest disappointment?

The biggest surprise is Alex Rios.  An ridiculously patient person might tell you that they knew all along that Rios would come along and produce the way he has been this season but I’ve stopped encountering those people some time ago.  There are a great many people, myself included, who have maintained that he had the skills to do this, but seeing it come to be is another thing entirely.  He’s hitting .320 and is hitting ropes all over the field.  The biggest disappointment would be Brent Morel.  Injury saved us from having to watch him struggle through it all year (not to mention enabled the Youkilis trade) but in the time he played it was difficult to watch his struggles when it seemed at the end of 2011 that he had turned a corner.

5. Suddenly Paul Konerko is in a bit of a slump. Is this surprising or was his pace somewhat over his ceiling?

Toying with .400 was certainly above his ceiling but even with his slump he’s still maintaining an average over .320.  In July he’s hitting in the mid .200s which isn’t where he usually sits but is hardly the type of slump where people start to worry.  He’s had some wrists issues that have been holding him back but I fully expect him to bounce back and carry a .330 or so batting average into the postseason.

First and foremost, Kevin Youkilis, a member of the Red Sox for nine years and a player who left everything he ever had on the field, each and every night, made his triumphant return to Fenway for the first time in twenty-two days since being traded away.  After receiving an emotional standing ovation prior to his first at-bat, Youkilis singled in what was the first of three hits on the night.  He would collect two doubles and finish the night 3-for-4, scoring a run.

It was odd to see Youkilis standing in his bizarre batting stance at Fenway without the number twenty in red.  Rather a road grey uniform with a black sox logo on the sleeve dawned the beloved Youkilis and the Fenway faithful let him know how much they appreciated all that he did for the club during his tenure.

Youkilis wasn’t the only one making a return on this night.  Carl Crawford played in his first game of the season Monday night after what seemed to be injury after injury after injury…….

In fact, he suffered a different injury while rehabbing a previous injury.  But finally we got to set the $20 million dollar man in action during this 2012 season.  Crawford singled his first at-bat and would come around to score on an Adrian Gonzalez single in the bottom of the inning, finishing his long anticipated debut 1-for-3 with a walk.  It was Crawford’s walk that would lead to the big four run inning in the eighth that put the game away for the Red Sox when Gonzalez hit a monster of a shot to left-center, his seventh homer of the year.

Jacoby Ellsbury made his home debut after missing 79 games since his last appearance at Fenway.  The speedy outfielder was 0-for-4 but tracked down some well hit balls that appeared to destined for a base hit.  Needless to say it was nice to see both Ellsbury and Crawford in the same outfield.

The curious case of Pedro Ciriaco continues to amaze Red Sox fans as the wonder went 3-for-4 on the night, raising his batting average to an impressive .464 since being recalled roughly two weeks ago.  All he does is get base hits and create a threat on the base paths.  With Dustin Pedroia set to return on Thursday, it’ll be interesting to see what the Red Sox do with Ciriaco.

On a night when Youkilis, Crawford and Ellsbury return, Gonzalez finally goes yard and Ciriaco continues to wow us all, the Red Sox did get some solid pitching from Aaron Cook.

The sinkerballer went 7.0 strong innings, allowing just one run (unearned) on five hits.  He didn’t walk anyone and failed to record a strikeout.  Vicente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves combined to shut down the White Sox in the final two innings.

Three more games to see Youkilis as an opposition.  I know by Thursday it won’t seem any better, it’ll still feel weird.

You’re Ben Cherington and you’ve got the ball.  You always wanted to be the guy on the mound with the entire season on the line. You got what you wished for: to be the one who makes the choice at the moment of decision on the diamond: this will be the turning point in your baseball career.

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The Red Sox received a couple of lesser known players in Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge in return. While Red Sox Nation is still dealing with the fact that Youkilis is no longer apart of the Red Sox, this young White Sox fan is taking the news incredibly hard.  Lillibridge may not be a household name in Boston and likely won’t have the fan base that Youk did, but rest assured he has a fan in this youngster.  It kind of reminds me of myself when Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Oilers to the LA Kings.  Yes, I admit to that and I was roughly the same age.