My hesitation about Youkilis has nothing
to do with him being a former member of the Boston Red Sox, although he will
probably never earn my affection, just like Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon never
won me over despite World Series championships. My issue with Youkilis is that
I don’t think he’s a very good player anymore, certainly not worth the $12
million the Yankees threw in his direction. His batting average has slipped in
recent years although he had a decent second half in 2012 after being traded to
the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees were in a tight spot because they needed
a third baseman for at least the first half of 2013, but didn’t want to make
any multi-year offers to anyone due to their newfound austerity. They had to go
with who they could afford and so they decided Youkilis was the best one-year
option for them.
But I’m willing to entertain the possibility
of Youkilis becoming a new man in the Bronx and Ichiro is the only reason for
that. I wasn’t crazy about the trade for Ichiro last season because I thought
it was a typical, old-Yankees style move: trading for an aging veteran with
tremendous name recognition who could no longer play up to his previously high
standards. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. It turned out that all Ichiro
needed was a change of scenery to rediscover his stroke and love for the game
of baseball. He proved to be a terrific addition to the Yankees, both on the
field and in the clubhouse.
Maybe Youkilis will win Yankee fans over,
just like he won the hearts of Red Sox Nation, by pulling an Ichiro and
reviving his career in pinstripes. I’m willing to give him that chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment