Youkilis downplays MVP talk
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
BALTIMORE -- Don't pester Kevin Youkilis for the reason he has gone from a complementary piece of the Boston Red Sox to an American League Most Valuable Player Award candidate.
Sure, he is having a breakout season, enjoying Thursday's off-day by ranking in the American League's Top 10 in batting average (.321), home runs (24), RBIs (88), doubles (33), extra-base hits (61), on-base percentage (.388), slugging percentage (.577) and OPS (.965).
Ask for a reason and Youkilis all but throws up his hands to the baseball gods.
"It's baseball," said Youkilis. "There's no formula to it. There's years you have good years and years that you struggle a little bit. It seems like everyone has their own ideas and opinions. It's a crazy game. There's guys that have bad years that are great players. It just happens. For me, I've been very fortunate to be on the other side of the spectrum this year, having a good year."
A good year? Despite the way Youkilis downplays his accomplishments, what he is having is a special season, one that has been vital to the Red Sox.
As always seems to be the case for the team trying to repeat as World Series champions, the Red Sox have been hit with all kinds of adversity. David Ortiz, the big bopper, missed nearly two months with a left wrist injury. Mike Lowell, last year's World Series MVP, has been on the disabled list twice. Manny Ramirez, the future Hall of Famer, was traded following weeks of uncomfortable controversy.
Through it all, Youkilis has drilled the baseball from gap to gap and over walls. His home run and RBI totals already represent career highs, with 35 games left. With Ramirez long gone to California, Youkilis has assumed the cleanup role with the Red Sox.
"He's doing it man, he's doing it," said Ortiz. "We definitely needed some offense. Manny is gone now. Me and Manny have pretty much been the guys stepping up every year. We needed somebody else to get it done like that."
When the numbers change, the experts look for reasons. New batting stance? New approach? New mechanics? Youkilis says not to get so deep in thought.
"I'm getting better results, but I just think, as you get older, you try to get better and you try to learn from your mistakes in the past, and that's what I'm trying to do," said the 29-year-old Youkilis. "Just grow as a player. For me, I'm having more success. But for me, I don't change anything. I just go out and try to be the same player. I'm having better success than I've had in the past. I can't pinpoint it as much as maybe just taking good swings at good pitches and just having better success with some pitches up in the zone maybe."
And maybe, just maybe, it could all lead to a trophy with Youkilis' name on it.
Though there will be plenty of competition from the likes of Carlos Quentin, Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, Alex Rodriguez and perhaps some others, Youkilis is right up there with anyone in terms of the most coveted individual award in the league. Not that he wants to talk about it.
"I don't care," Youkilis said. "I don't care about that kind of stuff. I just go out and play. Winning a World Series is better than winning an MVP. That's just me, personally. I think winning the World Series is way better than winning an MVP. If you win an MVP, you had a great year. But an all-around great year is to win a World Series."
Youkilis speaks from experience. He already has two rings, one as a seldom-used reserve in 2004, the other in 2007 as a key member of the lineup and a Gold Glove defender at first base.
But there is no disputing that the Red Sox now count more on Youkilis than ever.
"He's been great all year long," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "He's been fun to watch. Hopefully it continues. He's been the biggest part of our offense all season long. That's great. He's getting two, three hits a game, driving in runs, hitting home runs. He's been outstanding."
In his first two seasons as an everyday player, Youkilis would break out of the gate with big numbers but then cool in the middle of the year. This season, there has been no letup. If anything, Youkilis is producing even more as the games get bigger.
"I think there's different reasons," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He was hurt, he was banged up [in '06 and '07]. I think mentally, he knows how to handle a Major League season now. He's always going to be emotional after an at-bat, but it's not like he was. I think he kind of wore himself down a little bit. I don't see him doing that right now."
The emotion of Youkilis has always been a hot-button topic, and it gained steam in June when Ramirez took a swing at him in the dugout in the middle of a game. Reports surfaced that Ramirez chastised Youkilis for showing too much emotion after making an out.
But Youkilis will downplay any change in his demeanor quicker than he will his desire to win an MVP.
"I'm sick of that, to tell you the truth," said Youkilis. "All these fans want to say players are emotional. They're the most emotional fans in all of baseball. I don't get it. I'm still the same emotional guy. Coco [Crisp] is the one who told me to stay the same way -- not to change. I tried [being less emotional]. It didn't work."
What has always worked for Youkilis is to treat every game like it is Game 7 of the World Series. If a batting helmet or other piece of equipment takes a beating along the way, so be it. Youkilis is just trying to win.
"There's all different kinds of players that perform at different levels and perform on a different basis and have a different routine every day," Youkilis said. "There's not one right way to do things. That's what makes sports so great -- is you can do whatever. You have to do what makes you a better player, because if you're a better player, your team will be better."
The two constants to the Boston offense this season have been Youkilis and Pedroia, who share the same fire.
"I think that's our job," Youkilis said. "That's our job. We're put in the role we're in because they thought of us as players who could do the job and do it all year. That's what we do. Dustin and I, we're going to be grinding it out every day. There's going to be ups and downs. We're just going out there every day and trying to win ballgames, and we've done a good job this year."
As the season enters crunch time, Youkilis continues to focus on the only race that interests him.
"We've just got to keep it going," Youkilis said. "Our main goal is to make the playoffs. Whatever happens from here was in the past. We just have to push for the next six weeks to get that playoff spot."
And if the final push from Youkilis is strong enough, by November, there could be the type of individual glory he doesn't like to talk about.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
