The mythical Kevin Youkilis

By Adam Cancryn

Mislabeled his entire career, Kevin Youkilis is now painted as a washed-up veteran on his last legs. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Kevin Youkilis never was exactly who people thought he was.

He was never the "Greek God of Walks," despite his coronation in Michael Lewis' Moneyball. Youkilis never actually had an ounce of Greek blood in him, and soon after reaching the Majors renounced his claim to the throne of bases on balls as well. The Red Sox infielder never led the league in walks, and only drew as many as 90 once in his career, an accomplishment achieved in the same year he struck out 120 times. In fact, Youkilis tended to do that a lot, topping 100 whiffs in five of his seven full seasons.

He never was much of a fearsome power hitter either, contrary to appearances. A burly 6'1", 220 pounds and sporting a classic woodsman's goatee, Youkilis would have looked natural walking to the plate in flannel, twirling an axe instead of a bat high above his head. His Paul Bunyan impression was convincing that his managers instinctively slotted him into the middle of the order; Youkilis spent 361 games in the four hole, more than any other spot in the lineup. He responded by hitting 60 homers over that period, a ratio of about one every 21 at bats. By comparison, the league's top power hitters have often knocked homers at twice that pace.

Youkilis never was quite the top-flight defender he was touted to be, especially not by the standards set by the MLB's current elite. Though good with the glove and light on his feet, Youkilis never quite did enough to become an institution. Rather, his strength lay in the fact that the Red Sox could insert him practically anywhere and be sure that he would do an above-average job. He played well at first base and third, spectacularly at times even, and at each outpost received praise. But soon after, he was on the move again, a nomadic defender with a career built on plugging the leak of the day.

Now, the false label attached to Youkilis after nine years as a Greek god, power hitter and rangy infielder is that he is washed up. Done. The 33-year-old is the last thing standing in the way of a young hotshot primed to return the Red Sox to the top of the division. Injured and aging rapidly, Youkilis is suddenly the last holdover from Boston's bygone era.

As has been the case throughout his career, the 2D image assigned to the very much three-dimensional Youkilis is dead wrong. He is, and always has been, a collection of strange contradictions: a free swinger with a high on-base percentage, a natural-born slugger who prefers poking singles into right, an adept fielder with no real position. This season, he was the talented player with no spot on the Red Sox' roster.

That Boston traded Youkilis is no surprise. It was the right decision, as third baseman Will Middlebrooks has more upside now that Youkilis ever had in his career. With the Red Sox floundering in the intense AL East, the team needs to put its best player at each position on the field every day. But don't mistake this cold-blooded business move as the death knell for Youkilis' career. If anything, it is likely the beginning of a second act with the Chicago White Sox. 

Already, the White Sox are in a promising place. They sit first in the AL Central at 38-35, propelled by a balanced lineup and the surprising pitching duo of Jake Peavy and Chris Sale. They are a steady, if bland, squad that Youkilis should welcome after all that time at the helm of dysfunctional Red Sox teams forever listing to one side, wondering each year if they'll be toppled by a final push.

In Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn, meanwhile, Chicago has its power hitter and god of walks. In third base, it has its permanent opening. For the first time, Youkilis can define himself by his play, rather than the caricatures already constructed for him. The White Sox will simply hope that he does what he's always done best and provide consistent defense and timely hitting. When the season hits its home stretch, there may be no better place for him to do just that. Youkilis has historically hit well against the Indians (.290/.382/.524), Tigers (.297/.401/.558) and Twins (.313/.373/.486), three division rivals that the White Sox will face numerous times in what should be a tight playoff race. 

Should this trade accomplish its objective for both teams, Chicago and Boston will be playoff bound in September. Perhaps they will play each other. It would inevitably be a series painted as Youkilis' chance to exact revenge on the team that unceremoniously dumped him after years of loyal service. And again, that narrative would be wrong. The Red Sox gave him just as much love as they got, right up until the very end. Nevertheless, Youkilis has dutifully played the role he was dealt for years now. Given the chance to do so one more time, odds are he'd take it.

Adam Cancryn is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96.