Bobby V. Sends A Strange Signal On Youkilis

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Maybe now we know which pair of eyes have been rolling in the Red Sox clubhouse. Amazingly, manager Bobby Valentine publicly called out the physical and emotional readiness of Kevin Youkilis yesterday. On WHDH-TV's Sports Xtra program, Valentine stated:

"I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason. But it seemed, you know, he's seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he'll move on from there."

You can't get any more diametrically opposed to the approach of Terry Francona than this. More to follow. For sure.