Exactly one year ago yesterday, the Red Sox officially cut ties with long-time fan favorite
Kevin Youkilis. He pulled off his Carmine Hose and donned Pale ones. The circumstances surrounding the deal seem trivial now—suffice it to say that things just soured between Youk and management. After a spate of success with Chicago, Youkilis regressed toward the prevailing mean: injuries and numbers well below his career norms. After joining the Empire this year, his mediocre play was halted by season-ending back surgery. A year ago on this website,
we chronicled Youk's stay in Boston and concluded that it was nothing but overwhelmingly successful—for him and the team. We miss his grit and sweat and that oh-so-weird batting stance. He will
always be one of us.
