Youk: Too Much ‘Tude at the Plate

The passion frequently displayed by Kevin Youkilis in the batter’s box has been a subject of amusement to fans. As hilarious spoof site Call of the Green Monster will amply demonstrate:

Several Injured During Youkilis Strikeout-Related Temper Tantrum

For Kevin Youkilis, every single at bat is an epic life-and-death struggle, with the fate of the universe seemingly hanging in the balance.  It is a Shakespearian drama, in which the meaning of life, the vagaries of fate, and the inevitability of tragedy loom deeply…

This weekend, that inevitable tragedy struck for the Red Sox as Youkilis was called out on strikes and proceeded to shatter his helmet and break his bat into pieces, sending razor-sharp shards of material flying into the dugout.  Several players were treated for lacerations and bruises…

But apparently, Youk’s teammates don’t find his trademark intensity quite so entertaining. And now, an unnamed Red Sox insider has revealed that it was Youk’s bad attitude after a frustrating at-bat that led to Thursday night’s tussle with Manny Ramirez in the dugout:

“It all happened because Manny complained about Youkilis’ habit of throwing bats, helmets and other objects in the dugout when he has a bad at-bat, something that has become a constant practice,” the source said.

“Other players have told Youkilis in the past about the situation, which makes him look selfish and that he is more worried about each at-bat than about the team. If Boston is winning easily, there’s no reason to throw objects all over the dugout because of a bad at-bat.

“There was a meeting where the team let Youkilis know that many of his teammates were tired of his explosive reactions for each bad plate appearance. It became very bothersome … more so when the team is winning and it’s in first place. There’s not much room for individualistic attitudes.”

Youk, dude, chillax.