| Kevin Youkilis | |
|---|---|
 Youkilis with the Boston Red Sox in 2009 | |
| First baseman / Third baseman | |
| Born: March 15, 1979 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: May 15, 2004, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| NPB: March 28, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: June 13, 2013, for the New York Yankees | |
| NPB: April 26, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .281 |
| Home runs | 150 |
| Runs batted in | 618 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .215 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 11 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Kevin Edmund Youkilis (/ˈjuːkəlɪs/; born March 15, 1979), nicknamed "Youk" /ˈjuːk/, is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman, who primarily played for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001, after playing college baseball at the University of Cincinnati. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees. He later served as a special assistant to the Chicago Cubs and former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein.
Known for his ability to get on base, while he was still a minor leaguer, Youkilis was nicknamed "Euclis: The Greek God of Walks" in the best-selling book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. A Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman, he once held baseball's record for most consecutive errorless games at first base (later broken by Casey Kotchman).[1][2] He is also a three-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series Champion, and winner of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award.
An intense performer on the playing field, Youkilis was known for his scrappiness, grittiness, dirt-stained jerseys, home-plate collisions, and his strange batting stance.[3][4] He excelled despite a physique that led many observers to underestimate his athletic ability. He was called "roly-poly" by his high school coach, "pudgy" by his college coach, a "fat kid" by general manager Billy Beane, and a "thicker-bodied guy" by the Red Sox scout who recruited him.[5] As Jackie MacMullan wrote for the Boston Globe: "He does not look like an MVP candidate; more a refrigerator repairman, a butcher, the man selling hammers behind the counter at the True Value hardware store."[6] Youkilis was named to the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 36 on the list in 2009, No. 38 in 2010, and No. 35 in 2011.
Youkilis was the hitting coach for Team Israel, under manager Ian Kinsler, when it competed in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami, Florida.
In 2021, Youkilis was a pregame and postgame analyst for Red Sox broadcasts on NESN. Starting in 2022, he became a color commentator during Red Sox games, working alongside Red Sox play-by-play announcer Dave O'Brien.[7]
- ^ Silva, Steve (November 6, 2007). "Youk wins Gold Glove". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
- ^ "Youkilis Sets New Consecutive Error-Free Games Record". Fenway Fanatics. April 2, 2008. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ Gottlieb, Corey (May 7, 2009). "Kevin Youkilis: Boston's truest dirt". MLB.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ Bernacchio, Adam (June 15, 2009). "Getting áced: The Five Best Jewish Players In Baseball Today". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ Bechtel, Mark (October 19, 2007). "Making a Name for Himself: Kevin Youkilis has become a folk hero in Boston". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ MacMullan, Jackie (October 7, 2009). "Burning desire: Youkilis's fiery displays are embraced by some, loathed by others, but he won't change approach". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ^ Doyle, Ricky (March 15, 2022). "Kevin Youkilis 'Super Thrilled' For New NESN Job He Never Saw Coming".