Kevin Youkilis' Departure a Sad Day for Boston Red Sox Fans

And then there was one.

With Kevin Youkilis on his way to the Chicago White Sox, David Ortiz has become the only member of Boston’s curse-breaking 2004 World Series team still in a Red Sox uniform. And with Kevin Youkilis’ departure, a generation of Red Sox fans feels that much more removed from the Red Sox iconic 2004 team.

Although I wrote last week that I was in support of moving Youkilis, there’s no doubt that a symbol of Red Sox excellence has left. Most Red Sox fans will forever have nothing but gratitude towards Youkilis, a player who left it all out on the field for the team. There’s no doubt he’ll be nothing but cheered each time he returns to Fenway.

From an organizational standpoint, I think the Red Sox got the raw end of the deal in this trade. The Red Sox got two players I’ll call next to nothing, and the White Sox got a player known for being so efficient that he was mentioned as being one of the original players that “Moneyball” was modeled on.

Better yet for the White Sox, Youkilis is clearly coming to Chi-town with a chip on his shoulder. This is not the kind of guy you want to pitch against when he’s got a chip on his shoulder, trust me. I for one think Youk will do great, and as long as he’s not playing against the Red Sox I’ll be rooting for him.

Although Youkilis was in the midst of a cultural clubhouse rift, the Red Sox got too little in return to let a player of his caliber go. While he’s not a guy with eye-popping numbers (except his on-base percentage), Youkilis is one of the toughest outs I’ve ever seen. He’s also a Gold Glove winning third baseman, a 3-time All-Star, and twice finished in the top six in MVP voting.

I, like many Sox fans, have forever grouped Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia together as gritty players, “gamers” if you will, who made a name for themselves out of hard work and competitiveness. Both guys are overachievers, something that is appreciated in Boston much more so than the naturally talented and physically gifted players – the Josh Beckett’s of the world, if you will.

Kevin Youkilis was drafted by the Red Sox. He helped them break an 86-year World Series drought, he helped them win another title shortly thereafter, and he was awarded the Hank Aaron Award for being the best hitter in the American League in 2008. While Youk may be the latest casualty of the Red Sox franchise that was, he can rest assured that while management may have chosen to go another direction the Boston fans all always be on his side.

Geoff Roberts is the Founder and Managing Editor of howiGit.com, a Boston sports blog.