With the Red Sox, it’s a conundrum as old as the Curse of the Bambino. When a heralded player switches sides to the Yankees, do you boo him?
Such is the question potentially facing Red Sox Nation with the news that New York has offered free-agent Kevin Youkilis a one-year deal worth about $12 million. Of course, Boston already shipped out Youkilis in 2012, after friction between him and then-manager Bobby Valentine became too much to ignore, and Youkilis was hard pressed to find playing time behind rookie standout Will Middlebrooks.
When Youkilis returned as a visitor to Fenway Park, there was much fanfare involved with the proceedings, but ultimately the Fenway Faithful gave Youk a rousing ovation (several rousing ovations, actually) in appreciation of his efforts and contributions to the 2007 World Series team.
Likewise, it’s far from a sure bet that Youkilis ends up with the Yankees. It’s true that New York needs another option at third base, with Alex Rodriguez slated to miss a good chunk of the season while recovering from hip surgery, but Youkilis also has multiple one-year offers from other teams and reportedly even a two-year offer on the table to reunite with Terry Francona in Cleveland.
But if Youkilis were to head to the Yankees, what’s the proper move? Do you boo him the same way Celtics fans now boo Ray “Benedict” Allen, or do show appreciation for his efforts in Boston and continued charitable contributions to the community, even though he has left?
