A day after Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine blamed Youkilis for their frosty relationship in Boston, the White Sox third baseman wouldn't escalate the friction when asked about their rocky history.
"There's no Bobby V vs. Kevin Youkilis or vice versa," Youkilis said. "It's about Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox and just playing baseball. I don't understand why this is still a big rift and things are going on."
Since the trade on June 24, Youkilis has experienced a resurgence in 16 games for the White Sox, hitting .295 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. In 42 games with the Red Sox, the 33-year-old only clubbed four homers and 14 RBIs with a .233 batting average.
Youkilis credits his renaissance to the relaxed atmosphere in Chicago and strong communication with skipper Robin Ventura. It's those two characteristics that hampered Youkilis the most with the Red Sox.
"I would say there's less drama all around," Youkilis said. "No offense to you [the media], but there's always a story. With us, you come about the game, you play, it's over with, you get a question, there's no drama or questions all the time.
"It's just fun. We're also second fiddle to the Cubs, so it's great. It's easy. Robin is laid-back about, go play the game, just do the things — we have a lot of fun."
But a jovial reunion with Valentine isn't likely. When prompted about crossing paths before Monday's game, the Red Sox manager didn't exactly show a desire to exchange pleasantries with Youkilis.
"If we run into each other, I guess I could talk to him," Valentine said. "I don't usually do that with the other team."
Clearly, both sides are satisfied without one another.
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