Youk is still getting it done

MLB. Kevin Youkilis has been around Fenway so long, it’s sometimes hard to believe he’s only 29.

Coming off a Gold Glove season at first, Youk is just entering the prime of his big league career, and has had ever-improving statistics in two seasons spent as a Red Sox infield regular.

The first baseman posted career highs in batting average (.288), homers (16), RBI (83) and on-base percentage (.390), but suffered through a difficult second-half stumble. Youk’s average dropped to .238 after the All-Star break before he rebounded with a .388 batting average along with 4 homers and 10 RBI in the playoffs.

“People look at the second half numbers and ask questions about getting tired or wearing down, but what if I had started out slowly like [Dustin Pedroia] did? People would just say that I was a slow starter,” Youkilis said.

“The numbers tend to even out over the course of a baseball season, and I felt good enough when the postseason started. If anyone tells you they feel good in September, they were either on the DL all season or not getting into too many games.”

Observers pointed to Youkilis’ on-field intensity as a prime culprit that caused him to wear down. The Sox acquired Sean Casey in the offseason to give Youkilis an occasional day off, but Youk doesn’t buy into the theory his style tires him out. 

“I think looking back now, the one thing that really hurt me was when I pulled my quadriceps muscle right around the All-Star break last season,” he said. “When I got back into the lineup I still wasn’t 100 percent, and I started trying to do too much at the plate.”