“Sometimes, they’re so easy,” insists Repoz, though full credit to Wade Boggs for keeping his trap shut about another Yankee 3B’s zipper problems. From the Nashua Telegram’s Maureen Mullen.
œOne of the biggest keys of having a long hitting streak is probably the ability to not walk, said Boggs by phone from his Tampa-area home, before Kevin Youkilis (above, right) ended his hitting streak Saturday at 23 games, a career high, tying him for ninth-best in Red Sox history and second-best in baseball this season.
œThat™s going to be the killer of the streak, said Boggs, who had three streaks of 20 games or more in his Red Sox career. œHe™ll probably go 0-for-2 with two walks.
Actually, 0-for-2, with three walks and a run scored. And, that™s fine with Youkilis.
œStreaks are streaks. At-bats are at-bats. For me it doesn™t matter. We won a game tonight, a big game. For us it™s winning ball games, Youkilis said. œIt™s not about hitting streaks and trying to break records and all that stuff. It™s about going up there and playing the game the right way, and getting on base for your team.
Boggs predicted Youkilis™ plate discipline could be what ultimately ends the streak.
œIt depends, Boggs said. œIf his patience gets caught up in the hitting streak to where he wants to continue it, he will expand the (strike) zone. But if he stays within himself, that™s going to be the killer of the streak.
œ(But) the good thing about getting hits is you™re trying to help your team and it™s not something that you do out of selfish necessity. I tried to get a hit every time I went up to the plate. Sometimes you go into a game and hit four line drives to the outfield, and you™re right on it and you™re 0-for-4 that day.
œThere™s not much you can do about it. But it™s not something going into the last at-bat that you™re sitting there going ˜Oh, I need a hit to prolong the streak.™ So, I think that if you can consistently keep your games in order and not have too many peaks and valleys. Then really the hitting streak becomes immaterial.