While former Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis has experienced something of a career revival since being dumped on the Chicago White Sox, Boston skipper Bobby Valentine can’t leave well enough alone. While it’s unlikely Valentine sought out reporters to further bury Youkilis after the fact, if ever there was a good time for Valentine to clam up, this would’ve been it. From the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman :
“I think the comment I made early, he made a big issue about and I don’t think he ever wanted to get over it,” said Valentine.
Was the relationship strained?
“No idea, it’s whatever he wanted it to be,” said Valentine.
Valentine scoffed at the idea that he and Youkilis had friction in spring training.
“There was no friction in spring training. I think that’s a joke,” he said. “We didn’t have a strained relationship in spring training.”
In Kansas City for his team’s series final with the Royals, Youkilis addressed Valentine’s comments by telling reporters, “I got nothing about any of that stuff. I’m over all the Boston thing of this year.”