Congrats Youk

Kevin Youkilis earned the much deserved AL player of the week this week after going 12-32 with FIVE homeruns, 30 total bases, 10 RBIs, three doubles, and eight runs. Yeah, that was all over one week.

Youk is simply amazing. It's no wonder he's a fan favorite in Boston - he completely fits the mold. After hitting two homeruns in one night in Detroit, Youk almost got thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes on a strikeout. He was so worked up about the call that he was grumbling at first base for the rest of the inning about it, and Dustin and Varitek had to get him to shut up so that he wouldn't get thrown out of the game.

That display of passion right there is Boston. It's what fans here want, and it's what fans here get frustrated with when a player lacks that visible passion. It's why J.D. Drew and sometimes Manny Ramirez cause people so much grief, not because they aren't good players but because they don't always have that gritty, down-and-dirty attitude.

Youk has set a record for most chances at first without an error, he plays almost every day, he has to be seriously injured to be forced to sit out a game, he's wicked ugly but he hits beautifully, he's the culmination of a Boston ballplayer.

After hearing that he won the AL player of the week, Youk shrugged it off in typical Youk fashion, saying, "I had a hot streak this week in power numbers, but to me, it's just a matter of going out and trying to do the same thing over and over. In this game, even if you've had a good week, you've got to work for today. I throw it all aside and try to play the game for today. I'm just playing. I'm just trying to get hits. It's not like I'm trying to hit home runs. I'm trying to put a good swing on the ball."

And that's all that fans here really ask for. Just put a good swing on the ball.