I WON'T ATTACK A GAMER LIKE YOUKILIS

There are a lot of directions we can go with the fact that Kevin Youkilis is now out 10 to 12 weeks with a herniated disk, read HERE  Many are calling him a waste... "Can we get our money back?" Some are just annoyed by all the injuries the Yankees have had all season. Some are beaten down, ready to chalk it up as "The 3rd place 2013 Yankees." I even tweeted Jim Bowden of ESPN today telling him that if he rightly predicted the Yankees making last place back in March, he's a genius:

@JimBowdenESPNxm If Yanks don't pick it up, you might have made the most brilliant prediction ever LOL
— Bleeding Yankee Blue (@BleednYankeeBlu) June 18, 2013

Sure, I was half joking, I mean, I haven't given up yet, but there is no doubt losing Youkilis twice this season, Mark Teixeira twice (read HERE), Curtis Granderson twice... Well, it's exhausting. So what do we do? We bash the former Red Sock. Sure, it makes sense if you're a Yankee fan, but let's analyze it alittle more... And I'm not criticizing any of you... I'm just thinking it through...

Do you want a player that wants to be out there every game, a gamer, a guy that wants to play his heart out for his team that he'll try and play through the pain? Or... do you want a player that rides the bench because he "doesn't feel good", or the team wants to sit him and be "day by day".  You don't want that option... You want the gamer. In other words, having Youk was fine with me and it's always been fine.  I mean sure, it's frustrating, but he wants to play!  The fact that he was willing to try and play through his back issues was great for me. Why? Because many athletes that want to play and contribute and lead... that's what tough athletes do.  This will get me in trouble, but I'm saying it to make a point... Why did no one get mad at Derek Jeter?

Yeah, that's right, I said it.  Derek Jeter played through ankle pain for months before he busted it. He barely took a day off.  In the end, he got hurt on the biggest stage of the season, the playoffs, and when he went down, the whole team crumbled around him.  Now, months into the season, we have Jayson Nix regularly at shortstop.  Isn't it the same type of deal in some regards?  Derek Jeter is out till after the All-Star break, maybe more, all because he was hurt and tried to work through the pain. All I'm saying is, are we really going to fault Youk for trying to play through it and getting hurt?

Before all of you tell me that I'm an idiot for comparing our captain to a former Red Sock in Youk, know this... I'm not. Not even close. All I'm saying is gamers are gamers and will lay their bodies on the line for that thrill of victory. Many ballplayers are just like Youk and Jeter. Many times you don't even hear about the injuries.

Yeah, the Youkilis thing is ridiculous already, but it's not the first time this has happened and furthermore, Youkilis isn't the devil for trying to play through it. It just so happens, he can't play through the pain any longer. And so, once again, like we continue to do all season long, our mighty Yankees will try and work through the personnel. We'll move guys around, DFA guys to bring guys up, maybe we trade for someone... maybe we even let the kids play.  We will do whatever it is we need to do to get through this mess...again.  In the end, Derek Jeter will be back. Tex will, Granderson will and yes, Youk will, be it a right-handed bat off the bench or back to third, who knows.  But instead of ripping the guy for trying to give his all, at least acknowledge that he ain't all bad.  Foolish on my part? Sure, maybe. But he's still a Yankee and I can't rip a guy for wanting to contribute, not yet at least...

That's my take anyway. 

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