Kevin Youkilis gets taste of city’s pecking order
BY DARYL VAN SCHOUWEN dvanschouwen@suntimes.com July 3, 2012 8:44PM
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Updated: August 5, 2012 6:38AM
New guy in town Kevin Youkilis brought up a sore subject with White Sox fans before his first home game with the team Tuesday: the notion — or fact — that Chicago is a Cubs town.
Talking in the Sox’ dugout before the game against the Texas Rangers, Youkilis took note of the large media group surrounding him. His first seven games for the Sox were played on the road, where the Chicago media were limited to four beat writers and a
local TV crew or two.
‘‘I was making a comment, ‘There’s no media here [on the road],’ ’’ he said. ‘‘Well, to my shock, there was a lot more today. It’s definitely fun, and it’s kind of cool, too. I didn’t realize till now that you’re
second fiddle to the Cubs, so there’s not as much news. I kind of knew it, but I figured this team’s in first place, their team’s in last place, I thought we’d get a lot more publicity. But I’ve been in a place
[Boston] where there was way too much, so I’d rather be under the radar right now.’’
Entering the game Tuesday, Youkilis hadn’t performed up to expectations. But that changed in the Sox’ 19-2 rout of the Rangers, with Youkilis going 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.
Even before that, though, the Sox had welcomed his veteran presence and patient approach at the plate.
‘‘I’m excited to be here in the city of Chicago,’’ Youkilis said. ‘‘Excited to be in first place. I think that’s the coolest thing about coming over here.’’
Youkilis has fit in well in a clubhouse that features a mix of veterans and rookies.
‘‘We have a lot of great guys on this team that love playing the game of baseball,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s the key.’’
