Bobby Valentine Calls Out Kevin Youkilis, Apologizes, Bobby Valentine may have earned some brownie points when he opened his tenure in Boston by taking shots at Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, but his latest criticisms didn’t endear him to the Fenway faithful — or to the Red Sox clubhouse.

Valentine, who ignited a firestorm after saying on Sunday he didn’t think third baseman Kevin Youkilis was “as physically or emotionally into the game (this season) as he has been in the past for some reason,” was booed by fans and hammered by his players Monday.

“I’m more confused than anything,” said Youkilis. “Everybody knows I go out and play the game as hard as I can.”

Youkilis is hitting .200 through Boston’s first eight games and wasn’t in the lineup Monday because of a sore groin as the Red Sox lost to the Rays, 1-0, in their traditional 11 a.m. Patriots’ Day home game. The 33-year-old infielder added: “Everyone here knows I go out and play with emotion. The only time there has ever been a question is because I’ve been too emotional.”

Valentine apologized to Youkilis during the third baseman’s visit to the manager’s office. Valentine said he thought Youkilis came in to talk about his sore groin; instead he brought up his comments.

Valentine said his apology was sincere, but he wasn’t sure if Youkilis accepted it.

“I was just trying to smooth it over,” he said. “I guess I didn’t.”

Dustin Pedroia backed Youkilis, offering a stinging rebuke to Valentine.

“I really don’t know what Bobby’s trying to do, but that’s not the way we go about our stuff around here,” Pedroia said. “He’ll figure that out. The whole team is behind Youk.”

Asked if he thought that Valentine was trying to motivate Youkilis, Pedroia said, “Maybe that works in Japan,” referring to Valentine’s years managing there after being fired as the Mets manager.
Valentine blamed himself, saying that he wasn’t clear in answering the question on WHDH’s “Sports Xtra” show Sunday night in Boston.

“I think the question was, ‘It’s not Youk-like the way he’s playing,’ ” Valentine said. “I think that was the question I answered. I should have answered that his swing is not where he wants it to be, his swing is frustrating, it affects the emotion.”

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