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The Record of the Two Kevins
One minor league on-base record now shared by two Kevins from the Boston Red Sox organization thanks to a Tower-ing pitching performance.By DAN HICKLING
MinorLeagueNews.com
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Records have names as well as numbers. Two Kevins, both of the Red Sox organization, now hold a remarkable minor league hitting record: The most consecutive games reaching base.
Kevin Millar established the record with 71 straight games from 1997 to 1999. On August 4th, 2003, Kevin Youkilis, newly promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox, equaled the mark when he doubled off Buffalo Bison hurler Lance Caraccioli.
What On-Base Record?
Didn't know they kept track of such records?
They don't in the major leagues. They didn't in the minors, not formally at least, until 1996, when the importance of on-base percentages took on more weight.
Even when Millar, now with the Boston Red Sox, set the standard with Portland and Pawtucket, it mostly went unnoticed. He had nobody to chase.
The New Kevin
Enter Youkilis, a third baseman by trade, who is probably the most major league ready prospect in the Boston Red Sox chain.
Need a base runner? He's your man. He proved that during his days at the University of Cincinnati and, later, in his first professional season at Lowell.
He routinely rolled up plus .500 OBP marks.
It was almost routine for him to start this season at Double-A Portland
by reaching base in the Sea Dogs first 24 games of the season.
"I'm not worried about it," said Youkilis. I'm just going to play my game, like I do everyday."
It turns out that he was just getting warmed up. From May 19 on,
getting on base would be an every day occurrence.
"He's finding ways to do it," said Pawtucket manager Buddy Bailey.
"You've got to give the man credit."
Youkilis reached base 62 games straight by July 29, when he was promoted to Pawtucket.
The Streak Aids A Contender
Nine games into his AAA call-up, the streak continued, coinciding with a time when the PawSox were threatening to run away with the IL North Division.
They came into Buffalo last Friday with a three-game lead over the Bisons. In five days have doubled it by winning four out of five.
"It's been big for me to be able to carry on (since joining Pawtucket)," Youkilis said. "You've got to keep the season going. You hit ruts here and there. There are obstacles and you have to overcome them. I'm not pressuring myself, and am just trying to have good at bats, every at bat."
The record-tying hit came in handy, as Pawtucket was busy putting a
stronghold on the International League North Division lead while taking four out of five games from second place Buffalo.
"He earned the record tonight, because that double was huge," said Bailey.
"It helped determine the outcome of the game."
Pawtucket was already leading 1-0 when Youkilis came up with the bases full and one away.
Caraccioli battled him to a full count.
"[Caraccioli] was shaking off, trying to make me think he was throwing me a curveball," said Youkilis. "But I knew he was coming with a fastball. I got a good pitch to drive. You've got to capitalize on those pitches that are (left) up."
Youkilis drove it off the fence in left, bringing in Cesar Crespo and Adrian Brown. The next day, at home, would be Youkilis’ tenth appearance in a AAA lineup, and a shot to shove Millar down the page in the record books a bit, when the PawSox met the Syracuse SkyChiefs at home.
Who Will Be Top Kevin?
The baseball savvy McCoy Stadium crowd, numbering 5,129 gave Youkilis a rousing reception on his first trip to the plate. SkyChiefs starter Josh Towers looked up at the scoreboard.
"To be honest," said Towers, "I didn't know who the kid was. I had no idea. When he got up in the first inning, I heard the crowd cheering. I looked back to see his numbers and to see what was going on."
Towers laid in a nice 1-2 fastball. Youkilis nearly made a record-breaker out of it, sending it sailing to deep center. It died at the warning track, laid to rest in the glove of Dewayne Wise.
"I thought I got into that one pretty good," Youkilis said.
He popped out weakly in the fourth, then came up again in the sixth.
The strain was starting to set in. So was the reality. The pitching is tougher in Triple-A. So is the umpiring.
Youkilis worked Towers to a full count. The SkyChiefs hurler then caught him looking at a close third strike.
Youkilis was visibly upset at the call of plate umpire Darin Williams. He walked away to avoid getting tossed out, assuring himself of one last at-bat.
"He looked like he wanted to walk," said Towers, "and I said ,'no, I'm not into walking dudes. Your streak don't mean nothing to me, so here come's strike three."
As with all great baseball drama, it came to the ninth to make history. Youkilis was confident, ready.
"You have to have the same approach, every time you go up to bat," he said.
Towers was also ready, and equally determined.
Youkilis took the first pitch, He fouled off the second. Towers showed no mercy. He delivered. Strike three whizzed past. Youkilis gambled that it was outside, and lost. The streak was over.
"That last at bat," said Towers, "I got pumped up because he got (ticked) off before. I said 'here's three heaters, see what you can do.' He took it. I don't know why."
"It's tough to go out like that. But I had fun. It was a great ride," said Youkilis. "At least I get to joke around with Kevin Millar. He's given me tons of (static) about this."Like all good holders of consistency records, Youkilis is ready to begin anew:
"We'll just have to start a new streak tomorrow."
