After beating the Atlanta Braves 9-4 on Sunday afternoon to give the Boston Red Sox a 9-2 record in their last 11 contests, the mood was anything but light and jovial. The reason? Kevin Youkilis had been traded during the game to the Chicago White Sox.
While all the players had some sort of response either internally or to the media, David Ortiz is the only player to have been there for Youk's entire career.
In his nine seasons with the Red Sox, Oritz said the two were close, according to WEEI.com.
"It was emotional," Ortiz said. "He's my boy. I've been playing with Youk forever. To see him go like that is not easy. It's part of the game. It's like I told him, 'Go out and do your thing.' "
It's a tough day for Boston, even if it felt inevitable.
"How long was he here for, nine years? It doesn't happen every day. He was kind of mad and upset. I don't blame him. He knew it was coming, but it's still tough."
For more Boston Red Sox coverage, visit our team page and blog, Over The Monster.