Latest news with #Youkilis
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
World Series champion blasts AOC over response to Colorado attack
Article content More than a dozen people were injured in a firebomb attack on Sunday in Boulder, with the horrific incident being treated by the FBI as a hate crime after suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman told police that he tried to kill demonstrators demanding the release of Hamas' Israeli hostages, according to an FBI affidavit. AOC condemned the 'horrific attack' in a post on Monday. 'I am horrified by last night's horrific attack in Boulder. My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country,' she wrote. 'Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists.' But her words were not enough for Youkilis, who is Jewish and served as the hitting coach for Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 'Jews are targeted with violence and it's the same virtue signal post time and time again,' he wrote on X. 'What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former MLB star calls out AOC's 'virtue signaling' after antisemitic attack in Colorado
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is striking out with a Jewish former Major League Baseball player over her response to a recent antisemitic attack in Colorado. "We're just at a point now where the Jewish people are just tired. We're tired of having to deal with so much hatred," said Kevin Youkilis, a World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox, during an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Wednesday. His comments come after Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media about the attack, which targeted a pro-Israel group gathered to call for the return of Israeli hostages held in captivity by Hamas. Multiple people were injured when the suspect allegedly used homemade incendiary devices to attack attendees. Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing hate crime, attempted murder, assault and other charges. World Series Champ Calls Out Aoc Over Response To Boulder Attack In her post on X, formerly Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez condemned the violence in Colorado and warned that antisemitism is "on the rise." She called on the public to confront hate "everywhere it exists." Read On The Fox News App But Youkilis said her words rang hollow. Trump Administration Promises Justice For Slain Israeli Couple In Dc Shooting Responding on X, he wrote: "Jews are targeted with violence and it's the same virtue signal post time and time again. What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight." Youkilis pointed to growing antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses and at protests in New York, some of which have included calls for the dismantling of the Jewish state. He argued that condemning violence after attacks happen isn't enough from lawmakers. "When we hear this rhetoric, and it's pushed out in our universities and on the streets, it just has to stop. It brings a lot of fear. It stokes the violence," he said, referencing protests in the United States that intensified following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. 'Squad' Members Condemn Antisemitic Attack In Boulder After Years Of Controversy While he agreed with Ocasio-Cortez that antisemitism is a "moral issue," Youkilis said her actions don't reflect a serious commitment to combating it. Hysterical Town Hall Attendee Interrupts Aoc, Yells About 'Genocide' In Gaza: 'You're A Liar!' The attack in Colorado follows another incident last month in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli diplomats, set to be engaged, were gunned down in an apparent hate crime. The suspect was arrested at the Capital Jewish Museum, and reportedly shouted, "Free, free Palestine." Youkilis said he's seen a noticeable shift in the safety of Jews in America, noting increased security at Jewish community centers, schools, and synagogues. He praised lawmakers, like Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., for speaking out repeatedly against antisemitism. Exclusive Video: Aoc Refuses To Say Whether Democrats' Rhetoric Is Responsible For Tesla Attacks "Ritchie Torres has been fabulous in the way he has spoken out," Youkilis said, urging other lawmakers to follow his example. While Youkilis emphasized his strong belief in the rights of Americans to voice their opinions, he called on public officials to better distinguish between free speech and hate speech. "First Amendment rights are First Amendment rights, and I'm a firm believer in that as an American, and a proud American," said the former first baseman, who served as the Israeli team's hitting coach at the World Baseball Classic in 2023. "But we also have to have our leadership that can decipher between what is hate and how people are [going to] build upon it."Original article source: Former MLB star calls out AOC's 'virtue signaling' after antisemitic attack in Colorado
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
World Series champ calls out AOC over response to Boulder attack
Former MLB star Kevin Youkilis called out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after the lawmaker reacted to the attack on those who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend. Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on social media on Monday she was "horrified" by the attack. "My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country," she added. "Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists." The two-time World Series champion, who is Jewish, called out Ocasio-Cortez and wondered what she had done to confront those who have called for intifadas in New York. "Jews are targeted with violence and it's the same virtue signal post time and time again," he wrote on X in response. "What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight." Youkilis is mostly known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, but he played for the New York Yankees in the final year of his MLB career in 2013. When asked what he wanted the Democrat lawmaker to do, Youkilis responded, "Confront the radical mobs chanting for intifadas in NYC. "That would be brave leadership, but we know politicians, on both sides of the aisle, shy away in fear of losing votes and power." In the midst of last year's chaos at Columbia University, Ocasio-Cortez called anti-Israel agitators on campus "peaceful." The message came as Jewish students were recommended to leave home as students were caught on camera sympathizing with Hamas. The FBI described Sunday's violence as a "targeted terror attack." Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was accused of using homemade incendiary devices to light eight people on fire as they gathered to advocate for the return of Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity in a daytime attack at Boulder's Pearl Street Mall. Videos depict a shirtless man, allegedly Soliman, standing menacingly and holding two more devices after the initial attack as bystanders filmed him. Authorities eventually swarmed the scene, and he surrendered. Soliman first arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in August 2022. That visa expired in February 2023, but he remained in the country. He received a work permit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March 2023 that was valid through March of this year. He once again overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally during Sunday's attack. The advocates gathered for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88, and one of them was in critical condition. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Would it be hard for Rafael Devers to learn to play first? Alex Cora and Kevin Youkilis say yes, Mike Lowell says no
Red Sox manager Alex Cora forged a 14-year big league career primarily on the strength of his middle infield defense. He averaged one error every 69 innings at shortstop, and one every 105 innings at second base. But in 21 career big league innings at first base, he made three errors, and sounded scarred by the experience when recalling his first exposure at the position in the final three innings of a 14-0 Red Sox loss to the Braves in 2007. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It's very hard. I can tell you by experience,' said Cora. 'I played [21] innings [at first] in my big league career, made three errors, and one of them was a ground ball with [a] man at first. I went all the way to the right. [Dustin] Pedroia was right there. I bobbled it, then I threw it away. It's just, it's hard. It's very hard.' Advertisement Kevin Youkilis broke into the big leagues as a third baseman in 2004, but got experience playing first and second in the minors while shuttling between Triple A and the big leagues in 2005. He then got a full spring training at first base entering the 2006 season, which he viewed as critical. Advertisement 'It's really hard. It's not as easy of a transition as people think. There's a lot of different scenarios that you have to go through and you have to get a lot of reps in order to get good at it,' said Youkilis. 'There's a learning curve.' Central to the transition, Youkilis noted, was the need to rethink when to pursue a grounder — whether to try to get it or cede it to a second baseman while racing to cover first. But there's also a need to learn a different body angle on throws to second, learn how infielders' throws move (tail or sail, for instance), how to handle more complicated cutoff and relay responsibilities, as well as the ability to handle pickoffs. Cora noted with some discomfort the big league crash courses undertaken in recent years by Franchy Cordero and Kyle Schwarber to learn first base. 'We've been through that act before, moving people around, playing guys at first base that had never played first base,' said Cora. 'It wasn't good.' But another former Red Sox saw the matter differently, noting that the increased time to make plays at first would cut down on errors that arise from rushing throws. 'Are there nuances at first base? Absolutely,' Mike Lowell, a Gold Glover at third in 2004 who moved to first for the final year of his career in 2010, said on the '310 to Left' podcast. 'There are things absolutely they need to learn at first base, but I don't think it's anything so complicated that [Devers] can't do it. I think he's totally capable of doing it.' Advertisement The timetable How long would it take a third baseman to become a capable first baseman? Lowell answered by holding up two fingers. Two years? Two months? Two weeks? 'Two days,' Lowell said. '[Devers] could do it in two days. I think he's good enough.' Lowell, who worked with Devers at third base in past spring trainings, clarified that it would take Devers longer than that to learn the full array of nuances. That said, he remains convinced that Devers could become competent enough to handle first in games in just two days. Youkilis — who won a Gold Glove at first in 2007, his second full season at the position — disagreed. 'I think Raffy can be a good first baseman, but it takes a lot of time and work to make that transition if you've never played there. It's not something that you can be just thrown in the mix,' said Youkilis. 'While I do think Raffy can make that change, I also understand it's really hard in-season to make that change.' Youkilis described the importance of a full spring training — infield and outfield drills, as well as repetitions in exhibition games — as critical. 'Spring training is the best time to make that transition, because you do make mistakes, and you want to make those mistakes, because that's how you learn,' he said. Could Devers do it? Not many third basemen have become elite at first. Since 1980, Youkilis, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Albert Pujols are the only players whose primary position was third base at the start of their big league careers who emerged as Gold Glove first basemen. Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. successfully made the transition from third base to first base. Chris O'Meara/Associated Press That said, if Devers and the Red Sox reach the conclusion that he will try playing first, the goal would be competence rather than a Gold Glove-caliber defender. Advertisement While they disagree on the time needed to get up to game speed, Lowell and Youkilis believe Devers can surpass that baseline standard. Indeed, there are reasons to think he could not only be functional but well suited to first base. 'If Raffy does make that transition, which a lot of people thought he was going to do anyways, ends up at first, I actually think he could be a plus defender,' said Lowell. 'The reason why I think he could be good, his hands are good. I think the main thing with Raffy for me when I look at him getting in trouble defensively is, I think it's his footwork, and I think his arm angle drops [on throws]. 'Can he be above average? Yeah. It's not going to take two days [to be above average]. I think it's going to be a little bit more. But that process, I think, is shorter than people think. There are things absolutely he'd need to learn at first base, but I don't think it's anything so complicated that he can't do. I think he's totally capable of doing it.' Alex Speier can be reached at
