Kevin Youkilis and his batting stance

I was at a Giants game yesterday where the Giants played the Red Sox.  Boston's First Baseman Kevin Youkilis, had some outstanding plays including bagging all three batters in one innning.  But his batting stance generated a lot of talk.  What struck me about him was a couple of things.  First, the stance is something he has worked on.  As he was standing in the on deck circle and even in the dugout, he worked on his stance.  Second, I am not sure what he thinks he gains from the stance. He loosens up and then puts the bat over his head with his hands almost parallel to the ground. At the point that the pitcher sets he lowers and and delivers a fairly normal swing.   There are a couple of sites on the net that either discuss or mock the stance. (Taken with an iPhone 4)

I am sure there is a pretty simple explanation - I am not sure what it is.  That is what makes baseball interesting.