Boston's Youkilis Wants to Stay at First

Kevin Youkilis is a manger’s dream. Since his arrival in the big leagues six years ago, he has happily shifted from first to third base and back again, depending on his manager’s whims. Last year Youk (as the fans call him) even volunteered to register a couple of games in left field and offered to step in at short stop in a pinch. What a mensch!

Youkilis will continue to move between first and third if it will make the Red Sox a better team but after turning 31 in March, he’s getting to that point in his career where he hopes the moves will be seasonal and not from game to game.

Last year the Ohioan made 77 starts at first base and 56 starts at third base. The reasons for the switches: injuries to third baseman Mike Lowell and the late-season acquisition of Victor Martinez who after coming from Cleveland started 22 games at first.

“If it was year to year, where one year I played first and one year I played third it would be no big deal,” Youkilis told the Boston Herald. “But if it were every other night and I was going back and forth, that could be a little outrageous. I’ve done that in the past,” he continued. “But it would not be an ideal situation for me or anyone on the team, because that might mean there are two guys on in the mix who are moving around.”

The first baseman (or third baseman depending on the day) isn’t issuing an ultimatum saying he’ll do what’s best for the Sox. “I can’t complain,” he told the press. “I’ve got a job and I get paid a lot of money just to play the game of baseball.”

When asked if he’d have a problem moving back to third full time he chuckled, “Not if I’m getting paid a lot of money.” Funny, considering Youk is currently is making a lot of money. He’s in the second year of a four-year $41.25 million contract.

Prior to the 2009 season, the Red Sox were heavily pursuing free-agent first baseman Mark Teixiera, with the understanding that Youkilis would man third even though he logged 110 games at first in the ’08 season. Teixiera decided to sign with the Yankees leaving Youk to man first base for the Sox until Martinez joined the team.

Now the Red Sox have expressed interest in acquiring first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres, which if the trade comes to fruition would once again see Youkilis crossing the field to play third.

From season to season, Youk would have no problem switching positions. “If they said, ‘Hey we need you to play third base this year,’ I’d go there. If they told me to play first base, I’d play first base.”

Realistically the Red Sox should avoid the first to third merry-go-round this season with Youkilis. One year removed from 30, he’s not the wide-eyed young Jew from Cincinnati trying to get his foot in the door anymore.

“To me, first base takes just as much of a toll on the body as third base. You have to hold guys on, you have to shuffle off, every time a ball is hit you have to run to first base. I’ve played games at third base when I haven’t even had a ball hit to me, haven’t even moved.”