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Odds and ends from Phoenix
PHOENIX - Seen and heard:
* Kevin Youkilis never stops trying to learn. Playing third tonight with Mike Lowell getting the day off, Youkilis was having a pow-wow with infield coach Luis Alicea before the game on third-base technique. It's not as easy as it may appear to go from first to third even though Youkilis has been an experienced third baseman.
What's interesting is even though Youkilis grew up a National League fan in the Cincinnati area, he's a DH guy all the way. "Who wants to see the pitcher hit?" Youkilis said. "The DHs in our league are exciting players. They're among the best hitters in baseball. I think as a fan of the game I want to see those hitters coming up to the plate. I don't care about seeing the pitcher hit. I know I grew up with it and I thought that's the way it should be when I was a kid, but I've changed my opinion now after being in this league."
Youkilis was the odd man out of the Sox lineup on Friday when David Ortiz played first base. But he'll play tonight at third and Sunday at first base against Randy Johnson.
*Maybe it was only J.C. Romero and guys like him are a dime a dozen, but you never know when you might need a veteran lefty like that. So designating him for assignment wasn't an easy decision for Theo Epstein or Terry Francona. The Red Sox have been fortunate to have discovered Hideki Okajima and now feel Javier Lopez can be their version of Mike Myers, but better. The other issue is the uncertainty around Mike Timlin, who has returned. The question is will Timlin's right shoulder hold up and will he be used as a set-up man?
*Eric Hinske pulled up to the players' lot here at Chase in his white Mercedes sports car. But he was greeted by the guard with "Sorry, have to park in the parking garage over there." Hinske, who lives in Scottsdale, said there are so many players who live in Scottsdale from the opposing team that many try to drive their own cars to the ballpark. There's not enough room.
Other players living in the Scottsdale area include Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Brendan Donnelly.
Julio Lugo feels he's starting to click at the plate, and the old hidden ball trick Friday night certainly was a feather in his cap as well.
"I try it all the time," said Lugo. "Sometimes it doesn't work." Actually, most of the time it doesn't. But Lugo managed to catch Alberto Callaspo napping at second. Callaspo didn't call time out when he rose from the bag after sliding back in after a throw to Lugo from J.D. Drew. Lugo just held the ball until Callaspo ventured off the base and tagged him out.
"I know he was surprised," Lugo said.
* Curt Schilling spent a lot of time chatting with Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin before the game.
* Tim Wakefield and Diamondbacks first baseman Tony Clark, a former Red Sox, also chatted. They were once big players association reps for the Sox.
