BASEBALLPARK

Kevin Youkilis mentioned on Monday that he did not start hitting until Feb. 1 — at the advice of former Yankees player Paul O'Neill.

"He told me the older he got, the later he hit," Youkilis said. "He believed — and I believe it, too — to get your body physically ready and get as strong as you can and then you go hit. The hitting will come, you have six weeks of spring training.

"You have so much time to get ready. He believed that physically he wanted to get strong and get away from the game. You don't want to beat yourself up all the time."

The connection? Youkilis and O'Neill are from the northeast section of Cincinnati. O'Neill, in fact, lives close to where Kevin went to high school and they share an agent, Joe Bick.

"He lives in the same town I grew up in," Youkilis said. "Great guy. Awesome guy."

This will not sit well with those fans on both sides who like to think the teams hate each other. If Pauliel is buddies with Youk, perhaps drunks can resist slugging each other in the bleachers.

No, probably not.

유킬리스가 폴 오닐의 조언에 따라 타격연습을 2월1일까지 안했다는군요. 폴 오닐은 유킬이에게 나이가 먹어갈수록 피지컬적인 준비를 철저히 하고 타격연습을 늦게 시작해야 한다고 말했답니다. 어짜피 6주간의 스캠기간동안 타격감을 충분히 찾을수 있다네요. 그리고 유킬이는 오닐의 말이라면 절대적으로 신뢰하기에 주저없이 따랐다고 하구요.

동향(씬시네티 북쪽동네)에다가 같은 에이젼트 소속이라 친분관계가 있다고 하는군요.

양키스의 레젼드와 보스턴 스타간에 깊은 친교를 맺고 있다니 흥미롭군요.

또 한가지는 몇년전 양키스 감독시절 조토레가 유킬이를 보면 폴 오닐이 떠오른다고 했습니다.

경기장에서 보여주는 근성과 열정이 서로 닮았다면서..