Youkilis gets first look at Reds

BOSTON -- At least this time, when the Cincinnati Reds came to Fenway Park, Kevin Youkilis could watch.
Of course, prior to Monday, the last time the Reds visited, they were breaking hearts all over New England, winning Game 7 of the 1975 World Series.

Youkilis wasn't born yet when Cesar Geronimo caught the fly ball off the bat of Carl Yastrzemski for the final out of that Fall Classic, giving his hometown Cincinnati Reds their first title since 1940.

But still, you didn't have to live through one of baseball's greatest World Series to appreciate its significance.

"I was negative fours year old," joked Youkilis, who wasn't born until March 15, 1979. "But you grow up in Cincinnati, and you come to live and breathe baseball. I've heard way too many stories about the Big Red Machine. It was a great atmosphere just going down [to Riverfront Stadium] and seeing the Reds.

"It's going to be interesting to see that logo across the field. But for me, I think it would be more of a thrill being in Cincinnati. It's not the same atmosphere of going home and playing against the Reds at Cincinnati."

Before being drafted in the eighth round by the Red Sox in 2001, Youkilis' roots were tied mainly to Cincinnati, graduating from Sycamore High School and the University of Cincinnati.

"In 1990, we got a chance to see them win it all, and we all went into downtown Cincinnati with our brooms," said Youkilis, recalling the stunning four-game sweep of Oakland.

Youkilis was exposed to the Reds at an early age, as his parents had partial season tickets at Riverfront Stadium behind third base. He smiled Monday as he recalled Mike Scott, then of the Astros, and the Reds' Paul O'Neill throwing batting practice balls up to him in the stands.

Youkilis was also on hand for one of the most historic nights in Cincinnati baseball lore.

"One of my buddies had a birthday party, and we went to some batting cage and all of sudden it was a rain delay," Youkilis said. "I was like, 'Hey why don't we go down to the Reds' game?' We go down there, and Tom Browning was starting this game and we stay and it starts raining again. I didn't want to leave because it was a perfect game. But the father of the kid was like, 'This is bad. All the parents were calling.' We left in the seventh or eighth and heard the rest on the radio."

The rest was the only perfect game in the long and storied history of the Reds on September 16, 1988.

As for idols, while names like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez were the favorites in the 70s, Youkilis had a different reference point.

"All of us, the player we all tried to be like was Eric Davis. We all twirled the bat, and when we played Wiffle Ball, we all tried to hit like him," Youkilis said.

Graduation day: For the eighth time this season, bench coach Brad Mills assumed the role of Red Sox manager in place of Terry Francona. The Sox skipper was at the graduation of his daughter, Alyssa, from Pennsbury High School in New Jersey. Mills disclosed before the game that after experimenting with Bill Haselman as his bench coach in Francona's first absence (during the April series at Yankee Stadium and Rogers Centre), Haselman returned to his regular duties as bullpen coach. Pitching coach Dave Wallace will serve as bench coach.

Girl power: For the third time, Jason and Karen Varitek are the proud parents of a baby girl. Caroline Morgan Varitek was born at 4:04 a.m. ET on Monday, weighing in at eight pounds, two ounces and measuring 21 inches. The proud dad just made it back from Chicago in time to be with mother and daughter, as the Red Sox arrived at Logan Airport just around 3 a.m. ET.

Bad timing: With temperatures approaching 90 degrees on the field, it was a bad time for the air conditioning unit in the Red Sox clubhouse to break down. Workers scrambled on Monday to install a new 1,500-pound compressor on the roof to make sure players, coaches and staff didn't overheat.

Rehabbing Stern: Rule 5 Draft pick Adam Stern was at Fenway Monday, taking batting practice and continuing to rehab his ailing right hamstring after recovering from an injured right thumb. The outfielder is expected to begin playing in games on Thursday, when Triple-A Pawtucket returns from its current road trip.

On deck: The Red Sox continue their 1975 World Series rematch on Tuesday, when they send lefty and former Reds starter David Wells (4-4, 5.07 ERA) against Cincinnati right-hander Luke Hudson (1-0, 7.50 ERA). Wells was acquired in a July 1995 deal with Detroit and helped the Reds win the National League Central division, their last postseason appearance.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/