FORT MYERS, Fla. – He’ll soon be the owner of two World Series rings, he’s a Gold Glove first baseman for one of the most popular teams in professional sports, and fans greet him with a unique chant fashioned from his name.

Yet Kevin Youkilis doesn’t consider himself a star, let alone anything special.

“I’m just a normal human being. I don’t dress fancy or drive $100,000 sports cars. I won’t got out to a fancy event unless it’s for charity and stuff like that because it’s just not my type of lifestyle,” said the 29-year-old Boston Red Sox infielder.

With his trademark bald head, goatee, and stocky build, Youkilis is instantaneously recognizable all over New England and in many other places, and that has shown him firsthand the potential pitfalls and complications of fame.

“With Myspace and camera phones, you have to be careful where you are and what you do,” he explained. “We’re in a spotlight that’s probably 90 percent bigger than most teams in all of sports so you have to be careful and you have to be smart.”

“I think you kind of get used to it, although there are some things I’ll never get used to,” said the Cincinnati native. “Sometimes I’m a little standoffish because I’m not really big on being a celebrity. I’m just an average Joe.”

He was anything but average last year as he had a season that was historic both individually and team-wise.

Youkilis became the first qualifying (playing a minimum number of games at one position) first baseman in American League history to compile a 1.000 fielding percentage while helping lead the Sox to their second World Series title in four years.

He earned his first Gold Glove after handling 1,080 total chances in 135 games without an error.

The man fans yell “YOOK” to whenever he strides to the plate or makes a great fielding play was no slouch at the plate either. Youkilis batted .288 with 16 home runs and 83 RBIs in the regular season and then got even better in the postseason, batting .388 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 14 games.

Youkilis has learned some lessons the hard way during his four-year major league career.

“You might be out with friends and you’re not drinking, but your buddy’s next to you and he’s got a bunch of drinks, so in a picture it might look like you’re hammering down beers,” he said. “Or you get hugged by an attractive woman and someone takes a picture and it looks like you’re having an affair.

“I was just having fun, but there have been times when I’ve been in photos where I didn’t put myself in a good situation.”

And because of that, Youkilis has had to take a tough stand regarding photos with fans.

“People will want a picture and I’ll offer to give them an autograph instead,” he explained. “It’s easier for me to do that anyway, so unless it’s a little kid, I’d rather not get my photo taken.”

The complications of celebrity sometimes affect Youkilis’ friends and family as well.

“My fiancee is from Boston and she loves to go out, but it’s hard for us sometimes because she feels like she has to protect me from people,” he said. “She doesn’t really like the attention all the time. It’s kind of tough.”

So tough that Youkilis feels he has to keep the wedding date secret.

aneff@bangordailynews.net

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