Beckham makes his move

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Gordon Beckham realizes his offseason just became a little shorter.

Beckham said Friday he’s prepared to make his second position switch in as many seasons after being informed that he will move from third base to second to make room for newcomer Mark Teahen.

“I’ll probably have to work as hard, if not harder, than I did at third base,” Beckham said a few hours after general manager Ken Williams informed him of the switch.

If Beckham can make the transition to second as easily as he moved to third from shortstop last summer, the Sox defense should improve.

He played second for Yarmouth-Dennis of the Cape Cod League in 2007 and in the Arizona Fall League in 2008.

Williams expressed confidence in Beckham and the defensive makeup of the Sox.

“I have no doubts he can handle the position,” Williams said. “He has a better profile [at second than at third]. This makes us better defensively across the board.”

Alexei Ramirez will remain at shortstop.

Beckham, who will find out Nov. 16 if the Baseball Writers Association of America has selected him as the American League Rookie of the Year, said bench coach Joey Cora gave him a hint about the move late Thursday night.

Cora often instructed Beckham during early fielding drills four hours before each game in 2009, and Beckham said he would receive instruction at second from Cora in January in either South Florida or near Beckham’s Atlanta-area offseason home.

Cora did similar work with third basemen Josh Fields and Dayan Viciedo in the Miami area in January.

Beckham admitted the move came as a shock, but he believes second base could become permanent.

“I can’t see them moving me again,” he said.

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