Can i avoid winterizing my outboard my starting it periodically during the winter?

no,no,no!!!! do you not realize that you may have started it on one day and that night it comes a sudden hard freeze and while you are sleeping it freezes and burst the lower housing plus the pump?, now you go right now and drain that outboard and spray starting fluid through while it runs without water for not more than 30 seconds, shut it off, leave it alone until spring