[CityofBrotherlyShove]

Potential 2006 Red Sox lineup:

1. Coco Crisp CF
2. Mark Loretta 2B
3. David Ortiz DH
4. Manny Ramirez LF
5. Jason Varitek C
6. Trot Nixon RF
7. Mike Lowell 3B
8. Kevin Youkilis 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez SS

Hard to judge since it's hard to predict the kind of season some of these guys will have. I like Crisp hitting first, but if Youkilis can continue to boast a great OBP, it might be hard to keep him hitting 8th.

It will also be interesting to see what kind of year Trot Nixon has. He's struggled with injury and, of course, isn't getting any younger.

Thoughts?

[Lefty Noob]

Great mix of current starts and potential ones. As I said in another post, not sure there's any 3-4-5 combo in baseball I'd take over Ortiz-Ramirez-Varitek. Crisp is expected to have a career year and Youkilis could be something special. And if Mike Lowell returns to form? Look out.

[CityofBrotherlyShove]

To update:

This is from today's Boston Herald...

The Sox’ tentative batting order began to take shape yesterday, when manager Terry Francona said he envisions Trot Nixon batting fifth against right-handed pitchers.

“If he’s healthy, to me, against right-handers, he’s the perfect No. 5 hitter because you can’t throw the ball past him,” Francona said.

Nixon, who owns a .277 batting average with nine home runs and 54 RBI in 100 career games in the fifth spot in the order, is expected to follow center fielder Coco Crisp, second baseman Mark Loretta, designated hitter David Ortiz and Ramirez. The bottom part of the order will most likely see catcher Jason Varitek batting sixth, followed by third baseman Mike Lowell, first baseman Kevin Youkilis and shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

For what it’s worth, Nixon has experienced his greatest overall success in the second spot in the order, where he has hit .300 with 27 homers and 92 RBI in 134 games.

link

[dfciaf]

I can't argue against hitting Trot 5th against righties if he's healthy as he has consistently been among the top hitters against righties for a several years now. Againstly lefties, however, his tushie should keeping that bench mighty toasty.

I like Crisp hitting leadoff. He's clearly the best option on the team. Youk has a great OBP, but he is not fast. There is more to hitting leadoff than speed, especially if you've got Papi in the 3-hole. Papi's one of the best hitters in the league but he's also an extreme pull hitter and you've got to have guys at the top of the order that have a chance to advance from 1st to 3rd on a regular basis in order to break up potential double plays.

I like Tek hitting lower in the order. Perhaps 5th against lefties as he is our best option there I think. But against righties, he's probably better suited as a 6th or 7th hitter.

[the sea word]

youkilis is a stiff, they should have sent him to billy beane years ago. as for the 5th spot in the order, that would depend on 3rd and 4th. i'd put manny 3, ortiz 4, lowell 5. you bat your best hitter 3rd. francona won't do that, but i think i'd still bat lowell 5 even though it would be righty righty. nixon should be a 4th outfielder. varitek isn't the hitter he looked like the first half of last year. neither of them belong hitting 5th.

[Lefty Noob]

Welcome to GoTeamsGo, the sea word, and thanks for joining us!

Good to see I'm not the only one around here expecting a big season out of Mike Lowell. I'm fully convinced that last year was an abberation, and that he'll be back to his old self in '06.

[ThePundit]

One thing about Coco, he doesn't walk much.

To me the batting order has always been overrated. What it comes down to is this:

How will Schilling, Beckett and Foulke hold up? It's pitching, pitching, pitching!

[halmaster]

I think it will be great. Don't mess w/ Texas.

[rmjvol]

Sure is a lot of talk about the Red Sox.

Click here to see the other discussions we've been having about them.

If you're new to our community we hope you'll signup and check out our welcome info.

Thanks, Ross

[Lefty Noob]

Now that the Sox have acquired OF Wily Mo Pena, where does he fit into the lineup?

[CityofBrotherlyShove]

The plan is to platoon him at RF with Trot Nixon.

[Lefty Noob]

Now you add Hee-Seop Choi to the Red Sox lineup, platooning him at first with Youklis and Snow. How does this impact this increasingly deadly lineup? Any Boston fans care to project a new, "most of the time" batting order?

[dfciaf]

Hee-Seop Choi still has an option left (which incidentally makes it so baffling that he fell all the way through the waiver wires to us). He's likely to start the season in AAA and only be called up if needed. It was an excellent depth move on Theo's part.

[Lefty Noob]

Interesting. I hadn't heard that. I thought I heard on someone on ESPN (Steve Phillips, maybe?) that they got Choi because they weren't sold on Mike Lowell after his spring showing, and were thinking on moving Youklis back to third primarily. Anyone else hear that?

[CityofBrotherlyShove]

I think they might be somewhat closer to being sold on Lowell this morning, if they were doubting him before.

Also, Steve Phillips? Moron. There's a reason the only job he can get is on ESPN.