As Terry Francona chews his tobacco and spits constantly in Fort Myers, he will have one of the toughest jobs to accomplish at the end of spring training- creating the most potent lineup he can for the upcoming 2011 season. Every Boston Red Sox fan has been trying to configure a lineup that will be most powerful, but Francona likes the versatility of the left/right alternation. Where will newly acquired Carl Crawford bat? He doesn't like to lead off. Where will Jacoby Ellsbury bat after only playing in 18 games in 2010? Pedroia? Adrian Gonzalez? If I was Terry Francona, I would be smiling from ear to ear. No matter where you put any of these guys in the lineup they will produce.
The way I see it is, Jacoby Ellsbury is best when he is the catalyst of this ballclub. Yes, he may have missed over 140 games, but he is still a dangerous lead off hitter. His OBP must go up, but he is still young and developing. Newly acquired Carl Crawford can excel in the number two spot no question about it. He is a five tool player that will change the game by himself. What about Pedey though? He is one of the best two hitters in the game. But, if you move Pedey to the three spot he will see many more fastballs with Adrian Gonzalez waiting in the on deck circle. Pedroia will be the first to tell you that he will be a beast as a three hitter. Batting cleanup, Adrian Gonzalez should be the no-brainer. Instead of having Chase Headley and David Eckstein protecting him, he will have Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, and Kevin Youkilis protecting him. Difference? I think so. In the five spot, Kevin Youklis will fill that void. He is a top 10 MVP vote-getter every single year and this year should be no different. Look for Youk to have 25 HRS, 100 RBIs, 90 RS and a .310 average. In the six hole, David Ortiz. He is coming off another 30 HR 100 RBI year. Those numbers may rise with the lineup he will be a part of in 2011. Batting seventh, Jed Lowrie should finally get his shot. He is a switch-hitting shortstop that has some pop and is finally healthy. But, Scutaro will probably fill this spot Next in line, J.D. Drew could be the best eight hitter in baseball. He is aging, but the numbers are still there at the end of the year. Finishing off the most powerful lineup in baseball is Jarod Saltalamacchia. The numbers for him are gravy essentially because he will be concentrating on defense and keeping his pitchers in line. We do not need him to concentrate on offense with the names in the lineup.
My 2011 Red Sox lineup
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
LF Carl Crawford
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Adrian Gonzalez
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH David Ortiz
SS Jed Lowrie/Marco Scutaro
RF J.D. Drew
C Jarod Saltalamacchia
It may go against Tito's strategy, but this will be the most effective lineup for the Nation. 12 days til Truck Day, get pumped.
I like Pedey in the 2 spot as well, I think he and Crawford will be trying out both positions in the line-up. Its exciting to even ponder, and Im sure Tito knows he has the most exciting job in sports this year.
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