Lineup Against The Wall: Boston Red Sox (Win Game 1)

Well, that was frustrating. After concocting an elaborate scheme to TiVo the start of this morning's Red Sox-A's game from Japan, then wake up and watch a compressed version before coming to work, all I got was--nothing.

Thanks, DirecTV. I pay you for basic service, hi-def service, premium channels, a digital video recorder, and the Major League Baseball package, and on the first day of the year you black out. Assholes.

Regardless, the Sox won in the tenth, or so I hear. J.D. Drew was hurt. And this gives us an opportunity to preview the lineup of your defending World Series champions. Here are the Red Sox, one through nine...

1. Dustin Pedroia 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis 1B
3. David Ortiz DH
4. Manny Ramirez LF
5. Mike Lowell 3B
6. J.D. Drew RF
7. Jason Varitek C
8. Julio Lugo SS
9. Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Brandon Moss filled in for Drew this morning and had a jack and 2 RBI. Don't expect much of that--Moss is a fringe big-leaguer who'll see no more than spot duty. If Drew is indeed out for a while--and when is that not the case?--you will see Coco Crisp back on the field, with Bobby Kielty probably seeing a little time once the rosters settle back in the States.

Ellsbury batted eighth in the opener, but the argument I've heard for batting him nine is to split up all the righties (Lugo, Pedroia and Yook). Regardless, I think the team ultimately likes Ellsbury as the leadoff hitter as he provides much more speed than the current top two. He's had a rough spring, though, and only 120 major league at bats. Don't forget the amount of patience Boston showed in Pedroia last season--he had a horrid April, they stuck with him, and he ended up as the rookie of the year. Jacoby will get every opportunity to play daily and eventually hit leadoff.

Coco Crisp, obviously, is the odd man out, but unless the Sox get a whopper of an offer I see him staying put as the fourth outfielder. He'll bitch, but he's getting paid, and so long as Drew is around he'll play a lot.

As for the lineup as it stands now, it's your basic big-money American League meat grinder. Aside from Papi and Manny, there's not a lot of huge home-run power, just a bunch of dudes that get on base and smoke a lot of doubles into the odd crannies of Fenway. Everyone grinds at-bats, everyone wears out pitchers, and the collective effort gets to bullpens quickly. This is a big edge in the AL, considering the fact that two big contenders--Detroit and the Yankees--have major pen issues. Cleveland is more solid, and Los Anaheim is OK, but if you don't have a steady stream of arms you'll have a tough time with these guys--ask Oakland.

The Red Sox are a very good lineup. They don't have the power of the Tigers or the depth of the Yankees, but they utilize the combination of Moneyball on-base obsessiveness and John Henry's checkbook as well as anyone. Combine that with the quality of their pitching and you have a balanced club poised for a possible run at the R-word. If only we could watch it on the TV box.