a700hitter

Postponed. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_28_bosmlb_detmlb_1&mode=gameday&c_id=bos

This is true. We beat this dead horse before the season started. Nothing has changed since then.

No doubt they should be a very good team. They will just not be .700 winning % good.

Tito usually works it such that he'll play some games. He won't want him to get stale on the bench.

My Fox affiliate will be showing the Mets game. If someone can tell me how I can access the Fox feed for the Red Sox game, it would be much appreciated.

Yankee announcers are whining like wusses that the Yankees will have to face two "very tough customers" the next two nights in Pineda and King Felix. They make me want to puke.

I can't believe Doji is beating this drum again.

Wake competed well again. He continues to surprise me. I guess that his back must be fully healthy. I don't think we should kid ourselves by expecting both Aceves and Wakefield to keep pitching like this. We will b e lucky if one of them is performing adequately by the All Star break.

AGon nearly decapitated your classmate.

I don't think the base clogging argument holds any water. AGon, Youk and Ortiz should combine for 180 + extra basehits. Crawford will be coming up a lot with the bases empty or a man on second. The 3-4-5 guys are slow, but I think Crawford will have room to run if he spots them 2 bases.

No one was clogging the bases in front of Crawford that time. Crawford sucks!!!! Scoreless inning by Wakefield. Nice.

The Crawford Sucks argument is just ridiculous. The guy has been exceptional for 7 seasons and he is in his prime. LOL!!! Some people love misery.

The team is on a roll, which is why Tito will not screw around with the lineup. When they hit a cold streak and Ellsbury goes 0 fer a week, Crawford will be moved to the top.

The construction of the lineup isn't driven by considerations to optimize one player's performance. The 3-4-5 guys are the engine to this lineup. They make this lineup click. They are a devastating trio who make everyone around them better. They shouldn't move. That leaves only two other spots at the top of the lineup with 4 very good hitters (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Crawford and Lowrie) as the candidates for those two spots. 3-4-and 5 don't move. Extending the lineup by pushing these guys to 4-5-and 6 would be a big mistake.

I agree that the most important part of this lineups construction is keeping the 3-4-5 hitters right where they are. Every game we will send at least one guy to the plate with heavy artillery. Many games we will send up two or three. The result will be that many opposing pitchers will get smoked before they have broken a sweat. It's nice to jump in front, and getting your big guns to the plate in the first inning gives you a great chance of jumping on top. Batting 3 singles hitters to start the game really diminishes those chances. Ellsbury is going well right now and Pedroia can get white hot at any moment, so Crawford will probably not crack the top of the lineup for a while. He'll do just fine in the 6 hole for now. If Ells turns cold and goes 0 for 10 or 11, Francona can insert Crawford and the lineup won't miss a beat.

Crawford's OBP is just fine to hit in the top of the order. Put the top 5 best hitters at the top of the lineup. In my mind, Ellsbury gets squeezed out of this group. Right now an argument could be made to move Pedroia out of the 2 hole until he goes on a tear. I don't believe in the "extending the lineup" theory. I don't want a beast like Ortiz (and he's still a major offensive force) hitting sixth. I want as many of our wrecking balls batting in the first inning of every game. I want them jumping all opposing pitchers before they even get their footing on the mound. Extending the lineup with 3 singles hitters at the top of the lineup would be counter productive IMO. Numbers 1 and 2 set the table. In most games 1 of them will get on, so at least 2 of our boppers get a chance to put up a crooked number and in many games all 3 boppers will get a shot. If you bat Ortiz 6th, he'll be leading off or batting 2nd in the second inning of most games. That wouldn't be a good thing. If Crawford gets moved to the top 5, one of the other singles hitters has to get dropped. I'd say that we should put the two hottest singles hitters at the top of the lineup each game followed by the 3 beasts.

I don't agree that he is the best leadoff hitter. Just my opinion.

Pedroia is at .243, but no panicking about him thank goodness.

IMO Ellsbury is not at the same level as the others.

Right now I'm thinking that i don't care if I see Dice K again. Two triples for Crawford today. Overpaid loser!!!!

It doesn't matter where he bats, if people get on in front of him, it will keep him from running. AGon, Youk and Ortiz are the most likely hitters to clean off the bases in front of Crawford.

Official game. Whew!! Reddick with 2 hits, but can he get a clutch walk?

Aceves pitches inside very effectively. He is willing to intimidate.