WOW!!!! Everyone is so opinionated over a MILB prospect starting ONE game! Bates, from all I've gleaned from exhaustive research (LOL), is the Sox #11 prospect in the system and clearly the #1 1st base prospect available to play tonight. Green at 2nd, Lugo at short is probably better, I agree. But that is only a 1 or 2 game solution. This is nothing to get too excited about (unless you are a Bates fan) as it will all settle in to normalcy after the ASG break.
What better scenario to have a "scrub" start than against a bottom dweller such as the A's.
Relax.
Go Smoltz!