Poll: Where should Carl Crawford hit in the lineup? Get your vote in!
The big question for Bobby Valentine is where he'll hit Carl Crawford in the lineup.Don't get your heart set on a specific lineup, Red Sox fans. New manager Bobby Valentine says there will be changes (about 100 of them).
Valentine noted that the Red Sox can score in so many ways, so he plans to use more than 100 different lineups this season. That sounds like a lot doesn't it? Well actually, it's not as crazy as it seems. According to ESPN Boston, "Terry Francona used 141 lineups in his first season with the Red Sox, peaked at 143 in 2010, and used 123 last season."
“With all the All-Stars we have,’’ Kevin Youkilis remarked early in camp, “our lineup could almost be a grab bag.’’
It sounds like the lineup will be a grab bag this season with so many options. The first question is the lead off spot. It looks right now, like Valentine is leaning towards Pedroia hitting first with Jacoby Ellsbury hitting second, as opposed to last year where Ellsbury led off for most of the season. So why the switch? According to WEEI, Valentine likes the idea of having a lefty in the two spot.
"I would think if you polled 100 guys who talk about that they wanted a guy to lead off an inning and have the second hitter batting, most of them would want a left-hander batting if the first guy got on. If he hits a double, it's a lot easier to advance him to third. If he hits a single, it's a lot easier to advance him to third if he hits with a hole over there, with a strength swing, rather than his less-than-strength swing."
After a stellar season from Ellsbury in 2011, hitting second might give him more opportunities to drive in runs.
The only problem with making a ton of switches, is that some hitters just can't handle the change. A perfect example: Carl Crawford, but we'll get to him in a minute.
Players like Pedroia, for example, can adapt to change. The second baseman says he doesn't mind where he hits in the line up, and I truly believe him. But there are a lot of players who can't do it. They like a set spot and when they are moved, it messes with their head. From the Boston Herald:
Valentine said part of his job is to make players who are uncomfortable with change like this comfortable.“And the other job is to make those that are too comfortable uncomfortable, I guess,” he said. “We’ll see about the lineup. I don’t have a good feel for it.”
It sounds like there could be a lot of "uncomfortable" situations this season. Onto the big question though, where is Carl Crawford going to hit?
Everyone has their take on it, hit him lead off, hit him second, hit him in the six hole, keep him in the bottom of the order (did you see his season last year?).
But seriously, it's the question everyone wants an answer to.
Crawford made it clear that he wants to be near the top of the order. According to NESN, he "admitted that batting seventh last season -- his first with the Red Sox -- went to his head a bit, as it led to the outfielder questioning his skills for the first time in his career."
Crawford's speed would definitely be an asset near the top of the order if he can return to All-Star form in 2012, as he would have an opportunity to score plenty of runs with some boppers coming up behind him. However, Valentine could decide to keep him further down in the order to provide some offensive punch down there, and to keep the potent top half intact.
Can you see why it's such a tough decision? Well not it's your turn to play manager for a second. Vote in the poll then tell us in the comments section where you think Crawford should hit and why.
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