Time to Hit the Hill

Finally! While the start of Spring Training is an exciting yearly pastime, a reassurance that winter is ending soon perhaps, things don't really count until pitchers start tossing off a mound. Thankfully, we're finally there.


Last night the Herald's Rob Bradford dropped the anticipated starting lineups for both of today's college tuneups against BC and Northeastern, respectively. The fact that Josh Beckett will be quickly followed by Kyle Snyder is a testament to how seriously the Sox may be taking his candidacy for the fifth starter's spot, but the starting rotation against the Huskies is an even more intriguing mix of potential future Sox stars. Take a gander at this sextet:

Starter: Justin Masterson
2nd: Craig Hansen
3rd: Michael Bowden
4th: Craig Breslow
5th: Hunter Jones
6th: Kyle Jackson

Naturally, Masterson (pitching a bullpen for the Portland Sea Dogs in a picture by Dean Lima, above) is the showstopper among that crew. Outside of Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury, Masterson's was the name which was bantered about most in discussions surrounding Johan Santana. The sinker-ball star out of San Diego State is seen as an almost sure-fire future MLB starter, but he's still not much older than the kids he'll be trying to strike out Thursday. So, the easier the outs, the better. Hansen, meanwhile, is trying to prove that he's back to his old form, the one that had scouts oohing and aahing at a Big East pitcher (which doesn't exactly happen every day).  Bowden, meanwhile, could be the star under the radar among the whole group. Over the past year Masterson and Bowden have almost been in a race to see which could reach the bigs first, and while neither is there yet, it's not a stretch to say that one may very well hit paydirt in 2008. Sure, the other three member of the "Northeastern 6" are either bit relievers (Conn. lefty Breslow) or still developing prospects (Jackson). But that doesn't mean they could use a showstopping appearance early in spring training as a spring board to a great minor league season with a couple shining big league moments. Remember Devern Hansack? Yeah. Kyle Jackson and Hunter Jones will be trying to channel the Nicaraguan tomorrow.

While the majority of the big time bats are all in action today, too, they're spread out across the two games. Here's the lineups, with the BC game's first:

1) Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
2) Dustin Pedroia (2B)
3) David Ortiz (DH)
4) Mike Lowell (3B)
5) Jason Varitek (C)
6) Kevin Youkilis (1B)
7) Julio Lugo (SS)
8) Bobby Kielty (RF)
9) Brandon Moss (LF)

Against Northeastern:
1) Coco Crisp (CF)
2) Alex Cora (2B)
3) J.D. Drew (RF)
4) Manny Ramirez (DH)
5) Sean Casey (1B)
6) Chris Carter (LF)
7) Doug Mirabelli (C)
8) Jed Lowrie (SS)
9) Keith Ginter (3B)

Putting the center fielders in leadoff sure make it a straight competition, doesn't it? Slotting Youk down in sixth would seem to do the same thing with the Gold Glove first baseman, which would officially put your opening lineup like this:

1) Ellsbury (most likely)/Crisp
2) Pedroia
3) Ortiz
4) Ramirez
5) Lowell
6) Youkilis
7) Varitek
8) Drew
9) Lugo

Then again, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's just see what comes out of today's games, first.

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