Francona: Ellsbury not likely to hit lead-off
TOKYO -- He was effective as a lead-off hitter in the World Series, but look for Jacoby Ellsbury to bat closer to the bottom of the Red Sox line-up when the regular season begins in Tokyo tomorrow.
The rookie centerfielder hit .353 in 33 regular-season games and .438 in the World Series sweep of Colorado last season.
Manager Terry Francona says while that was a very impressive performance, when you have a young player like Ellsbury you can put him at risk by putting him at the top of the line-up early in a season.
For his part, Ellsbury doesn't seem to be worried about where he hits in the line-up. He says it's the "coolest thing" to start the season in Japan and he just wants to go out there and perform.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
