Memo to Tito

Memo To: Terry Francona
From: Your Red Sox Diarist
Re: Recent Resurgence of Red Sox Offense
With a copy to: Theo Epstein

Over the past 3 games against the Chicago White Sox your offense has scored 35 runs. For this you should be congratulated. This is an average of approximately 12 runs per game. As you know, this is clearly above your season average, even though as a team you are 3rd in the American League in runs scored, 2nd in on-base percentage (OBP) and 2nd in on-base percentage plus slugging (OPS). At the risk of generalizing, I ask you to give serious consideration to my view that one of the reasons for your recent offensive surge is that your third baseman, Mike Lowell, has been batting in the number 5 spot in your batting order for the past six games (of which the Red Sox have won five).

During these games, Lowell, who as you know is my often-stated choice for Red Sox MVP for 2007, is 13 for 21, with 8 runs scored and 10 RBIs.

In case you believe that these statistics are an aberration, I have compiled the following for your information:

Batting in the 6th slot in the order, where he has had 391 at bats this season, Lowell has a batting average of .304, an OBP of .358 and OPS of .842.

In the 5th spot in the order, Lowell has had 69 at bats and is batting .464 with an OBP of .537 and an OPS of 1.276.

Compared to J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis, who have had the majority of the team’s at bats in the 5th spot this year (270 at bats and 129 at bats respectively), Lowell excels.

J.D. Drew has a .261 batting average and .359 OBP with only 6 home runs and an OPS of .746—both career lows.

In the 5th spot of the batting order Youkilis is only hitting .217, with an OBP of .313 and an anemic OPS of .616. When moved to the second spot however, he is hitting .299 with OBP of .398 and an OPS of .913 in 249 at bats. It is very clear from these stats that the number two spot in the order suits Youkilis well and this is where he should remain.

While you enjoy a deserved reputation as the consummate players’ manager, admirably standing up for your players during both their highs and lows, I offer that you have had enough patience with the charade that is J.D. Drew in 2007 and instead depend on your MVP, Mike Lowell, to protect the big guys in your number 3 and number 4 slots.

By copy to Theo, please consider the above in deciding whether to re-sign the 33 years old Mike Lowell to a multi-year contract or let him become a free agent in the offseason.