POTENTIAL 3,4,5 HITTERS: FUKUDOME, LEE, RAMIREZ

After having 120 different lineups last season,  Sweet Lou Piniella wants to find the right combination during spring training.  His latest idea is probably one of the best he has came up with since juggling everyone around.  Lou suggested Fukudome would bat third, followed by Lee and Ramirez.  The whole lineup would probably look like this:  Soriano, Theirot, Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez, Derosa, Soto, and Pie.  It is a great combination of speed at the top and power in the middle.  "I've been thinking about our lineup and what makes sense and what we can try," Piniella said Friday. "Let me warn you, it's only Feb. 22, so there's plenty of time to adjust this thing."

        There were not any arguments coming from Fukudome, Lee, and Ramirez from this new experimental lineup.  The third spot is where Fukudome is most comfortably at after batting there during most of his career in Japan.  Lee does not care, says he just wants to help the team anyway he can.  Ramirez has even came up to Lou during spring training and told him that he feels more comfortable in the five hole. 

"I think he'll probably be more comfortable in the two or three hole than the five hole," Piniella said of Fukudome. "That's my opinion, and I'll ask him. I'll talk to the players, too, and see how they feel. I know Ramirez feels very comfortable in the five hole. I'm sure Derrek will do what's best for the team. The fourth spot won't be a problem for him."

The most surprising part is none of these players have complained about where they will hit this year.  They all agreed on they will do whatever it takes for them to win the ball games.  This is unique because star players would usually complaine to reporters about the new switch or go directly to management and tell about their displeasure with the new idea.

"I like the idea," Ramirez said. "I already talked to Lou. I'll hit wherever he wants me to hit. I don't have any problem with that."

With this new lineup, it should give players  more chances to hit in key RBI spots, especially for Lee and Ramirez.  It is a lineup that looks like it has more depth and speed.  The next thing Lou needs to do is make Soriano bat lower in the lineup and have Theriot at top.  That is whole different story that should be explored during spring training.