Will manager Willie Randolph have David Wright bat second instead of Paul Lo Duca?
Jose Reyes, Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou is a pretty powerful first five. I’m curious as to your opinion of Wright batting second and just how seriously you believe Randolph is considering the change. — Mathew C., Eastsound, Wash. Randolph is looking, no question. He’s studying all the ramifications. If he’s satisfied, he’ll do it. I don’t believe players’ sensibilities are an issue for him, nor do I think the players involved in any of the potential batting order adjustments will be offended by changes. But I don’t know whether Randolph can be completely satisfied, nor does he at this point. My sense of it is that he will use Wright in the No. 2 spot at some point, maybe even in the season’s first week. But I also suspect the change may be implemented in games in which Lo Duca isn’t playing. Alou then would bat fifth, and Ramon Castro would bat eighth, Jose Valentin seventh and Shawn Green sixth. The variations available to Randolph are too many to number an
