"Manager Kirk Gibson's eyes widened, and a small smile creased his face, as if someone had read his mind. The question Saturday morning was about how his batting order is coming along with less than two weeks to go before Opening Day. "I was just thinking about that today," he said. But that doesn't mean he has answers. He has been posing his own questions about who should hit where in the Diamondbacks lineup, but he still seems open to multiple scenarios, and he's still soliciting advice. When the Diamondbacks held meetings last month, Gibson asked the entire organization for input on a longstanding conundrum: Where should Chris Young hit in the batting order? And why? And he said he planned on Saturday to ask his coaches to submit an Opening Day lineup of their own, just to read the pulse of his staff. "It'll be interesting," Gibson said. "I had a conversation with KT (General Manager Kevin Towers). In my mind, there are 19 spots of guys who are on the team today. It's hard to put an order together when you're at 19." Especially when two positions, first base and left field, still appear to be up for grabs, jobs that not only are open but seem to have the same pool of applicants as at the beginning of the interview process. Gibson does seem to have made some progress, though, as far lineup construction. As for the age-old question - whither CY? - Gibson still seems to be leaning toward putting the talented Young in the middle of the order, where he will be more likely to drive in runs than create them. But he didn't rule out the leadoff spot, either. Watching Young during batting practice this spring, Gibson has noticed how Young seems better equipped at covering the outer portion of the plate, able now to shoot balls to right field. Gibson has seen Young recognize breaking balls better, laying off pitches that frustrated him earlier in his career, and Gibson envisions these improvements leading to more RBIs." Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/dia...9arizona-diamondbacks-opening-day-lineup.html
