The Obligatory Hanley Ramirez Column

This time around, the column's not all cookie cutter spring training stuff - Shank gets to discuss Hanley's bad shoulder for the entire column!

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Who’s on first?

Not Hanley Ramirez. Not yet, anyway. But he says he still wants to go back there.

The offseason blueprint for the post-Ortiz Red Sox calls for Ramirez to serve as DH against righthanded starters while lefty-swinging Mitch Moreland plays first base. On days when lefties start (there are a lot of them around), the Sox plan to put Ramirez at first while Chris Young DHs.

Manager John Farrell also hopes to use the southpaw days to spell some of his everyday starters while Ramirez plays first.

Unfortunately, Ramirez says his right shoulder is bothering him when he throws, and he hasn’t raised his hand to play first all spring. The Sox open the season Monday at Fenway Park against the Pirates, and Farrell sounds as though he has all but given up trying Ramirez at first in Florida.

One of the Globe commenters thought Shank was trying to create some controversy, which is entirely expected. With today's column, I didn't get an overwhelming feeling of venom or shitting on Red Sox management / ownership, which are prime attributes of a Shank hatchet job, so I don't think Shank's stirring the pot right now. He'll wait until next week to write that column, the first time Hanley isn't at first base for the first couple of games.