Lowell feels his bat is up to speed

PHILADELPHIA -- All of the talk about his lack of bat speed was a way for people to ''justify the numbers" last season in Florida, according to Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. And when he slumped at the plate at the start of spring training, Lowell began hearing the talk again.

But after finishing spring training with a .327 average, going 1 for 2 in yesterday's 5-0 loss to the Phillies, Lowell will make his regular-season debut with the Sox today in Arlington, Texas, believing his bat speed is exactly where it should be.

''I'm very happy with how spring training ended for me personally," Lowell said. ''I'm entering the season feeling good at the plate and that's all I could have hoped for coming to a new league and a new team. It was great for me to get a good number of at-bats and I was able to look at a lot of pitches -- a lot of breaking pitches, which to me is more important than swinging at fastballs at this juncture in the season."

Lowell, who earned his first Gold Glove last season, hit .236 with eight homers and 58 RBIs in 2005. That's after an '04 season in which he hit 27 homers and knocked in 85 runs with a .293 average and an '03 season in which he clubbed 32 homers and knocked in 105 runs.

He finished spring training with 52 at-bats and appeared in 20 games, which tied Willie Harris and Enrique Wilson for the team lead.

''I've watched my swing on video and I don't believe I have a slow bat," Lowell said. ''I think it's where it should be. I think my confidence is growing at the plate. Having success and getting a few hits goes a long way with that. I'm definitely in the right frame of mind right now."

Lowell is projected to hit seventh in a lineup he feels will offer him more protection than the one he left in Florida.

''I just think this is going to be a very exciting lineup to be a part of," Lowell said. ''We have a lot of balance 1 through 9. We have a good defensive team and excellent pitching. I can't wait to get going."

Saying he feels ''very comfortable" with his team, manager Terry Francona is ready to start the season.

''It's a new opportunity for our team. I really feel we've covered everything we're supposed to," Francona said. ''Our arms are strong . . . we're gonna catch the ball better. Mark Loretta is a better ballplayer than people who don't know [about him] . . . [Coco Crisp's] speed is better than people realize. We have to weather a couple of things. We still have an obligation to be good and I think we're going to be good."

Francona wouldn't commit to a bullpen rotation, but did say the ideal progression would be Jonathan Papelbon followed by Mike Timlin followed by Keith Foulke, matchups not withstanding. Francona believes Papelbon can give him multiple innings on occasion.

''We don't have to kill Timlin," Francona said.

The manager feels Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez have pitched well enough this spring to ease Timlin's workload. He also was pleased with Foulke's progression and the way Matt Clement threw, although the righthander was touched for three hits and three runs in two innings yesterday in his final tuneup.

Clement, who finished camp 0-3 with a 5.51 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, wasn't concerned about the outing and said he got to work on everything he had hoped.

''The big thing is I came out of it healthy and I feel I'm ready to start the season," Clement said. ''If I make 30 starts, I feel I can help this team win."

The Sox named longtime Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles media relations director John Blake, a Wenham native, their vice president of media relations, and appointed former media relations director Glenn Geffner vice president of communications. ''Glenn Geffner has worked tirelessly since his arrival three years ago to revamp the media relations department," said Sox senior vice president Dr. Charles Steinberg. ''It's time now to give him a senior level partner to share the rigorous load, serve as the media's primary contact, and help develop the department's talented young staff. This change allows Glenn to pursue new areas within the club's communications efforts. John Blake has been among the best heads of media relations in baseball for more than 20 years, and I had the privilege of working side by side with him for six years . . . I'm thrilled to be reunited with one of the best in the game." Blake most recently served as director of information for the World Baseball Classic. He currently is vice president of communications for Ryan-Sanders Baseball, an ownership group headed by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan that operates the Round Rock Express of the Pacific Coast League and the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League . . . Tavarez, who will begin serving his 10-game suspension today, threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He'll stay with the team in Texas and then return to Florida when the Sox travel to Baltimore Thursday . . . David Wells pitched six strong innings in a minor league exhibition game in Fort Myers, Fla.