Dee issues some fashion statements

After beginning the year with blue socks to go with their new road gray uniforms, the Red Sox switched to red for Monday night's game, to go along with red shirts under their uniform tops. But because the players who normally wear their socks up weren't in the game - Brad Penny, Justin Masterson, Jason Varitek - they weren't immediately visible.

That changed last night when Penny started against the Indians, with Varitek behind the plate.

Sox chief operating officer Mike Dee said last Thursday that the socks were not a prime consideration in uniform design, especially because most of the time the socks aren't visible. He added that the Sox probably would switch from blue to red socks at some point. That was Monday. They will go back and forth throughout the season.

The uniform changes are drawing both praise and criticism as fans get used to the new looks: the road grays, the Friday night alternate jerseys, the "hanging Sox" logo hats.

"I have been a part of a couple uniform designs in my 15-year career, including the 2003 red uniform tops," Dee said. "Especially here, we all recognize the marks of the team, the uniform, and all those things are held in such high regard.

"I think that's why you'd never see us change the 'B' or the Red Sox font. [The new uniforms] update the image and the brand that's evolved, which is the 'hanging Sox,' which has really developed in the last five years.

"I know uniforms anywhere stoke the fire for a lot of passion and interest."

Dee emphasized that most of the alterations have been worn by the Sox previously - even the "hanging Sox" caps, in 1934. So, he said, it was more of an update than a change.

According to Bobby D'Angelo of Twins Enterprise, it is "amazing how a lot of stuff isn't selling, but the new stuff is selling. People get very traditional, but the socks are still a traditional look for the Red Sox. I think if it was something funky and weird, they'd be opposed to it."

As for the contention that the road grays resemble those worn by the Yankees, Dee said, "I think there are a lot of teams in baseball that have uniforms that are similar. When I was in San Diego, we made a change to take orange off, and they said they look a lot like the Dodgers'.

"I think there are a lot of similarities to the color scheme and type of gray. The Yankees have a white shadow around the letters 'New York,' which is totally different than the blue 'Boston' on our uniforms.

"Twenty-eight of the 30 teams have gray uniforms. The Yankees don't have a patent or exclusivity on navy blue or gray. We think the 'hanging Sox' on the sleeve give us a central identity that the other teams don't have."

Between Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie. Between Lugo and Nick Green. Between whomever general manager Theo Epstein has put at the position one year, and whomever he had at the position the previous year.

So it was that Lugo stepped in last night, playing in the majors for the first time since July 11 of last season, an injured quadriceps morphing into right knee surgery, both conspiring to keep him off the field.

"I was a little nervous, the butterflies," said Lugo. "I haven't played for such a long time. It was exciting to get back, very exciting to get back."

Not only did Lugo have two hits in three at-bats, plus a walk, he nearly had a home run in his first at-bat, the ball just foul. But it was his defense that might get more scrutiny. Lugo committed an error in the third, missing the feed from Kevin Youkilis on a fielder's choice. He also tried to make a play on a ball in short center field that should have been Jacoby Ellsbury's. It bounced off the center fielder for a Mark DeRosa double.

Lugo's knee stiffened up in the sixth inning, mostly because of the cold temperatures and the length of the game, he said. He was replaced by Green in the eighth. Green struck out swinging in the ninth with Jason Bay on third representing the go-ahead run.

"It's going to take me a little while to get back," Lugo said. "I'm not 100 percent right now. I haven't played for a long time, and I'm going to be off a little bit. I don't have my skills put together. It's going to take me a little while to get back in playing shape and for my knee to feel good and be 100 percent."

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.