Major league managers spend a decent amount of their waking hours thinking about the next game's starting lineup. They pore over trends, matchups and histories before figuring out which names they'll write into the starting slots.

Then they have to deal with what their players will think about their place in the order.

"If you can get some sort of consistency, I think the players appreciate that," said Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. "You're trying to mix rest and production and guys that are a little banged up, so you're going to have some different lineups."

Francona has had to fashion a host of different lineups lately. In the past month, he has been able to put the same starting nine on the field on back-to-back nights just once.

Over the weekend, the Red Sox used a different lineup for three consecutive games against Seattle. All 13 position players were used in a starting spot at some point during the series.

It was a reminder that the loss of just one key player can put a lineup in serious flux.

The manager makes the lineup, not the players. That said, no one wants to be on a team where players never know whether they'll be hitting first, fourth or ninth.

"I don't think you hit players where they feel uncomfortable," said Francona.

It's a lesson Francona learned long ago. In 2004, he hoped to bat left-handed David Ortiz in front of righty Manny Ramirez.

"I called Manny and David in to help me out," said Francona. "Both said (they wanted to bat) third. That took a while."

Ramirez and Ortiz both were concerned about getting protection in the lineup. Each wanted the other batting behind him. Francona explained the dilemma, looking for a little guidance from the players themselves.

"One guy hits third," Francona told his one-two combo, "one guy hits fourth. You help me out."

Again, they both said third. Finally, Francona told them it would be Ortiz batting ahead of Ramirez since he believed Manny would still work counts and draw walks regardless of who was hitting behind him. Francona said he thought Ortiz would have a more disciplined approach at the plate with Ramirez behind him.

"I wanted to get David hitting third and wanted Manny hitting fourth," said Francona, "but I wanted them to feel good about it.

"I think David understood it. I don't think Manny did."

Ortiz and Ramirez eventually became one of baseball's best one-two combinations for the next four years. They served as the bedrock of a lineup that didn't have to change very often.

This year, there have been more changes, but Francona once again is proving capable of getting his players to go along with the plan.

"As a manager, you can do what you want and it can be the right thing on paper," he said. "But if your players don't buy into it, it might not be right."

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in the Press Herald on Tuesdays.