THE SHOULDER injury to A’s second baseman Mark Ellis not only has affected the A’s infield defense but also has had a profound impact on the batting order.

A healthy Ellis would have been batting seventh behind either Eric Karros or Scott Hatteberg. Now, rookie Bobby Crosby has been moved up to the seventh spot, a place where the rookie has some pressure to drive in runs while he gets acclimated to the big leagues.

With light-hitting Damian Miller hitting behind Crosby in the eighth hole, then utility man Marco Scutaro following, the trio went 2-for-27 in the opening series against Texas.

That’s not good for an American League offense. Looks more like the end of the Brewers lineup in the NL.

Here’s the rest of my Oakland Tribune “Batter Up” column that appeared on April 10th.

Click below!

So does Angels third baseman Troy Glaus get an asterisk in the record book if he leads the league in homers? His eyesight has been corrected by laser surgery. None of the great sluggers of yesteryear could enhance their eyesight that way. Sounds like an issue for Bud Selig to research.

ESPN commentator Joe Morgan missed the boat on his first broadcast Sunday night. It was clear to the millions of fans watching the game that Boston’s Pedro Martinez drilled David Segui on purpose after Javy Lopez’s homer and Jay Gibbons’ stolen base.

Morgan went to great lengths to alibi for Martinez, saying the pitch just got away from the sharpshooter when he drilled Segui right between the numbers.

C’mon, Joe, face the facts, Martinez’s control is so good he can hit a gnat’s behind from 60 feet with a sunflower seed. To miss inside with a baseball by 5 feet or more is intentional especially for this notorious headhunter.

Barry Bonds is simply the best home run hitter I’ve ever seen. Manager after manager, and I’m talking about Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and even knucklehead Larry Bowa, all have challenged Bonds with the game on the line and have been burned.

Now add Jimy Williams to the list. Allowing Roy Oswalt to pitch to Bonds as the tying run with two on, down 4-1 in the eighth inning opening night — then seeing Bonds go deep — taught Williams a lesson he won’t forget.

Art Howe said it four years ago. You cannot pitch to Bonds with the game on the line under any circumstances. End of story.

Buck Showalter took some heat for walking Bonds with the bases loaded when he managed the Diamondbacks. But you know something: Buck was ahead of his time. He knew then Bonds just doesn’t miss in the late innings.

By the way, Houston better get a reliable left-handed setup guy, or Williams will have more sleepless nights.

Colorado’s Shawn Estes pitched extremely well during spring training in Arizona. Then in his first regular-season start, he beat the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Now we’ll see if he’s for real when he makes his next start out of the state of Arizona.

Twins players were already complaining that the new turf in the Metrodome was too soft. I wonder what the Twins players think of it now as Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter and Johan Santana left the game Tuesday with various sprains and muscle pulls.

Anyway, the turf looks great on television.

Anything more dramatic during the first week than Kaz Matsui going deep on the first pitch he sees in the big leagues? The whispers were already starting that Matsui was overrated after he hit under .200 in spring training.

Giants rookie David Aardsma will be special one day, but Felipe Alou is making a mistake throwing him into the fire with the game on the line right now. Setting up in the seventh inning is where Aardsma fits until he gets real command of his pitches.

The A’s bench looks pretty good. Depending on who starts the game, manager Ken Macha has Eric Byrnes, Karros, Hatteberg, Esteban German, Billy McMillon or Adam Melhuse ready in the late innings.

This crew may be the best Oakland bench in years. If the current 7, 8 and 9 hitters don’t break loose soon, Macha will be going to the bench by the seventh inning.

Marty Lurie hosts “Right Off The Bat” and “Memories of the Game” on KFRC before A’s games. His Web site is

loveofthegameproductions.com, and his e-mail is luriem@earthlink.net .