Can Curt Schilling come back? He better. Can Keith Foulke do the same? Not the way he's looking.

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, April 3, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA -- Opening Day is a time for more questions than answers. Part of the allure of the start of the season, which gets under way this afternoon in Arlington, Texas, is the unknown.

With that in mind, here are 10 questions to ask about the 2006 edition of the Red Sox.

1. What can be expected of Curt Schilling?

Schilling's velocity was much improved this spring over last year, and for a pitcher who lives off his fastball, that's critical. It remains to be seen whether Schilling can put hitters away, rather than have his pitch count run up with long at-bats. At 39, he needs to be more efficient.

Having faced major-league lineups only twice all spring, there's an element of mystery surrounding Schilling. Even he wonders some how he'll throw today. It may not be reasonable to expect that he'll match his output of 2004, but this much is certain: for the Red Sox to win, he must be better than he was a year ago.

2. What happens if Keith Foulke can't close?

The Sox hope they don't have to face this question again. Last year, they tried everyone from Curt Schilling to Mike Timlin and everyone in between. This time, Jonathan Papelbon is Plan B.

Foulke seemed to have rediscovered his changeup this spring and mentally appears more focused. But he'll need better life on his fastball to keep hitters honest, and thus far, his velocity has been stagnant.

3. Can Coco Crisp handle the leadoff spot?

In Cleveland, Crisp mostly hit second. At the top of Red Sox lineup, he must learn to become more selective and get on base as a table-setter for the Red Sox run producers. It's unlikely that Crisp will work pitchers as well as his predecessor, Johnny Damon, but at the very least, he must be more disciplined that he's been in the past.

4. Does Mike Lowell have anything left?

Lowell hit just .236 with 8 homers and 58 RBI for Florida last season and there were whispers that he was done. Lowell started poorly this spring, but began to hit a few weeks ago and finished spring training with a batting average over .300.

Until last year, Lowell was a quick starter. If he sputters in April, the Red Sox may not wait long to reduce his playing time and shift Kevin Youkilis back to third.

Lowell doesn't have to produce the kind of power numbers he did in 2003 (32 homers, 105 RBI), but he has to upgrade from last season to be of any value to the Sox.

5. Can Josh Beckett stay healthy enough to make good on his potential?

Beckett has never pitched as many as 180 innings or made 30 starts in a season. His stuff is the best of any Red Sox starter and he could well be their big winner this year.

The Sox love his makeup and his proven ability to pitch in big spots (see World Series, 2003). But to take full advantage, he'll have to stay away from shoulder problems and recurring blister issues.

There were no red flags this spring, but it's a long season.

6. Can Tim Wakefield thrive without Doug Mirabelli?

For the last four seasons, Mirabelli served as Wakefield's personal catcher and security blanket. The two developed a strong bond and Mirabelli seemed to intuitively know how to pull the knuckleballer out of a tailspin.

With Mirabelli dealt to San Diego last winter, Josh Bard becomes Wakefield's designated receiver. Bard seems capable of handling his batterymate's signature pitch, but it will take longer to forge the kind of bond Wakefield had with Mirabelli.

7. Will Alex Gonzalez hit enough to keep his job?

Gonzalez has been a defensive gem at short, but his .245 career average is worrisome. Hitting ninth, he won't need to hit .300, but the Sox would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts (81 in 435 at-bats) and take advantage of The Wall.

He'll probably struggle to make consistent contact, but at Fenway, he should reach double figures in homers (he hit 23 as recently as 2004) and pile up enough doubles to keep opponents honest. If Gonzalez can't do that much, Dustin Pedroia could be an option at mid-season.

8. What can be expected from Kevin Youkilis?

Though he'll share first base with J.T. Snow, Youkilis will get the vast majority of playing time at the position. It seems a given that he'll hit for a sufficient average, but power is another issue.

Youkilis never hit more than eight homers in a single season in the minors. Thanks to his plate discipline, he'll get himself in a lot of fastball counts. If he could hit 15 or so homers and 75 RBI from the lower third of the batting order, the Red Sox would be more than satisfied.

9. Is it possible for Matt Clement to rebound from last season's poor second half?

Perhaps understandably, Clement's season went downhill after he was struck in the head by a line drive in late July. He won just three games after the All-Star break and capped it off with a disastrous start in Game 1 of the ALDS against the White Sox.

Clement began to throw his sinker far more this spring with impressive results and his surgically repaired knee has enabled him to repeat his delivery. Whether that translates into a more consistent year remains to be seen.

10. Will there be some Manny Moments?

Will the sun rise in the East? History teaches us that incidents involving the Sox slugging savant are as predictable as the All-Star break and Opening Day. Just because Ramirez rescinded his trade request doesn't mean that the season will be incident-free.

But after a few seasons of trial-and-error, the current management staff has a better handle on Ramirez. The trick is to keep them at a minimum and remember that they're a small price to pay for his otherwise otherworldly production.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340