Dmitri or Nick at 1st base: Bill Ladson chimes in

What is the status of Nick Johnson? Is he the starter, or does the position belong to Dmitri Young? -- Kevin A., Philadelphia

I have received a lot of e-mails about first base. There are fans who want Young to remain the starting first baseman and others who want Johnson back at the spot. I had an interview with general manager Jim Bowden last week, and here is what he said: "As we walk into Spring Training, Dmitri Young is our first baseman. He deserves it. He finished in the top 10 in hitting. He improved defensively and his leadership skills in the clubhouse were phenomenal. So he is obviously the first baseman.

"I talked to Nick Johnson and he is healthy. He is already running the bases. He is doing extremely well. He feels great. I think we can all be optimistic there is a good possibility that he comes into Spring Training at 100 percent, which will create good competition. It's healthy for a club."