On the surface, it seemed innocent enough. A reporter from Rogers Sports Net, the official broadcaster of the Toronto Blue Jays, informed Terry Francona during the manager’s daily briefing with the media that he was doing a piece about how managers keep confidence in their closers every time they have a series of rough outings.

Of course, the reporter knew full well, as did Francona, that it was the Blue Jays who provided the nightmare portion of the 2010 highlight reel for Jonathan Papelbon and the Red Sox nine days earlier when he allowed a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth at Rogers Centre to become a 6-5 punch-in-the-nether-regions loss.

So, the reporter asked, how do you not lose confidence?

“He’s got 30 saves,” Francona began. “It’s very easy not to lose confidence. He’s one of the best in the game. I would be a horrible manager if every time he gave up a run, we kind of put him in the penalty box. I wouldn’t be doing my job very well. It’s an easy question.”

The irony in this is two-fold. First, hockey of course is just a little bit heavier on the sports scale north of border in Toronto and with the analogy, Francona set up the Blue Jays reporter for a perfect power play. Second, Francona readily admits he doesn’t understand hockey, never really has tried to and doesn’t plan to anytime soon.

As for baseball – and to Francona’s point – in his first save opportunity since the Toronto disaster, Papelbon struck out the side on Wednesday against the Angels for his 30th save in 36 chances. It was also the first time since June 17, 2008 at Philadelphia that Papelbon had a perfect inning in which he struck out the side.

Quite the comeback for Papelbon, who also made some other history on Wednesday, becoming the first pitcher in big league history to record at least 30 saves in each of his first five full MLB seasons.

All of which wouldn’t be possible if Papelbon and his fastball, splitter and slider were sitting in the penalty box – or bullpen.

Don’t waste your time expecting Jonathan Papelbon to recant some of his remarks over the past four days concerning Billy Wagner.

On Tuesday afternoon, hours before the second of four games with the White Sox and moments after the Red Sox officially announced they had acquired Billy Wagner for a pair of minor leaguers, Papelbon said he welcomes the new 38-year-old fireballing lefty to the Red Sox bullpen.

“If I need to apologize for something, then I’ll apologize,” Papelbon said. “This is just a situation where there’s nothing for me to apologize about. I said nothing demeaning about him. We’ll get along great, I know we will. I’m actually looking forward to him coming here and kind of picking his brain.”

Papelbon said he’s looking forward to getting to know Wagner and seeing how he might deepen an already strong Red Sox pen.

Francona said he’s not concerned about the Papelbon’s comments becoming a distraction.

“With Pap, there’s about four or five times a year,” Francona said of Papelbon’s frank comments about not wanting to disturb the chemistry of the bullpen. “There’s not a whole lot of filter there. He’s also a good kid. We’re okay.”

But perhaps Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein shed the most light on the whole Papelbon-Wagner dynamic that the club feels has been overdramatized.

“I think Pap feels he was misunderstood and he’s not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with, obviously,” Epstein said. “When I talked to him directly about it he couldn’t have been more excited about the prospects of adding Billy Wagner and actually went out of his way to make sure Billy knew that he was more than welcome here.”

Epstein also clarified that, during a Major League Baseball sanctioned window during which the Sox could talk directly to Wagner prior to the trade, Papelbon also participated in the conversation to express directly to the Mets pitcher how excited he was to be teammates with a man who over 15 years has forged a reputation as one of the top closers in baseball history. 

As for how to use him, Francona will have that responsibility.

“I think we’re excited,” Francona said. “I think we have to recognize that he’s 14 months post-Tommy John surgery. I think it’s a great addition to our bullpen but again we will be very prudent and will use a lot of common sense and have a lot of communication with him because of what he’s been through, physically.”

Prior to the Red Sox’ game against the Atlanta Braves Friday night, Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon took time to address comments he made to Sirius Radio Thursday in which he said he was open to playing for the New York Yankees when his current contract ran out. During the seven-minute session, Papelbon made it clear his first priority is to stay a member of the Red Sox as long as possible.

“I just think that when people hear what I said or people read what I said sometimes they can only see certain things. I want to make that clear, I don’t want to go (expletive) play for the Yankees,” Papelbon said. “Believe me, I’ve got a ring here and I’m playing for a manager and general manager who are going to protect me. I’ve been on a team in baseball who has been in first-place more than any other (expletive) team in baseball. It’s just a simple fact for me that what I was stating that guys nowadays don’t necessarily get the opportunity to be with a team for a long period of time. Do I want to be with the Red Sox for as long as I can? Of course. There is no question about because I know I’m playing a manager and general manager who are going to protect me and to me that’s all that matters.”

Papelbon would relay the constant theme that why he understands it is a business he also has no intentions on playing anywhere else but Boston if at all possible.

“I said I would go to any team that I felt was best for my siutation, whether its the Yankees, whoever. The thing you dont understand is that its three (expletive) years away. I’m in a situation where I’m playing for the best general manager and manager in the game of baseball and I’ve won a World Series ring here. Do I want to go play anywhere else? Hell no. I get this question asked all the time, what’s going to happen down the road, what’s going to happen next year, whatever. I don’t want to play anywhere unless I (expletive) happy and I’m happy playing here and this is where I want to play, but I also understand there’s a business side of things. Sometimes that doesn’t work out. Sometimes you can’t play in a city for 10 or 15 years. I may not be as lucky as Wake to be able to be in that situation. It kind of pissed me off today because it made it seem like I want to go play for them, which is nowhere even close. It’s nowhere even in the ballpark where I want to be.

“I have to look out for me and my family. There is no ifs, ands, or buts about that. Those people come first in my life above anybody else. Me being in this city, and me playing for the manager that I’m playing for and the general manager that I’m playing for, my family is happy and I’m happy, so why would I want to play anywhere else.

“I can have eight one year (expletive) deals. As long as I’m happy and I’m in a city where I’m playing for a manager I’m happy playing for, then why would I want to go… You guys don’t understand, I’m protected here, my family’s happy here and I’m playing for a city and fans who are passionate about the game, so for me to go somewhere else would completely detrimental for me. I don’t want to play anywhere else. I think today some things came out on the side where it looked like I want to, but believe me I don’t. I just stated there’s a simple fact in this game and it’s called business. I can’t sit here and set myself up and say I’m going to be here forever, because that may not happy. Do I want to be here forever? Of course, there’s no question about it.

“I said I would go play for any team, but for me to play for any other team I need to be protected and my family has to be happy and I have to be happy, and right now that’s here. It’s here in this clubhouse and it’s here at Fenway Park, so why the (expletive) would I want to play anywhere else?

(Regarding being approached with a long-term deal) “It doesn’t matter. Like I said, I’ll sign eight one-year deals in a row. It’s not about the money and it’s not about going to play for money, because if it was I wouldn’t be closing right now, I’d be starting. I know I said what I said, and I’m not going to deny that, but I think at times fans may see that as I don’t want to play here, or my manager or general manager may think I’m not happy here and that’s nowhere even close.

“They don’t owe me nothing. You’ve got to understand one thing, this team does not need me. I need the Boston Red Sox more than the Boston Red Sox need me, because this is a place where I’m happy and I need a place where I’m happy, so for me to go to a place where I’m not happy would be totally detrimental to me and my family, like I said. Whether they want to come to me or not, it makes no difference. Whether they want to lock me up to a long-term deal, it makes no difference to me.”

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon told Esquire in its upcoming April edition that Manny Ramirez had become a cancer in the clubhouse prior to the deadline deal that sent him to the Dodgers last July 31.

“It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening,” Papelbon told Esquire. “Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It [stunk], but that was the only scenario that was going to work. That was it for us.”

WEEI obtained an advance copy on Thursday.

“He was on a different train!” Papelbon added. “And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we moved on without him. That comes from the manager, and it comes from guys like Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz. Nobody is ever going to be allowed to do that.

“So Manny was tough for us. You have somebody like him, you know at any point in the ball game, he can dictate the outcome of the game. And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man!”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Manny Delcarmen sat at his locker on Friday afternoon at the Red Sox complex and looked completely relaxed.

Ironic, since his goal is to win one of the most competitive jobs in camp this year.

Delcarmen, who was busy raising money through his bowling charity in Boston, said he didn’t pay much attention to all the changes in the bullpen this winter as names like Ramon Ramirez and Takashi Saito were added to the roster to provide depth to the back end of a bullpen that is anchored by Jonathan Papelbon.

“I try to stay away from baseball as much as I can during the offseason,” he said. “But when (the moves) came about, it’s always good to have extra pitching just because you never know what’s going to happen with this game. We’ve got Masty, Ramirez, Saito, whoever has the hot hand is going to get the opportunity. I think Tito is going to do a great job just mixing us in there and give all of us an opportunity.”

But most telling was his comment that he told Francona that he wants the job. It’s just like anyone going on a job interview, you’ve got to ask for the job many times to GET the job. Read the rest of this entry »

If you can guess which Red Sox player embraced that phrase as a portion of his mantra, you could win a Dustin Pedroia bobblehead doll.

No matter, I’m embracing this approach for the next few days as we run on fumes attempting to add Phase 1 to the multi-multi-multi-phased process that is building the new WEEI.com. At least the 10 Red Bull part. By the way, did you know that players have to drink their Red Bull taped with adhesive tape because it is not a sponsored product within the walls of Fenway Park? You do now.

Before I continue, let me introduce my situation via video, which you can see by CLICKING HERE. If I look tired in this thing, it’s because I am. I spent 11 hours in a car Saturday, three more Sunday, before joining up with Team WEEI.com all day and night making your internet dreams come true. So show some compassion …

There you have it. By the way, one of the stories you really have to read this morning on WEEI.com is Alex Speier’s tale talking about the emergence of Jason Bay from 22nd round pick to his current lot in life. The stuff on the Padres having to trade him because of their new stadium was solid, as was the fact SD general manager credited current Red Sox Director of International Scouting Craig Shipley with identifying Bay in the first place.

Anybody notice Papelbon has been unhittable. Oh, and Jonathan hasn’t been bad either. As it turns out, one of the Sox’s closer’s younger brothers, Jeremy, is in the midst of 32 2/3 scoreless innings streak after tossing six more shutout frames Sunday. Pitching for the Daytona Cubs, Papelbon was making his third start since being moved into the starting rotation.

Steve Buckley checks in on Jason Varitek’s continued hitting woes. He also catches up with Dick Williams, who has this little diddy in regards to Manny Ramirez: “I’d have probably had him get rid of it the first day,” Williams said. Pause. “But then I wouldn’t have been there the second day.” Rimshot. 

By the way, if you have any doubt that even through all the clubhouse chaos in late July Ramirez wasn’t on a playoff push you should understand that nobody in baseball has a better batting average since July 4, as the outfielder is hitting .407 with 10 homers in his last 35 games. His on-base percentage is far and away the best in the bigs, although, totaling .513, with Mark Teixeira a distant second at .468.

If you like Fantasy Football, you should get in the habit of checking out our fantasy guru, Kirk Minihane, who will be keeping a daily fantasy blog as well as writing a column each Wednesday. Good times, unless you have Ocho Cinco Ouchee.

And Lee County takes the lead, with Sarasota looking for its second-wind. Chain restaurants up and down the Gulf Coast in Florida await the decision where the Red Sox will be playing spring training in the distant future.