Jonathan Papelbon Slams Door On Red Sox

At least Jonathan Papelbon didn’t flee to the New York Yankees. It was bad enough when the star reliever departed from the Boston Red Sox in free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, but 12 saves into his 2012 career he bottled up his old team with a vintage showing Friday.

Papelbon signed a long-term, $50 million contract with the Phillies in the off-season and the Red Sox have had closer problems ever since despite aggressive efforts to fill the hole. By jumping to the National League, Papelbon minimized the potential for doing regular-season harm to the Sox.

Until this weekend, that is. Sure enough the Red Sox and the Phillies were scheduled for games at Citizens Bank Park in the season’s first round of interleague games. And sure enough the way the game circumstances played out, Phils manager Charlie Manuel called to the pen for Papelbon.

The Phillies prevailed, 6-4, after Papelbon tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the save. Papelbon just did what he has done since his Major League career began in Boston in 2005. He has been one of the finest closers in the game and it seemed to be a mistake for the Red Sox to give up on him. But off he went, no doubt thinking that if he ever faced his old team it would be in the World Series.

The stakes were not nearly so high for this early-season encounter, but there was definitely a curiosity factor at work. How would Papelbon fare against his old mates? How would the hitters who watched him baffle opposing batters for years make out against him? Score one for Papelbon this time out.

Like many star relievers, there is a touch of arrogance in Papelbon’s demeanor. It is pretty much expected that a closer must believe in his own invincibility. He often takes the mound in threatening conditions and must think that he is the guy who can mow down the hitters so his team can win.

It would not have been a shock if Papelbon had taken advantage of the spotlight and occasion to badmouth his old team, if he had chosen to thump his chest a little bit, or to gloat and remind Red Sox fans that the club never should have let him leave. He did not. Rather, Papelbon chose to forego any hint of bitterness. Instead, he stressed that he still had a lot of friends on the Red Sox and that the Red Sox as a whole had been good to him. Class response to a potentially volatile situation.

Papelbon did say he would have relished the chance to pitch against Big Papi, David Ortiz, the Sox’ powerful DH. That would have been a confrontation of oneupmanship, Papelbon said. If Ortiz got a big hit off him he never would have let him forget it, the pitcher said. And if he had struck out Ortiz, he would have teased him forever.

But that was just lightweight stuff,  banter that never even occurred because it was not Ortiz’ turn in the order. Maybe that situation will come around sometime over the weekend. Or maybe Papelbon will never even pitch against the Red Sox again.

Overall, this was a very polite meeting. It might well have been something else again if Papelbon had chosen to wear a New York pinstripe suit.