Well Thursday was a huge day for the Boston Red Sox. We finally found out who our closer is going to be and that man is Jonathan Papelbon. If you would like to hear the interview that Don Orsillo did with Papelbon, click here.

Much to no one’s surprise, Curt Schilling will take the mound for opening day again for the second time in a row. What is surprising is that he didn’t break the news to everyone through his blog like he did with telling everyone Papelbon was going to be the closer. The official announcement for Papelbon being named the closer came after Thursday’s exhibition game against the Phillies while Schilling had announced it to the world much earlier in the day. As I stated in an earlier post, I didn’t know that Schilling’s blog was now the official home for Red Sox news. Nothing against what he is doing because personally I think it’s great. It’s just that when you have some inside information like that maybe you elude to the fact that something might happen instead of flat out telling everyone. Of course if ESPN had read his blog before the game, they wouldn’t have reported the fact that Papelbon might be named closer. Jason, one of my radio partners in crime over at My Baseball Bias, tells us about how ESPN couldn’t even get the facts straight about how many consecutive times Papelbon threw in games.

With Papelbon moving back to the rotation (he was slated to be the 4th starter), Julian Tavarez will take over the vacated spot in the rotation as the 5th starter. Tim Wakefield, who was the 5th starter, moves into the 4th spot of Papelbon’s. Tavarez had said that he wanted to be a starter before spring training but with the Red Sox having a plethora of starters after the addition of Daisuke Matsuzaka, his name was put into the closers mix. Terry Francona tells us what he thinks about Tavarez moving back to the rotation after going 3-0 with an ERA just over 4.00 in 6 starts at the end of last season.

“He likes to pitch but he likes to start,” Francona said. “He wants the ball. He said, ‘Just say when.’ ”

So now the rest of the rotation sets up like this. Beckett will start the second game of the year on April 4th against the Kansas City Royals and Matsuzaka will start on the 5th against the Royals. Wakefield will take the mound against the Texas Rangers on the 6th, Tavarez on the 7th and Schilling on the 8th setting up Beckett to make the start on opening day at Fenway on the 12th. Kind of sucks that I will miss Matsuzaka pitch by a day but the Red Sox are doing the smart thing by not having him pitch his first game in Boston on such an emotional day. Plus with the Seattle Mariners in town, the first batter he would have faced would have been another Japanese superstar in Ichiro. Something to note, Tavarez will throw a simulated game on April 3 to try and get his arm ready for starting after pitching in a relief role all spring training.

I have to wonder if someone slipped something into a drink of Manny Ramirez in the past few days. He is suddenly speaking to members of the media instead of speaking to thru Julian Tavarez, which he has been doing recently. Here is what Manny had to say to the media on Thursday.

Manny: “Hey, did you check out eBay this morning?”

Reporter: “No, did you?”

Manny: “I just got to sell the grill and that’s it. I don’t need this game. I don’t have to play anymore — just sell the grill.”

“That’s all right. Don’t worry; you don’t miss anything.”

Reporter: Weren’t you suppose to travel with the team to Clearwater?

Manny: “I know. But you know, when you start getting old like me, sometimes you have to stay behind.”

Reporter: How are you feeling this spring?

Manny: “Good, nothing different, the same — everything’s the same for me, just enjoying my life and hanging with this guy right here,” he said, as he nodded toward team assistant Ino Guerrero sitting near an adjacent locker.

Reporter: How do you feel about all the attention the team has been receiving from the Japanese and international media?

Manny: “I don’t know. I don’t pay any mind to it.”

Reporter: How is your new Japanese teammate fitting in with the team?

Manny: “Who? I don’t know.” saying he has not yet spoken to pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Reporter: How is your Japanese?

Manny: “I don’t know Japanese”

Reporter: Are you bothered when it is said or written that you don’t care or your not a team player for reporting after his teammates to Spring Training?

Manny: “No, it doesn’t bother me. I’m not mad. Who cares?”

Reporter: How does you see the team’s chances this season?

Manny: “I don’t know. The only thing I worry about is me getting prepared for the season.”

Reporter: And are you ready?

Manny: “Like always, just doing my thing and trying to get ready.”

Reporter: What did you do in the offseason?

Manny: “The same thing I did for seven years, just travel and work out.”

Reporter: Who is the team to beat this year?

Manny: “I don’t know. I’m just trying to beat everybody — just trying to have a good season.”

Reporter: Are the Yankees the team to beat?

Manny: “I don’t know. The Yankees? For what?” I don’t worry about the Yankees. I just worry about us. I worry about who we’re going to play — that’s it. I don’t make it a big deal. I live my life simple, a day at a time — one day at a time.

Manny: “OK, got to go now.”

After his session in the cages, he added a footnote to the conversation.

Manny: “Oh, the thing I forgot to tell you about the grill. The grill people called my agent; they want me to do a commercial for them.

Where is the new found talking to the media coming from? I can’t answer that. But to me, it is nice to see Manny open up a little bit. I highly doubt that you will see Manny speaking too much during the season just as he always has done. I am sure he doesn’t want the distraction as he continues his work of becoming the greatest hitter of all time.

Well after all the speculation this spring training, the Red Sox finally have a closer. After all the rumors and speculation that was going around on Thursday, the Red Sox made it official and have named Jonathan Papelbon the team’s closer for this season and maybe the rest of his career.

This is what Papelbon and Terry Francona had to say about the decision.

Francona:
On what went into the decision: ”We made the decision with extensive, intense and passionate talks. He’s going to move to the bullpen.”

On what was said at the end of last season, about the health risks to Papelbon if he continued relieving: “I know what was said at the end of last season. I was there.”

On how the Sox came to change their minds: ”When we got to camp, he went through a barrage of medical updates. The more I watched, the more I asked a lot of questions. He’s off the charts with his strength.”

Papelbon:
On what he’s been thinking during camp: ”Obviously I’ve been thinking about this all spring. When I got to spring training, I wasn’t sleeping well. There was always that feeling I wanted to close. I went to our captain (Jason Varitek), I said, ‘Tek, I’m not sleeping good at night. I want to close.’ ”

On whether or not the team is forcing the move: ”This was a decision I made. This had nothing to do with (Mike) Timlin being healthy or us not having (an established) closer.”

On his endurance in the role: ”There’s no reason I can’t pitch into October, from my standpoint or a physical standpoint.”

On how he feels about the role: ”It all boiled down to the simple fact that I broke into the league as a closer. Basically, my heart is as a closer. In my heart I still had feelings for going to close. I want to do this rest of the career. I want to be Mariano Rivera.”

Some interesting words by Papelbon. He wants to do this for “the rest of his career and wants to be Mariano Rivera.” What does that mean for the “closer of the future” Craig Hansen. If the Red Sox had been trying to get him ready to be a closer and Papelbon is the closer for the long-term, what is Hansen’s role going to be? Plus you have the “reliever of the future” Bryce Cox, who is a year or so away from the big leagues. Where does he fit in?

This is what I would like to see. I would like to see the Red Sox reopen the talks with the Rockies about Todd Helton. The Rockies will have a decision to make at the end of the season with their closer, Brian Fuentes. He is eligible for free agency at the end of the season and could command a big contract if he continues to be successful. This could make the deal enticing to both the Red Sox and Rockies. The Red Sox would be able to get something of value for Hansen that will make their ballclub better and the Rockies would have a very economically priced closer for the 2008 season. As for Cox, I could see him being developed as Papelbon’s set up guy in the same way that Mariano learned the ropes of closing by setting up before becoming one of the game’s most dominant closers.

As far as Papelbon’s replacement in the rotation, that is going to be Julian Tavarez. He was pretty good towards the end of the season going 3-0 in 6 starts with an ERA just over 4.00. Plus the Red Sox have Kyle Snyder who could also start, plus Jon Lester who was 7-2 last season for the Sox before he was diagnosed with cancer. Plus Kasan Gabbard, who had an excellent spring, could fill the role as well.

I am excited for this. It’s one thing for a starting pitcher to pitch his heart out and have the bullpen blow the game. It’s great for the psyche knowing that you will have Papelbon down in the bullpen finishing off your games. Everyone knows how good Papelbon can be and will probably be the same. It might be hard to replace the 200 innings he was supposed to start, but at least for probably around 80 innings, you know your going to get good numbers. So now it’s finding the right pitcher to put up good numbers in those other 120 innings. As long as whomever is the 5th starter puts up good numbers, the Red Sox should be in good shape for the upcoming season.

Here is a picture that was sent to me by a friend that catches Tommy Lasorda taking a catnap during a Dodgers spring training game last week against the Nationals. See it does prove that spring training games are in fact boring.

In a follow up to a post made earlier this morning, my wildest dream for the Red Sox has come true. According to a report from the babealicious Erin Andrews at ESPN and Red Sox resident blogger Curt Schilling, the Red Sox will be announcing that Jonathan Papelbon will be the closer for the 2007 season for the Red Sox.

I truly respect what Schilling is doing by writing his blog. But I have a problem with him announcing this when in fact, it’s not officially been announced by the Red Sox. It’s one thing when the media is trying to track down a story and reports that it might happen but there hasn’t been an official announcement. It’s another thing when you have the inside information and you decide to publish it in your blog. Couldn’t Schilling have eluded to the fact that he would have liked to see Papelbon as the closer this season. I have to wonder if the Red Sox will address this with Schilling.

As for me, I will have more on this once an official announcement has been made. I know I have always said I wanted Papelbon to be the closer for the Red Sox this season but that was me just expressing my feelings as a fan. I do not consider myself a baseball talent evaluator by no means. If I was, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here blogging about this to you, the reader.

Much to the surprise of Terry Francona on Wednesday, there was a face that decided he was going to make the trip up to Bradenton to face the Pirates. The face, well the title gave it away already, was Manny Ramirez.

“He said he was bored, and he wanted to play,” manager Terry Francona said with a laugh.

First, he talks to the media after how many years. Second, he is asking on spring road trips which he rarely ever goes on. My guess is he was bored because his friend’s grill ad on Ebay got pulled. Actually, I think it is great. He obviously isn’t feeling comfortable enough or where he wants to be at the plate right now and felt that getting to face pitching in a game situation was better than easy workout back at the Fort.

Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for Manny with his attitude. He has probably one of the greatest work routines when it comes to preparing his swing. I truly hope that all this dedication and hard work that Manny has put in pays off with big numbers for him and a win in the World Series for the Red Sox.

By the way, it wasn’t a full moon when Manny decided to speak to the media.

Interesting stories coming out of Red Sox camp right now. The Sox are going to name their closer next week and its down to the following people, Joel Piñero, Brendan Donnelly and Julian Tavarez. Did I mention Jonathan Papelbon? Probably not but since I always thrown him when we talk about the closer’s situation, I had to include him.

In all seriousness, I came across two distinctively different articles. One discussing the that the closer is going to be one of three minus Papelbon and I came across another that said don’t count out Papelbon just yet. It was interesting to listen to Steve Phillips, Orel Hershiser, Dickie V and Dan Shulman talk about Papelbon being the closer. Amazingly they were all in agreement that Paps should be the closer. Phillips even suggested that they could protect him but not using him as much. Now if Dickie V says he should be the closer, I might not listen, but he is actually very knowledgeable about the game. But he’s a Yankees fan so his opinion to me doesn’t count.

As we had heard during the beginning of spring training, the main reasons for Papelbon not closing was that the doctors said it would be best for him to throw with a regular routine. Well now that might not be the case anymore due to the strengthening program that Paps does.

“I’ve talked to a million doctors. For me, it wouldn’t matter what I do, start or close,” he said. “My shoulder is still going to stay healthy because I’m going to stay on my program and do what it takes, no matter what kind of pitching I do. I’m going to keep my arm healthy. So, (my role) is kind of irrelevant.”

Well, your role isn’t irrelevant. Because no matter where you are pitching this season, Mr. Papelbon, you are an important piece to the puzzle. So if the doctors are saying that he can pitch as the closer, what’s the holdup? He’s obviously the best closer candidate available. Unless they got a front line closer in a trade, there’s no one out there that can get the job done. Papelbon is even receptive to going back into the bullpen.

“My door is always open to better a ballclub. That’s what it boils down to. If it betters a ballclub, my door is open, let’s talk about it, figure it out,” Papelbon said when asked if he would listen to a plea to return to the role in which he dominated last season. “For me, I’m going to do what’s best for the team. If they go out and get somebody, or somebody finally steps up, and says, ‘Hey, I want this role’ . . . then we go about our business, and everyone’s happy.

So let’s see here. He wouldn’t mind closing if it was going to help the ballclub. So what the f*&* is Theo and company waiting for? His spot in the rotation is easily replaceable with the likes of one Jon Lester or even Kasan Gabbard. It would not at all surprise me that when the Red Sox announce who the closer is that you hear Papelbon’s name get called.

Bad news for former UCONN Huskies star, Charlie Villanueva. The Milwaukee Bucks announced on Wednesday that Charlie will miss the rest of the season due to a recurring shoulder injury. He is schedule to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome shoulder to determine what is causing the pain.

Villanueva has been bothered by different injuries throughout the season and really hasn’t had the impact that he had hoped to have in his first season with the Bucks. Hopefully the injury isn’t serious and Villanueva will be ready for the start of the 2007-2008 season.

Coach Jim Calhoun announced that another player from his roster will be transferring. This time it is sophomore guard Rob Garrison. Garrison had been brought in at the last moment his freshman season when AJ Price and Marcus Williams got arrested during “laptop gate.” Garrison played a limited role in the 2005-2006 season and had his ass permanently implanted in the bench this season.

“He has indicated to me, and I have indicated to him, about transferring,” Calhoun said. “My assumption, based upon our conversation, is that he is going to transfer. He just hasn’t made his mind up on what schools he wants.”

Garrison hasn’t decided as to where he will transfer yet but I am sure he will be glad to get out of dodge.

“I have decided to explore my options and look into the possibility of transferring to another school,” Garrison said. “I have enjoyed my time here at Connecticut on and off the court, but I think I owe it to myself to make sure I am getting the most out of my college experience.”

This now gives the Huskies two scholarships for next season. Calhoun also said that a third player is on the fence right now as to whether or not he will transfer. I am not going to speculate here on this at all but my guess is Doug Wiggins.

Well your pitching a hell of a game through 4 2/3 innings. Your thinking you will go out and have a beer or two after the game and maybe hook up with a spring break babe. Your pitching line looks something like this. 4 2/3 innings pitched, 1 hit, 7 strikeouts and no runs. Then all of the sudden the next 5 batters go double, double, single, single, single and you’ve given up 4 runs.

Well if your name is Josh Beckett, that’s exactly what happened to you against the Twins on Tuesday night. He was dealing with his curveball and fastball but once he got in that trouble, he again relied on his fastball which was the root of his problems last season. Varitek would pick a spot, he would hit it.

“We kind of went away from my curveball,” said Beckett. “Some balls fell in that maybe sometimes are caught. All in all, it was good. [Jason Varitek] and I worked unbelievable together through the first 4 2/3.”

Beckett did say that the day off on Monday may have had something to do with the unraveling in the 5th inning. Entering the 5th inning, he had thrown an economical 50 pitches.

“I didn’t feel real strong coming in because I didn’t do anything yesterday, no long toss,” said Beckett. Maybe it was one of those deals, fatigue or something from not doing the stuff that I usually do the day before I pitch. But I definitely needed that day off. One day off during Spring Training, you’re going to take it and do something that you want to do.”

Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come from Beckett. He has been pitching well as of late and a great outing on Tuesday night would have been icing on the cake. Instead his troubles made his line look like he had struggled the whole night even though that was not the case.