"I wouldn't want to be him," one Phillies player said aloud.
Now Papelbon is one of them, and says he couldn't be happier. His Phillies career informally begins Sunday, when pitchers and catchers participate in the team's first workout of the spring. On Saturday, during a news conference, he attempted to shut the door on seven years in Boston.
"This year," Papelbon said, "I've been more excited to get into the clubhouse than any spring training."
The man is wired like a closer. So much that when the Red Sox attempted to move him back into the rotation in 2007, he demanded he remain the ninth-inning man. He is known for his theatrics on the mound, and a number of Phillies players this winter remarked how excited they were to meet the person behind the intense personality.
"I like pressure," he said. "That's what makes me tick, man."
But mostly, he was reserved Saturday, and that was to be expected. The riverdancing and references to Cinco Ocho, his alter ego, can wait.
But then, when Papelbon was asked if he could picture facing Boston in October, the confidence briefly revealed itself. No, Papelbon said, it's not hard to look ahead. His current tasks are long tossing and meeting his new teammates. The rest will come.
"But," he said, "I do know when we play the Red Sox."
When asked if he often thought this winter about how 2011 ended, Papelbon said, "Every day. All day." He stared for a couple of seconds without saying a word.
"I mean, I don't think about it at all, man," he said.
