Jonathan Papelbon

It's early until it isn't. For a baseball team, there is a fine line between maintaining perspective and complacently allowing things to slip away. The Phillies have to watch that line very closely this year, especially when it comes to their pitching - particularly the bullpen. A week in, there are legitimate questions about the bullpen, and the outfield defense, and the lack of power. But the real question, after two lost series, is just what the Phillies accomplished during their seven weeks in Clearwater, Fla. Spring training was extended a bit because of the World Baseball Classic.

CINCINNATI - The explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line and the horrific aftermath that followed were just playing out when most of the Phillies arrived at Great American Ball Park on Monday. Other than a few words spoken in hushed tones, the normally lively clubhouse was quiet. All eyes were glued to the TV screens as the anchorman from a cable station read aloud the latest reports. Jonathan Papelbon went up to one of the TVs and pointed. "I used to live right above where one of the bombs went off," the veteran closer said.

BALTIMORE - Jonathan Papelbon threw two pitches from about 40 feet in the visitors' bullpen at Camden Yards in the top of the 10th inning, and that represented a day's work Sunday. The Phillies lost, 5-4, to the Baltimore Orioles for their seventh walk-off loss of the season. Papelbon, the $50 million closer, has not pitched in any of those games. Charlie Manuel has played those situations by the book. Managers typically will not use their closer in a tie game on the road, instead opting to hold him back for a save situation.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jonathan Papelbon has a job in the Phillies' bullpen, while Mike Stutes is trying to win his back this spring. Neither had encouraging starts in his Grapefruit League debut in the Phils' 10-1 loss Monday to the Detroit Tigers at Bright House Field. Papelbon couldn't even complete an inning. He allowed five hits and two walks to seven of the nine batters he faced in the fifth inning. Papelbon also served up close to 1,000 feet of home-run balls. After Detroit prospect Nick Castellanos turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Detroit lead with a blast to center, reigning Triple Crown winner and American League MVP Miguel Cabrera annihilated a pitch for a three-run shot.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - It was a bold prediction on the final day of an unpleasant season. "If we're not the top bullpen in Major League Baseball [next season], we'll definitely be the top in the National League," Jonathan Papelbon said after the Phillies finished 2012 with a lackluster loss to Washington at Nationals Park. Nearly 20 weeks later, the Phillies closer was asked to explain his comment before Sunday's wind-chilled workout at the Carpenter Complex. "The only reason I said that is because I see a very eerily similar bullpen to the one I was in during the 2006 season," Papelbon said.

It is unknown whether D.J. Reyburn can read minds. It is fairly certain, though, that Bud Selig and his posse in the commissioner's office can read written words. So Jonathan Papelbon won't be fined for being the first player ejected because an umpire read his thoughts. But the Phillies closer probably can expect an involuntary payroll deduction for his comments after Monday night's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I thought he was terrible," Papelbon said of Reyburn's work behind the plate.

Jonathan Papelbon is sitting in the Phillies dugout at Citizens Bank Park, surrounded by a pack of reporters who have spent much of the previous decade chronicling his every pitch. The Red Sox are in town, and with them one of the major league's largest media contingents, the entirety of which is quizzing the veteran closer on the looming showdown with his former team. Reveling in the attention, Papelbon begins to refer himself as "Cinco Ocho," a label that began as a nickname coined by former teammate Alex Cora but has since morphed into an entity that he considers to be his alter-ego.

ROY HALLADAY yesterday had surgery to repair his $20 million shoulder, which, with the rest of him, was 36 years and 1 day old. The surgery likely will end his season and surely will alter his career. Mike Adams, the Phillies' featured addition to their pitching staff, has pitched through aches all season and is shelved for the time being with a back injury. Veteran middle man Chad Durbin, usually lousy early in seasons, has been lousy early this season. Huge reliever Phillippe Aumont, a 24-year-old who had pitched in 31 major league games since he was called up in late August, has pitched like a giant 24-year-old with about a half-season of experience.

Jonathan Papelbon is in the century club. According to baseball-almanac.com, there is video evidence of his fastball being clocked at 100 m.p.h. during an April 22, 2008 game at Fenway Park. It's a cool accomplishment because there are so few people on this planet who can generate that kind of arm speed. But velocity is like good looks. Eventually, unless you're a super freak like Nolan Ryan, the speed of a pitcher's fastball is going to decline. Papelbon, in his second season with the Phillies, decided last year to take that matter into his own hands in an effort to prolong his career.

PHOENIX - Jonathan Papelbon walked to the bullpen in the sixth inning Sunday, as he does every time the Phillies play. The night before, he had thrown 29 pitches to record five outs because manager Charlie Manuel was desperate for a victory. That put his availability for the series finale in doubt. Mike Adams waited for Papelbon to arrive before disclosing his own news. The setup man asked the closer if he could pitch. "I'm good to go," Papelbon told him. "Good," Adams said, "because I'm not. " Adams was sidelined by back spasms he said occurred within the last five minutes of batting practice before Sunday's 4-2 win over Arizona.

Jonathan Papelbon is in the century club. According to baseball-almanac.com, there is video evidence of his fastball being clocked at 100 m.p.h. during an April 22, 2008 game at Fenway Park. It's a cool accomplishment because there are so few people on this planet who can generate that kind of arm speed. But velocity is like good looks. Eventually, unless you're a super freak like Nolan Ryan, the speed of a pitcher's fastball is going to decline. Papelbon, in his second season with the Phillies, decided last year to take that matter into his own hands in an effort to prolong his career.

ROY HALLADAY yesterday had surgery to repair his $20 million shoulder, which, with the rest of him, was 36 years and 1 day old. The surgery likely will end his season and surely will alter his career. Mike Adams, the Phillies' featured addition to their pitching staff, has pitched through aches all season and is shelved for the time being with a back injury. Veteran middle man Chad Durbin, usually lousy early in seasons, has been lousy early this season. Huge reliever Phillippe Aumont, a 24-year-old who had pitched in 31 major league games since he was called up in late August, has pitched like a giant 24-year-old with about a half-season of experience.

PHOENIX - Jonathan Papelbon walked to the bullpen in the sixth inning Sunday, as he does every time the Phillies play. The night before, he had thrown 29 pitches to record five outs because manager Charlie Manuel was desperate for a victory. That put his availability for the series finale in doubt. Mike Adams waited for Papelbon to arrive before disclosing his own news. The setup man asked the closer if he could pitch. "I'm good to go," Papelbon told him. "Good," Adams said, "because I'm not. " Adams was sidelined by back spasms he said occurred within the last five minutes of batting practice before Sunday's 4-2 win over Arizona.

PHOENIX — Every Phillies hitter had to pass Charlie Manuel before stepping into the on-deck circle Saturday. The manager positioned himself at the top of the dugout steps for the entirety of a 3-1 victory over Arizona. He talked strategy with Michael Young. He patted Ryan Howard on the back. He shook his head, slammed his fists together, and watched more offensive futility. "I was thinking there during the game," Manuel said. "We have 125 games left. We're going to hit. " On this night, three runs patched together by walks, singles, stolen bases, wild pitches, and sacrifices were enough despite 11 stranded runners.

CINCINNATI - The explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line and the horrific aftermath that followed were just playing out when most of the Phillies arrived at Great American Ball Park on Monday. Other than a few words spoken in hushed tones, the normally lively clubhouse was quiet. All eyes were glued to the TV screens as the anchorman from a cable station read aloud the latest reports. Jonathan Papelbon went up to one of the TVs and pointed. "I used to live right above where one of the bombs went off," the veteran closer said.

CINCINNATI - The images of terror were shown on four TVs inside the visiting clubhouse at Great American Ballpark. A shirtless Jonathan Papelbon sat stunned. He stood up, pointed to a corner of one screen, and told Cliff Lee, "That's where I lived. " Papelbon played seven seasons for the Boston Red Sox. He called the corner of Boylston and Fairfield Streets home for a majority of that time. The second explosion Monday that rocked Boston happened yards away from his old building, which was above a steakhouse called Abe & Louie's.

JONATHAN PAPELBON sat in a near-empty clubhouse Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park and almost looked bored. The high-energy closer hadn't pitched in 5 days. His alter ego, Cinco Ocho, was locked away and itching to take the mound at Citizens Bank Park for the first time in a regular-season game since September. "It drives me crazy some days, so I have to take a step back and pump the brakes," Papelbon said. "There was a reason why I didn't want to start when I was younger, because the 5 days in between drove me crazy.

It's early until it isn't. For a baseball team, there is a fine line between maintaining perspective and complacently allowing things to slip away. The Phillies have to watch that line very closely this year, especially when it comes to their pitching - particularly the bullpen. A week in, there are legitimate questions about the bullpen, and the outfield defense, and the lack of power. But the real question, after two lost series, is just what the Phillies accomplished during their seven weeks in Clearwater, Fla. Spring training was extended a bit because of the World Baseball Classic.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Thursday morning, before the gates opened for the fans and after the media left the clubhouse and made their way to the press box, Roy Halladay threw in the bullpen at Bright House Field. It was a normal, between-starts side session - as pitching coach Rich Dubee kindly reminded the press corps later in the day - but it was also worth checking on considering Halladay's disastrous start 2 days earlier. According to Dubee, Halladay looked "wonderful. " Several hours after Halladay threw Thursday, the Phils officially announced that he wouldn't start the season.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Closer Jonathan Papelbon carried a 43.20 ERA to the mound in the fifth inning Saturday afternoon at Bright House Field and had not pitched in eight days because of a bad cold. He remained the least of the Phillies' bullpen worries. After pitching a perfect fifth inning in a 15-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Papelbon made it clear what spring training means to him. "All I try to do is make sure that my delivery gets better and better as the spring goes on," Papelbon said.