Good stance from Daubach

He could've easily mishandled the situation. He could have pouted. He could have brooded. He could have stomped into Terry Francona's office, told the Red Sox skipper a thing or two, then demanded to be traded.

But Brian Daubach took a different tack when he learned he had been designated for assignment, the news coming one day after he was treated to a rousing ovation by the Fenway Faithful in the Sox' home opener April 9.

Daubach took the high road to Pawtucket simply because he knew it was only route to take if he wanted to make his way back to Boston.

Yesterday, Daubach found himself back in the bigs when the Sox placed Ellis Burks (arthroscopic knee surgery) on the 15-day disabled list Monday and recalled Daubach from Pawtucket, where the designated hitter/first baseman hit .350 in 10 games.

"It's unfortunate that Ellis got hurt," said Daubach, as he stood in front of his locker in the Sox clubhouse, surrounded by reporters before last night's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was rained out. "But I'm just glad to be back. I'm just glad it worked out."

While he did not have Daubach penciled on last night's lineup card, Francona expected Daubach to be in the lineup for tonight's game.

"The way we're situated now, he's going to play some games," Francona said. "He'll play first base and probably DH a little bit, so he'll get a little more time playing than he would've before."

What remains to be seen is if Daubach, who was brought back for a second tour of duty in Boston after a one-year stint with the Chicago White Sox, will stick on the 40-man roster.

"I was in the same situation five years ago," recalled Daubach, the Belleville (Ill.) Basher who was one of Boston's original "Dirt Dogs" when he toiled for the Sox from 1999-2002. "I got sent down opening weekend at home [in 1999 when he played nine games at Pawtucket] and I ended up playing the next five years in the big leagues. Hopefully, that can happen again."

Said Francona of Daubach's comportment, "I thought he handled it like a professional. He went down and did exactly what he was supposed to do. You hope you'll have a spot for guys -- again, not with Ellis getting hurt -- but we thought Daubach, out of spring training, deserved to be on our club. We just couldn't keep him here for a couple of weeks.

"Rather than throw a tantrum, or go to another organization, he went down and did what he was supposed to do."

After he cleared waivers ("I wasn't shocked that nobody claimed me because it was only five games into the season," he said), Daubach went down to Pawtucket and tore the cover off the ball, feasting on a steady diet of minor league pitching by going 14 for 40 with 13 runs, 5 home runs and 11 RBIs.

"It made it easier when I went through waivers and 29 other teams didn't want me," Daubach said of the disappointment he felt after he was sent down. "At that point, your options are to go down there and be the best player you can because my No. 1 goal is to come back here and help the Red Sox win the World Series.

"If you keep doing what I was doing down there, somebody would've taken notice and that's really the approach you have to take," he added. "But I mean it's no secret this is where I've always wanted to be."

Yesterday, he was welcomed back with open arms to the Sox clubhouse.

"He definitely deserves to be here and definitely deserves to be in the major leagues," said Johnny Damon. "We just have an overglut of talent here right now. But he's a guy who'll be able to come in and swing the bat for us, a lefty off the bench. It's unfortunate that sometimes it's a numbers game, but it's good to have him back."

When he was sent down, though, Daubach knew it had nothing to do with what he had done -- or failed to do -- with the Sox. After all, he only had played in two games after making the Opening Day roster, making one plate appearance as a pinch hitter before being designated for assignment.

"When I got sent down, it was a matter of our starting pitchers not going deep into games, we played some extra-inning games, and we really needed the extra pitchers," Daubach said. "So I thought, even without the injury, I could be back here soon."

With players such as Byung Hyun Kim (right shoulder strain), Trot Nixon (slight disk herniation), and Nomar Garciaparra (right Achilles' tendinitis) all due to come back off the injury list, Daubach is hoping he can stick around for a while.

"We have some guys injured and there's going to be some moves made, but, I mean, everybody wants to stay here and that's why we play the game," Daubach said. "Hopefully, if that comes up again, I can prove myself a little bit more here and improve my value, and maybe I won't be that guy."