A sparring session

Doug Mirabelli defended himself yesterday from what he termed an ``assassination directly at my character for unprovoked reasons" by Padres general manager Kevin Towers, who was quoted in Monday's San Diego Union-Tribune about Mirabelli's brief and apparently forgettable month with the Padres.

Towers, who did not speak any more on the topic last night, told the paper, ``He called [Dave ] Roberts [after getting traded back to Boston] and said, `I guess I'm getting called back to the big leagues.' I'm glad I didn't hear that . . . I don't miss him. These guys don't miss him.

``He was [upset] when we got [Mike ] Piazza. He was [upset] because Rob Bowen was hitting in a group with Piazza and it should have been him.

``The Sunday before the trade, Mirabelli was calling my phone like 5-6 in the morning. I finally get to [Petco] Park . . . I get into the clubhouse and he says, `KT, can we have some private time?' " According to Towers, Mirabelli said the Padres might want to start Bowen behind the plate against the Dodgers that day, ``because I'm not focused on the game."

Towers asked him to elaborate, and according to the GM, Mirabelli said, ``My boys, the Sox, have been calling me. I got to tell you, it's all I watch on TV; all I think about is the Red Sox. Do me a favor and you guys a favor [and make a trade]."

Mirabelli said yesterday he was caught off-guard by Towers's comments.

``Considering the timing and how long I've been away from there, it seems unfortunate," he said. ``It seems unfortunate for me to have left that opinion with anybody.

``These guys have seen me around here a lot. To be taken so literally on some occasions was unfortunate. I don't apologize for wanting to come back here to Boston. I do apologize for the fact that if he has that strong of an opinion of Doug Mirabelli over a month or two months of time, I didn't do my job as a player or a person. I wouldn't want that opinion of me by anybody. That's not the perception of Doug Mirabelli that I would want anywhere.

``It's unbelievable that five months later that something like this comes out. Talking to [columnist] Tim Sullivan, it was pretty much unprovoked. They were talking about the Red Sox coming to Petco and how there are ties there with Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein and that they used to work there, and Doug Mirabelli comes up.

``It was a lambasting that was unfortunate for me. He won't have any fallback on it. But here I've got to deal with this, this is my character. I feel strongly that anyone who's played with me over a course of time -- not a month or spring training -- would come to my defense with no hesitation saying that. But the fact is that's the impression I left with him and that's regrettable."

Mirabelli, who started last night, said he would encourage Towers to call him to set the record straight.

``I find it very bad business as a GM to come public with details of a private conversation that we had behind closed doors," he said. ``That's unfortunate. I don't think anybody deserves that, and without getting into the details of that conversation, that's not how I remember it.

``It's always been known that airing your laundry in the media is not good business. For some reason, he chose Doug Mirabelli as a guy he really has strong ill feelings toward."

Mirabelli conceded he was upset for his own personal situation when the Padres signed Piazza, but he wasn't angry at Towers.

``I was more upset with my agent because we have the same agent," he said.

``When they traded for me, I was gonna be the guy that got a lot of playing time and then they sign Piazza and that changes the whole situation of why I'm there. If I'm going to be a backup catcher, which is what I am, I want to be here with [Jason] Varitek and these guys that I've been with a long time."

Mirabelli would not address the allegation that he asked out of a game.

``I'd rather not elaborate on that," Mirabelli said. ``Like I said, there are things he said that I don't think were totally accurate. It was unprovoked and it had nothing to do with anything except taking a whack at Doug Mirabelli.

``Hopefully I won't get crucified over one person's opinion of Doug Mirabelli. The Red Sox brought me back and obviously they didn't feel that way about me."

Righthander Devern Hansack was called up from Double A Portland yesterday and will start for the Sox Saturday against Toronto. Hansack, who got the win in the deciding game of the Eastern League championship series against Akron, is 28 and a native of Nicaragua. ``To me, it was a big surprise," he said. ``To win a championship and get called up, it was amazing." Hansack would have started last Sunday against the Yankees had the Sea Dogs been eliminated . . . Manny Ramírez was reexamined to determine the state of his right knee, but the team did not have any word on how the exam went . . . Jonathan Papelbon threw from 60 feet and his shoulder exam came out all clear yesterday. The Sox still don't want him to pitch in another game this season. The opposite is true for Matt Clement, who has continued throwing off a mound. The Sox hope he might be able to pitch before the end of the season.

Tests found that lefthander Kason Gabbard has no structural damage to his left lat muscle. He planned to throw on the side today and hopes to pitch again this season . . . Kevin Youkilis left last night's game in the fourth inning with a neck strain . . . Carlton Fisk presented Varitek with a bronzed catcher's mitt to commemorate Varitek's 1,000 games caught with the Sox. ``I've always enjoyed the way he catches and approaches the game," said Fisk. ``You can tell by his actions on the field that the most important part of his game is behind the plate. I always felt that my most valuable place on the field was behind the plate, dealing with pitchers and situations. You've got more value there, more chance to influence the outcome of the game back there, than you do three or four or five times you come to the plate." . . . ESPN baseball reporter Peter Gammons will be back on the air tonight, reporting from Fenway Park. Gammons, who had a brain aneurysm in late June, will appear on the 6 p.m. ``SportsCenter" and 7 p.m. ``Baseball Tonight," but he is not returning to full-time duty yet.

Amalie Benjamin of the Globe staff contributed to this report. RED SOX NATION: For the latest updates, and a photo gallery from last night's game against the Twins, go to www.boston.com/redsox