Elder Papelbon sees series from both sides

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It is a strange place to find a museum dedicated to arguably the best and most beloved player in Red Sox history. But here, in the bowels of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, on a wide concourse named Centerfield Street, located next to the Rays' pro shop, with the exterior of a strip-mall storefront, sits the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame.

What's even more unlikely is the fact the museum is operated with the support of the Rays organization and run by a former New Hampshire State Trooper, Dave McCarthy, the museum's director, and John Papelbon, the museum's deputy director and the 52-year-old father of Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

"Neither one of us knew what the heck we were doing when we took the job, but we're having a blast," McCarthy said as fans began pouring through the doors before last night's deciding Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

The museum - which was resuscitated through the Rays' assistance and relocated to The Trop from its original site in Hernando, Fla., where it languished after Williams's death - last year raised almost $100,000 for charity.

"It's been a lot of fun," McCarthy said. "We hope to bring a really nice display up to Fenway Park and I think it'll happen, but it'll take some time."

But, noted the elder Papelbon, "If we keep winning like this, they may want to kick us out," referring to the Red Sox' 8-7 comeback victory in Game 5 Thursday night at Fenway Park and their 4-2 triumph in Game 6 Saturday.

Papelbon, who resides in Jacksonville, Fla., with his wife, Sheila, and commutes to the museum when it is open during Rays home games, has a unique perspective on this series. He's not only watched his son mature into a dominant closer, but has been an eyewitness to the Rays' amazing worst-to-first turnaround in winning the AL East this season.

"I told him early in the year, 'These aren't the same Rays - look out,' " Papelbon said. "I didn't think they'd be this good. I thought they'd contend and be tough, but I didn't think they'd be in the championship game here."

Nor did Papelbon ever envision his son developing into one of the most dominant closers in the major leagues. He credited former Sox pitcher Al Nipper with helping Jonathan reach the big leagues quicker than he ever imagined.

"[Nipper] took Jonathan under his wing in the Florida Instructional League and taught him a lot and he was the one who was instrumental in getting him to the majors as quick as he did," the elder Papelbon said. "We always knew he was good, but not this good."

The Papelbons had an inkling about their son's prodigious talent as he went from Little League to high school to Mississippi State. But at the pro level?

"It probably wasn't until he first got called up, for his first game against Minnesota [in 2005] and he struck out the first two guys and I was like, 'He can handle this,' " Papelbon said. "But you never know, because the big leagues is the big leagues. You see so many kids who are first-rounders, second-rounders, and third-rounders who never make it. He was a fourth-round pick [in the 2003 draft]."

The younger Papelbon has become a celebrity of sorts in Boston, especially after helping the Sox win the 2007 World Series.

"It's been that quick, but the fans love him and he gives it back," John Papelbon said. "I think he's good for the game. I think people like him, David Wright, the [Dustin] Pedroias, the [Jacoby] Ellsburys, when all that steroids stuff was going on, they all came in and showed some of the young kids there was still something good about baseball and somebody to follow, somebody who was real.

"It's just weird to see how things fell into place," Papelbon said. "Here he is, it's been a thrill to watch and I still pinch myself, wondering if this is a dream or what. My wife used to keep all the scrapbooks but now she can't do it anymore. There's so much stuff, so many papers, people sending us stuff all the time. He's on TV all the time. He's even on the cover of the program here."

Asked if the collection of Papelbon artifacts was enough to start thinking about another museum exhibit dedicated to his son's professional exploits, John chuckled and said, "That's down the road. Another 10 years, maybe. He's got to prove himself more than that."