Is Papelbon's heater cooling off the closer?

The seven games the Sox play against the Blue Jays in the next week are crucial. The Jays are 6 1/2 games back in the wild-card race, and the least are a capable spoiler. The Sox certainly can't let that happen. So it should be a mighty interesting weekend, one that will even feature Bartolo Colon's return from the swing that put him out of commission for more than two months.

But enough of that. It's on to the question-and-answer portion of our program today. You provide the questions. I provide the answers. (And hope they're satisfactory.) We've got a reader-inspired story from earlier this week on Jonathan Papelbon, a by-the-numbers approach to uniform assignments, and some fungo action.

Enjoy.

"I want to announce my presence with authority!" Is it just me or has Jonathan Papelbon fallen in love with his fastball? It looks like he is even shaking off Tek to make sure he throws it. What happened to that devastating splitter? Predictability is the worst thing for a pitcher and it seems to me that hitters are sitting on his fastball now. Major league hitters can hit major league fastballs.
Chris, Kailua, Hawaii

A: Your questions get answers! Because I got this question -- or a version of it -- so much over the last couple of weeks, I worked on a story about Papelbon's reliance on the fastball on Tuesday. Or, as you'll recall, just in time for Papelbon to blow the game on a series of fastballs to Tampa Bay's Dan Johnson. Basically, Papelbon, John Farrell, and bullpen coach Gary Tuck all said that they've been working on using Papelbon's fastball more for a while now, trying to decrease his pitch count, and enabling him to pitch more. They think it makes him more efficient, while using location to make one fastball into four different pitches.

Hi Amalie--thank you for the great job you do for Boston.com. I'm curious why the Sox haven't issued numbers 5 or 21 since Nomar Garciaparra and Roger Clemens left. I understand not issuing No.14 -- it'll be retired when Jim Rice is elected (soon, hopefully) to the Hall of Fame. But neither Clemens nor Garciaparra should warrant having their numbers retired or withheld any more than Wade Boggs did (the Sox issued his No. 26 to Lou Merloni not too long after Boggs left). Perhaps Joe Cochran can shed some light on this. Thanks!

Tom, Honolulu, Hawaii

A: You're right. No. 14 won't be issued any time soon, especially because Jim Rice is still employed by the Sox, so it's still technically his number. I put this question to Cochran over the weekend in Texas, and he provided me with some answers about the Sox' numbers. It's likely that you'll see Nomar's No. 5 headed out to a player soon, but it has to be the right player. Cochran said that since players are very aware of the legacy of numbers, some don't want the burden of having a popular player's number. "Players know," he said. There's a method to the madness, he added, and a system gets developed over time. Part of it is just by feel, and part is dictated by which players request which numbers. I wouldn't look for Clemens's No. 21 to be issued in the near future, though. That one's still off limits for now. I wouldn't look for another No. 24, either.

Amalie, glad to have you on the bag. I just witnessed Timlin blow the game with the Rays last night. As much as we all respect him for what he's done over the years, he's done. He hasn't pitched well enough to warrant getting in meaningful games and because he doesn't pitch his sinker doesn't sink. Francona is a loyal guy and I respect that also, but Timlin can't be on the playoff roster. Your thoughts?

Joe Gill, Titusville, N.J.

A: Thanks, Joe. Having watched Timlin all season, I'd be surprised if he pitches meaningful innings in the postseason and, yes, I don't think his performance this season merits a spot on the playoff roster. There is, as you said, a lot of respect for Timlin and his career accomplishments, but it's all about his current performance. To give you an idea of how the Sox have used Timlin this season, he has only pitched in "late and close" games (defined as situations in the seventh inning or later with the team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck) 14 times this season. That's compared to 23 times in 2007, and 56 times in 2006. According to baseball-reference.com, opponents are batting .462 in those situations against Timlin this year.

Amalie, I really enjoy your work. Great lead to your recent story on Lester's shutout of the Rays. Given what you observed of Lester, how much of a difference would a year's worth of maturity make for Buchholz and Bowden? Can they develop the way Lester has developed?

Jeff, Knoxville, Tenn.

A: So nice of you to say. The transition from Triple A to the major leagues is an extremely difficult one, not only from a pitching standpoint, but also in terms of maturity and the ability or willingness to make adjustments. While it would be unfair to say that Bowden and Buchholz can develop as Lester has done, since he's working his way toward an elite level, it's certainly possible. With both shut down for the season now, there will be a lot of work needed to get them ready for next season. Theo Epstein told me earlier this week that Bowden will be used as rotation depth for the Sox for the 2008 season, and will be given chances to show what he can do in spring training. It's going to be a tougher road for Buchholz, who really fell apart this season. He will need to learn how to translate dominating results in the minors into success in the majors.

I know that the playoff roster can only be made up from the 25-man roster as of Sept. 1, but how do the players on the disabled list factor into that? So the players on the 15-day DL (like Drew, Wakefield, etc) at that time, are they eligible also? Also, I read somewhere that the team can also pick another player on the 40-man roster in place of a player on the 60-day DL. Not that I would think they would need to, but could they put another player in for, say, Curt Schilling?

John, Franklin

A: This was also an issue last season, you might remember, when Jacoby Ellsbury wasn't on the roster on Aug. 31. He ended up being eligible, obviously. At the time, I got Sox rules guru Brian O'Halloran to explain. While his explanation includes players not on the team anymore -- Brendan Donnelly, Matt Clement, and Doug Mirabelli -- it's still instructive today. "The way substitutions (before a series) work in general is as follows: each team's initial pool of eligible players is the 25 players on its active roster at midnight on 8/31 plus any players on the 15-day DL, 60-day DL, suspended list, bereavement list, etc.," O'Halloran wrote last September. "So we have 28 players in this pool (25 plus Donnelly, Clement, and Mirabelli, all of whom were on the DL on 8/31). Any player in a team's pool who is injured when a given series begins can be substituted for. So if Mirabelli is healthy at that time he will not be eligible to be substituted for, as an example. But if any player of the 28 eligible guys is hurt at the beginning of a series, we could substitute for him. For example, with Donnelly being out for the year, we can substitute any player who was in our organization on Aug. 31 for Brendan. This substitute could be a pitcher or position player, and does not necessarily have to have been a September callup." In case you were interested, the Sox had seven players on the DL this Aug. 31 (Schilling, Julio Lugo, Mike Lowell, David Aardsma, Drew, Colon, Josh Beckett, and Sean Casey), meaning their pool is 33 players deep, plus any player in the organization can be substituted for Schilling or Lugo.

My question is this: Suppose the Red Sox and Dodgers both make it to the World Series this year. In Manny's first at-bat do the Sox fans relentlessly boo him or do they give him a standing ovation? Or maybe something in between?

Matt B., Riverton, Kan.

That's a great question and, given how the Dodgers have been playing of late, perhaps a serious possibility. There would certainly be great storylines for the Boston and LA sportswriters! I think it's hard to forget what he gave to the Boston fans -- two World Series titles, for starters. Yes, there was angst. Yes, I believe he quit on the team in 2006, and perhaps didn't play up to his capabilities in Boston this season. But without Manny, this team doesn't win in 2004 and it doesn't win in 2007. So, despite all the issues, I think he does deserve an ovation. As to what fans will actually do, that's not my call.

With the minor league seasons coming to an end, what are the chances we will get a look at Daniel Bard? All reports indicate the kid has done an outstanding job and many "scouts" see him as having major-league stuff. If not this September do you -- or more importantly, the Red Sox -- see him as a candidate to make the team next year?
Bill, Seattle, Wash.

A: Since the Sox are done with their September callups -- barring injuries -- it's apparent we won't see Daniel Bard at Fenway this season, and I would have been very surprised had he been called up. Having seen him multiple times in the minors, he's very impressive. He's got great stuff, and it's good to see that he's put it together this season after a disappointing season -- by his own admission -- in 2007. I think Bard will be a candidate next year, perhaps as a mid-season addition to the bullpen, and eventually could develop into an eighth-inning bridge to Jonathan Papelbon. But that time is not quite here yet.

How will the time spent on the DL (or extended non-DL absences) this year for a number of Red Sox players benefit them in October? Only one starter (Lester) is projecting out to 200 innings and only three regular players (Bay, Pedroia, and Ellsbury) would have played in 90 percent of the team games. Youkilis, however, is close to 90 percent of games played. Obviously, not having players during the season jeopardizes the team's chances of not making the playoffs. Is this an actual plan by the team to limit not only the pitchers, but also the day-to-day wear and tear on the position players?
Alan, Grafton

A: I wouldn't say it was exactly a plan to end up with some of their position players and pitchers on the disabled list, but it could play dividends in the end. Terry Francona definitely likes to give his players days off, to make sure they're rested as the season goes along. I'd be pretty surprised if we ever saw a player start in 162 games under Francona. So we could see some more well-rested players down the stretch, which could help the Sox. Take, for example, the differences between CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett in the postseason last year. Beckett, of course, was the one with fewer innings -- and he looked stronger.

We are great Sox fans who are very concerned about David Ortiz. While he has driven several balls deep, he hasn't had a home run in a long time. Has he fully recovered from his injury? Will he need surgery in the offseason? We need his home-run power but it has been missing.

Al G., Brunswick, Maine

A: We've all heard that Ortiz has been experiencing some difficulty with his left wrist, the one that was injured May 31. While that appears to be a normal problem with such an injury, it does seem worrisome that the home runs have just not been there for Ortiz. We'll see whether the power comes back as the season goes on, but it's possible that it might have to be addressed in the offseason. Some doctors who had not examined Ortiz's wrist told me that if the clicking still remained -- Ortiz told the media Sunday that it did -- offseason surgery could be a potential solution. So we'll see how this one progresses.

Amalie, love the mailbag. I have one simple question: the dirt circles by home plate at Fenway. I assume they are meant to be on-deck circles but why are they there and why don't they move them or put grass there?

Marc F., Chaplin, Conn.

A: Thanks! Those dirt circles actually aren't on-deck circles. Those are fungo circles. They're designed for coaches to stand in while hitting fielding practice to the players.

Amalie -- Let's put the Sox chatter on hold for a moment. Let's talk about you. Is Sarah Palin stealing your mojo when she clearly has invaded your fashion-design space and ripped off your signature eyewear statement?

John, N. Yarmouth, Maine

A: I was stunned. I mean, the nerve! In this politics-free space, however, I'll just say that I applaud the use of eyeglasses by anyone. Now, here's an answer without a question to get this back to baseball. Best frames on the Sox? That would be Jacoby Ellsbury, who goes with a stylish pair with a frame on the top and not the bottom.