Too much busy work

THE MANAGER didn't want to use the closer so often, hated to keep bringing him in for more than an inning at a time. Still, the team was trying desperately to stay in contention and every game counted.

Besides, the kid was young and strong. And he was pitching great, the closest thing to a sure bet the team had. So the manager kept waving him in from the bullpen, sometimes in the eighth inning, sometimes even though he already had pitched a couple days in a row.

That was the situation Boston's Terry Francona found himself in last year with Jonathan Papelbon.

Yet it eerily echoes the dilemma Charlie Manuel faces with Brett Myers as the Phillies resume play against the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium tonight.

Papelbon, of course, missed all last September with shoulder problems that were presumably related to his workload.

"I made a mistake," Francona said this weekend from his office at Fenway Park.

Myers recently pitched in four out of five games. Two were in nonsave situations. He has appeared in 17 of the Phillies' 31 games since being moved to the bullpen. Four of his last seven appearances (and five overall) have been for more than an inning.

To be clear: The Red Sox manager wasn't second-guessing or criticizing the Phillies manager. Heck, he's been there. Neither was he predicting that Myers is headed for the disabled list. He was simply answering questions about the temptation any skipper faces to use his best reliever when the score is close in the late innings.

"It's hard [not to use him]," Francona said. "It's very tempting. It's so easy to get to the seventh and you say, 'You know what . . . ?' Last year we leaned on [Papelbon] so hard. We pitched him too much. We thought, 'He's a strong, young kid.' I made mistakes. But you try to learn from it."

The Red Sox think they've learned. They have been more careful with Papelbon this year. In fact, they have been so careful that their approach has been wryly referred to as their Closer Protection Program.

While they don't announce it - no need to give the opposing team an edge - there are nights when an ironclad decision is made before the game that the closer won't be used. "The word we use is 'regeneration.' That way he can do his exercises and everything," Francona explained.

Last season, Papelbon made 59 appearances. In 21 of them, he pitched more than an inning. Nine of those occasions were between July 29 and Aug. 31; he had to be shut down the next day.

He pitched on back-to-back days 12 times; on nine of those occasions at least one of the appearances exceeded an inning. Five times he worked 3 days in a row.

This season, he's pitched on consecutive days just twice, each time for a single inning. He's been asked to pitch more than an inning just once . . . when he needed only 15 pitches to polish off five Rangers hitters.

"We try to monitor it so we can get the most bang for the buck," Francona said. "Not financially. So he can have a say-so in the outcome of the most games possible. It's not of lot of fun. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes you may lose a game by doing it this way. You're going to win a lot more in the long run, though."

Admittedly, that's easier for Francona to say this year. The Red Sox have the best record in baseball and a 9 1/2-game lead in their division. The Phillies are trying to get above .500 for the first time this year and are in third place, 6 1/2 games off the lead.

Also, the Red Sox have more bullpen options. Hideki Okajima has been a lights-out setup man and Mike Timlin has been effective as well. That allows the Red Sox to be creative. The Phillies hope to have more flexibility now that Ryan Madson (strained oblique) has been activated. It would further help if Tom Gordon eventually can rebound from shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since May 2.

"We don't always wait for a dead save situation," Francona explained. "If the game is in jeopardy, we'll use him in the eighth and somebody else in the ninth. Because often the game can get away from you in the eighth.

"We know it's not a perfect situation. Sometimes we'll get him up and the game just moves too quickly or something and it doesn't work. But it's the best way."

Boston has gotten saves from Okijama, Timlin and J.C. Romero when Papelbon has been unavailable.

It's not difficult to see why the Phillies are inclined to turn to Myers at almost every opportunity. After all, the Phillies' Opening Day starter has an 0.90 earned run average since being moved to the bullpen. Since Gordon has been out, Myers is 6-for-7 in save opportunities with a 0.77 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings.

"Hell, yeah, because anytime I can win a game, I want to use him," Manuel said. "Because you sit there and you figure he can definitely go out and get you through one inning and save the game.

"But you know in the back of your mind that you can't overwork him. That's tough, because winning the game is your first priority. That's when you have to remind yourself how much you're going to use him down the road.

"It's tempting. At the same time, you have the pitching coach standing there telling you about the downside."

And, honestly, sometimes it's difficult for any manager to balance that against the upside of bringing his most reliable reliever in whenever it looks like a win could be slipping away.

Tom Gordon began a conditioning program yesterday at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater. He will return to Philadelphia next Monday to be re-examined by team doctor Michael Ciccotti, at which time it could be determined when he'll be able to begin throwing. *

began a conditioning program yesterday at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater. He will return to Philadelphia next Monday to be re-examined by team doctor , at which time it could be determined when he'll be able to begin throwing. *