Guess Who’s Back?

Few days aren’t improved by a Jonathan Papelbon press conference- and yesterday was no exception. The closer was back in fine form in Florida, reporting for duty to toss balls and answer reporters’ questions. And given the fact that it was Valentine’s Day, I can only assume Jonathan saved up some special soundbites just for the occasion.

Don’t take my word for it- here’s video of him holding court with reporters in Ft. Myers, talking about his spring training regimen plans, Roger Clemens and steroids, and his feelings on the trip to Japan:

And just in case you prefer to read the collected works of Jonathan Papelbon in print, here are some of yesterday’s greatest hits:

On Spring Training:

Spring Training is always fun. Spring Training is the time to kind of relax and at the same time get ready for the season. I always get excited. Just on the way down here, driving, you think about what happened last year and going out there and doing it again. You turn the radio up loud and you’re cruising. It’s always a fun time of the year for me, that’s for sure.

On his spring training regimen:

I’m gonna stick to closing, man. Last spring training I took a starter’s approach and built up my arm strength. So I think for the first few weeks I’m going to be on the starter’s throwing program again, so to speak, to build up my arm. It worked last year.

On the 2007 season:

I really didn’t think about it a lot until I was on my way back here and thought what it meant. To me, to be a world champ is something you always remember.

Now, I’m kind of switching to the role of [hoping] to be remembered as a person who goes out there and repeats it. My whole goal now is to go out there and keep this ball rolling and pick up where we left off. It’ll be tough. I know the challenges we’ve got ahead. I think if we stay healthy, like we did last year — and that’s going to be a big part of our training staff’s [mission] and keep us on the programs that work — hopefully we can keep chugging along and stay healthy.

On being recognized, and the patented Papeljig:

Back home in Mississippi and Jacksonville, [Fla.], when I’m going back and forth, a lot more people notice me. They give me this ‘jig’ [stuff]. I’ve got to come up with something new. Last year after we won it, I was in a hotel room partying, and Ortiz was there trying to show me how to do the breakdance. And he fell over, and he didn’t know what he was doing. Either that or he was just too drunk. I don’t know.

Some people said you’re going out there and dancing and you’re making a mockery. I didn’t look at it like that. I looked at it like, ‘I’m young, I’m doing what I want to do in life and I’m going to celebrate and do what I want to do, regardless of what anybody has to say.’

On the dog-ate-the-ball story that won’t die:

If you believe it you believe it, if you don’t you don’t. What can I say?

On his duck-hunting buddy Eli Manning facing the Pats in the Super Bowl:

I was in the Bahamas when it happened. It was kind of a double-edged sword for me. You’ve got a friend as a quarterback who is trying to win a championship, and then you’ve got the Patriots, who are going to do something special, which you hope for them to do because they’re in the same city and you want the city to be vibrant and full of life. But they fell short, and what can I say? They’ve got to go back to work, I guess.

On Joba Chamberlain starting the year in the bullpen

One thing I do know him staying in bullpen with Mariano going to help him (mentally). I think it’s a good move.

On the Japan trip to open the season:

I’m not too excited about going to Japan, to be totally honest with you. I love my Japanese teammates and I love Japan — let me say that, too. I’m not much of a traveler. I’m kind of a homebody; I like to stick to America. Hopefully, they have a McDonald’s. We should be good.

On the Sox chances in 2008:

If we’re not the team to beat, I’d like to know who is.

The true test of a team is: Can they do it again? Was it a fluke? Did they catch breaks? There’s no reason we can’t repeat as long as we stay healthy.

You can get Jonathan’s Fresh To Death shirt here.