At the age of 26, he has established himself as one of dominant young closers in the game, a Sports Illustrated cover boy who submitted a 1.85 ERA during the regular season, allowed lefties to bat just .100 against him, and rang up 37 saves in 40 opportunities.
In fact, only one outing truly stands out as an aberration in a stellar second-year campaign for the big closer. It was on Sept. 14 at home against the Yankees, when the Red Sox began the eighth inning with a 7-2 lead but walked off 8-7 losers when Papelbon allowed two inherited runners and two runners of his own to score.
It was a rare collapse in a pressure situation, and the somber look on the reliever's face as he stalked off the mound was in stark contrast to Papelbon before the game, who seemed unusually wired, even for him. I mentioned this to him recently, and he joked it was because he was "on something."
"I was," he said, quickly adopting a more serious tone. "I was on two different medications for a migraine."
Papelbon said the migraine was so crippling that he spent most of the day at an area hospital receiving treatment.
"When they get really bad, even the slightest amount of noise or light is just brutal," he said. "You just want to curl up in a ball and die."
Papelbon refused to reveal his malady that night, choosing to leave the park without comment. It was only reluctantly that he confirmed his battle with migraines in the euphoria of the Red Sox clubhouse after the sweep of the Angels Sunday.
"You know what? It's the playoffs, and this time of year there is no room for excuses," Papelbon explained. "Nobody wants to hear 'em, and I don't want to give any.
"The migraines are something I cope with and deal with. So many guys are dealing with bumps and bruises this time of year, and the last thing I'm going to talk about is my stuff.
"I get a few of these a year - about four or five a season. I'm learning how to make it easier to pitch through them."
