Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

When the Spinners toss out the first pitch on the 2006 season tonight there will be a familiar name in the Lowell dugout. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon (top) leads the majors in saves and could very well find himself in the Boston starting rotation one day. Whether closing or starting, he's made himself one of the most popular pitchers on the Red Sox staff.

This season the Red Sox drafted Josh Papelbon in the 48th round and assigned him to Lowell where his older brother Jonathan started his pro career in 2003.

Josh and his twin brother Jeremy pitched in Lowell last summer on the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Mill City All-Americans (now the Lowell All-Americans).

In published reports right after the draft Jonathan had made mention of the fact that in a way he wished his brother wasn't in the same organization because of the endless comparisons and pressure, but before last night's Sox game he acknowledged some advatages the situation does lend itself to.

Red Sox Closer Jonathan Papelbon:

(On discussions with his brother) "We talk a lot, not just about baseball, but about life and everything that goes on. But lately we've been talking a lot about baseball and what to expect and how to approach hitters on the next level and how to go out there and he able to get hitters out now with a wooden bat. You know, it's going to be a whole new animal for him to face. He's really excited and he's looking forward to it. He's just like me. When a challenge is in front of him, we love to go out there and challenge ourselves."

(On their being any advantages to coming up through the same system) "Oh yeah, definitely. I know how the system works and I know what to expect and I can relay that information to him. Another thing is the fact that being my brother, he's going to have a lot of eyes on him and expectations and I told him that and he understands that. He's the kind of guy that nothing else matters but baseball to him. He keeps telling me the fact that now he just concentrate on baseball and 'I don't have to worry about school or nothing like that.' So he can just go out there and lay it on the line and compete."

(On Josh starting in Lowell) "I figured he'd go to Lowell. That's a good starting point for kids that came out of college and he came out of college. I figured that's where they would send him. That's where they sent me and that's a great place, a first professional team to go to play, and he'll have a lot of fun with it.

What do you think? Would Josh Papelbon have been better off in another organization? Or are you voting for the Red Sox to get as many Papelbons as possible?