Hansen

PAWTUCKET — The Red Sox have to be disappointed in the development of pitching prospect Craig Hansen this season.

If someone had said prior to spring training that the hard-throwing right-hander would not pitch for the Boston Red Sox at any point this season, most would not have believed it.

Believe it.

Hansen was told yesterday by Red Sox management that he will not be a September call-up, so his season is effectively over. He struggled in badly in spring training. He also struggled for the first half of the season with the PawSox while battling through an elbow injury. He turned it around a bit in the second half and finished strong.

Overall, though, most would consider 2007 a letdown for Hansen.

“I would (put) the other spin on it,” said PawSox pitching coach Mike Griffin. “I think it was a very good developmental year for Craig Hansen. There were some things he had to find out. There were some things he had to correct. He is now on that verge of correcting those things. He’s now ready to go into next year with everything in place to do what he has to do.”

Does he have what it takes to pitch for the Boston Red Sox?

“There’s no question,” Griffin said. “I feel very confident in Craig Hansen.”

During Pawtucket’s season finale against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees yesterday at McCoy Stadium, Hansen had an interesting day. His 14 2/3 scoreless-innings streak came to an end before he was ejected in the seventh inning for hitting a batter. It appeared to be retaliation for teammate Joe McEwing getting hit in the back of the neck an inning earlier.

Publicly, all pitchers say the right thing after drilling a batter and Hansen was no exception.

“I was very surprised by it (the ejection),” said Hansen. “I was missing my spots the entire time I was out there, and one gets away and accidentally hits someone. That’s all it takes.”

The gesture did not go unnoticed with McEwing, a veteran of 754 major-league games.

“I don’t know if it was intentionally or not, but it’s much appreciated,” he said. “When a teammate has got your back it means a lot, and I would go to war with him any day of the week. It meant a lot, it really did. He’s been that way for me all year.”

Even though Hansen will not join the Red Sox for the stretch run, he let Boston vice president of personnel Ben Cherington and director of player development Mike Hazen, who were in attendance yesterday, that he’s ready to be a good teammate by doing what’s necessary.

“It goes a long way,” said McEwing. “He’s definitely somebody you’d dive in a foxhole with. It definitely means a lot.”

After yesterday’s season-ending loss, Hansen spent some time cleaning out his locker and giving away some personal belongings to fans. Prior to the game, he wowed a handful of fans with his arm strength when he threw a ball from the foul line in shallow left field that landed in the top row of the bleacher seats behind the right-center field wall

Hansen is somewhat disappointed that he’s not getting a call-up, but he’s satisfied with the way he finished.

“I feel like I finished up strong,” he said. “I had a tough year at the beginning, but I was able to bounce back. They’re doing a great job up there this year and everyone is contributing. I guess they’re happy with what they have and I’m fine with it. That’s how it is.”

Look at the bright side

The Pawtucket Red Sox ended their 2007 season with an 8-5 home loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees yesterday.

Forget the fact that the PawSox missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Forget that they finished in the middle of the I.L. North standings with a 67-75 record. According to Red Sox management, their Triple-A affiliate had a tremendous season, especially in terms of player-development.

“I feel very good about the fact numerous players have been able to go up and help our big club,” said Johnson. “From an individual standpoint, I would like to be sitting 20 games over .500 right now; you always want to be in that position. But I think it’s been a good season. A lot of positive things have occurred.”

Breaks of the game

The 2007 version of the PawSox will be remembered for the records that were broken this season. Pawtucket closer Travis Hughes finished with 24 saves to break the club’s single-season mark previously held by Cory Bailey, who had 20 in 1993. Bobby Scales finished the season with eight triples, the most by any PawSox switch-hitter since Chico Walker hit seven in 1980.

Out with a bang

Junior Spivey made it a point to end the season on a high note.

The 32-year-old veteran signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox on Aug. 4 and was assigned to Pawtucket after spending most of the season playing independent ball. The former National League All-Star (Arizona in 2002) went 3-for-4 with four RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle. He also was the last player to leave the field some 45 minutes after the game, signing autographs until all the fans were gone.

Here and there

Longtime PawSox employee and director of game-day operations Dave Lancaster retired yesterday after 30 years in the organization in various roles. The Attleboro native was honored in a pregame ceremony with owner Ben Mondor and team president Mike Tamburro. … The PawSox finished with a season attendance of 611,379.

jmcdonal@projo.com