After being traded back to Boston from San Diego on May 1, Doug Mirabelli was in uniform for the Red Sox that night with his usual tricky assignment of corralling Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Photo by The Associated Press Doug Mirabelli Valley grad has carved out niche as knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's personal catcher

The situation already was stressful for former Valley High School star Doug Mirabelli.

The most nerve-racking day in the 11-year career of perhaps the most celebrated backup catcher in baseball began this month with an early-morning wake-up call in San Diego from Padres general manager Kevin Towers.

Towers told Mirabelli his wish had been granted, that he'd been traded from the Padres back to the Boston Red Sox, where he had carved out an invaluable niche as knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's personal catcher for the past four seasons.

Mirabelli had to pack his bags and get to the airport as soon as possible. He hopped on a chartered jet to get to Fenway Park in time for that night's Red Sox-Yankees game, with his old friend Wakefield on the mound.

The jet landed at Boston's Logan Airport at 6:48 p.m. and Mirabelli was whisked away in a state police cruiser, his uniform waiting inside.

He arrived at Fenway at 7 p.m., jumped out of the cruiser in full uniform and was behind the plate for the first pitch at 7:13 p.m.

Everything went according to plan, except for one minor detail. Mirabelli would have to stop Wakefield's knuckleballs without a protective cup.

"The cup had fallen out of the bag and was sitting on the floor of the police car," Mirabelli said. "I had to catch the first inning without a cup. I didn't have time to put one on."

Mirabelli took the setback in stride. He didn't allow a passed ball and even threw out a runner.

"It was fun, but it was nerve-racking for me," Mirabelli said. "When I finally landed I realized this was serious. They flew me across the entire country for this one game. I had to catch Wakefield for a Yankees game and I hadn't caught a knuckleball in six months. I can't remember ever being that nervous."

Wakefield was amazed at Mirabelli's performance.

"It was a very strange night. I figured he wasn't going to make it for the game," he said. "Jason (Varitek) actually warmed me up before the game started, then (Mirabelli) rolls out with all his gear on and jumps right into the game."

The Red Sox reacquired Mirabelli from the Padres on May 1 -- he had been dealt to San Diego on Dec. 7 -- because his replacement, Josh Bard, gave up 10 passed balls in five of Wakefield's starts.

"I was disappointed I was ever traded in the first place. I never wanted to leave," said Mirabelli, who signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Red Sox after helping them win the World Series in 2004. "I got excited about being able to play a lot and be an everyday catcher for the first time, but when the Padres made a decision to bring in Mike Piazza, that changed my whole (attitude)."

Mirabelli said he heard he was going to be traded to either the Yankees or the Red Sox.

"All things being equal, I told Kevin Towers I'd appreciate him not sending me to the Yankees," the 35-year-old Mirabelli said.

Mirabelli, who uses an oversized women's fast-pitch softball catcher's mitt, once compared catching Wakefield to reaching into a bucket and trying to catch a minnow.

"It's tough. I don't know how to explain it until someone's been back there to really see it. The ball moves. It's dropping, rising and cutting," he said. "It's a wild pitch coming out of his hands, so you've got to be adept at catching wild pitches."

Mirabelli certainly had a wild time of it Tuesday, allowing three passed balls in the sixth inning of a 7-5 loss to the Yankees after not allowing one in eight games.

Mirabelli, who led Valley High School to two state titles and Wichita State to a national championship, broke into the majors with San Francisco in 1996 and played with the Giants until 2001, when he was traded to Texas. The Rangers traded him to the Red Sox that same year and he became Wakefield's personal catcher in 2002.

Former Red Sox manager Grady Little paired Mirabelli with Wakefield.

"I became his main catcher and it kind of snowballed," said Mirabelli, who is batting .143. "He got comfortable with me and we were successful."