In response to Hank Steinbrenner's comments about Red Sox Nation, Jonathan Papelbon had said, ""I don't know if he's trying to stir things up or not. I sure as hell don't care, because he sure as hell hasn't stepped on a baseball field. He needs to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess."

In response, Hank likened being insulted by Papelbon to being "attacked by a mouse".

"John Henry and I traded a couple of jabs good-naturedly. So now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn't know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There's no excuse for that," he told The Post.