By BRENDAN MCGAIR
Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET — Bruce Hurst was just following the standard protocol when he popped in Ben Mondor’s office Wednesday afternoon.

After all, that’s what former PawSox do: they pay respect to the founding father (Mondor) and his two loyal sidekicks, Mike Tamburro and Lou Schwechheimer.

“Mike was the general manager at Elmira (NY) when I signed with the Red Sox 32 years ago, so I’ve known him my whole baseball life,” said Hurst. “Ben’s just one of the great owners, so to come back and think about the old times is great. It’s fun to go back and reminisce.”

Conjuring up memories aside – Hurst’s choice of wardrobe was a Red Sox pullover and a PawSox cap – Hurst wasn’t merely making a social call. He was at McCoy Stadium conducting business on behalf of the Boston organization, his official working capacity being roving assistant to minor league pitching coordinator Ralph Treuel and farm director Mike Hazen.

“I go basically where they want me to go,” said Hurst, who will spend one more night in Pawtucket before shuttling off to his next assignment (Double-A Portland) for the Fourth of July weekend. “They want me to go and see as many games as possible.”

The current group of Red Sox owners has made it a priority to welcome back past players, Hurst being the latest example to join ex-Sox Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant. A left-hander who pitching in Pawtucket in 1980-81 and would later go on to win 88 games in nine seasons with the BoSox, Hurst assisted during spring training before being asked in late February to, as he phrased it, “to provide another set of eyes.”

“They just want another opinion to put in the mix,” Hurst was saying after taking in a bullpen session with prized prospect Clay Buchholz.  “I visit with Ralph and Mike based on what I see and express my thoughts.”

The credit goes to Craig Shipley, Boston’s head of international scouting, for reintroducing Hurst to his Red Sox roots. The two were teammates with San Diego in the early 90s and frequently crossed paths internationally (Hurst served as the pitching coach for the Chinese national team for several years and has worked for a MLB-sponsored academy in Europe the past eight years).

“I’ve literally been around the world,” said Hurst, who resumes his European duties next month.

Hurst was brought in as a guest lecturer when the Red Sox held their winter camp for several of the system’s highly regarded prospects in January. “I guess that was my interview process,” he recalls. “That was for them to see how I interact.”

It’s only been a few months, but Hurst admits the Red Sox he came of age under are the polar opposite of the folks he currently calls pupils and co-workers.

“They have a lot of talented coaches at each level; there’s a lot of tools for these kids to use” said Hurst, who has one remaining stop (Single-A Greenville) to make on his Red Sox minor-league caravan. “I think they are committed to being the best run organization, top-to-bottom, in all of baseball.

“This organization has so much positive energy,” Hurst continued. “It’s fun to be a part of.”   

Hurst took the time to stomp on Jim Rice’s behalf. He believes Rice’s enshrinement in Cooperstown is long overdue.

“Maybe Jimmy didn’t reach the 500 home run plateau, but I look back and he struck fear (in the opposition),” said Hurst. “He carried our team for weeks at a time.”

Hurst’s greatest claim to fame around these parts is the five scoreless innings (frames 27-32, to be specific) he worked as part of “The Longest Game.” He credits the pre-renovated McCoy Stadium for showing him the importance of utilizing both sides of the plate. “It was a much smaller ballpark, so the margin of error was much smaller,” he said. “You had to keep the ball down; (McCoy) was a great place to learn your trade.”

Asked if he could see himself growing into a full-time role with Boston, Hurst replied, “We’ll see at the end of the year if there’s a need for me. If it doesn’t work out, it’s been a privilege to work for the Red Sox.”