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"C" is for "Crazy"
2008-07-15 05:39
by Alex Belth

"If I was managing the team, I would close," [Jonathan] Papelbon said. "I'm not managing the team, so it don't matter."

..."We've both earned that right; us, by winning the World Series and having the opportunity of having our manager there and our team being represented, and Mariano by what he's done for this role, we're in Yankee Stadium and blah, blah, blah," Papelbon said. "It's not that easy. Everybody thinks it's a cut and dry answer, but it's not."
(N.Y. Daily News)

Well, Jonathan Paplebon is an athlete. And I'd rather have a guy who is dumb and good than smart and crappy. So this wasn't an especially bright thing to say. He isn't paid to be bright.

Comments
2008-07-15 05:51:49
1.   Ace Rothstein
I've known for a while now that Paplebon is a meat stick. I think this episode has pushed what remains of that lingering debate to its final and utter conclusion. It's not that we should idolize and deify mo - but its just classless to say that you should start over someone who is your elder - thats self evident.
2008-07-15 05:57:15
2.   Sliced Bread
Friggin' dickweek can't carry Mo's jock.

I'm sorry, I know that's not a mature response to Pappleclown, (nor is callling him Pappleclown) but this guy brings out the fifth grader in me.

[shoots paper spitball at image of Paplebon on backpage of NY Daily News]

2008-07-15 05:57:32
3.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
methinks Paps really enjoys the villain role...

just home this evening, watched the HR Derby highlights. Holy F"#$!!! Hamilton was hitting them like Reggie..that one to the back of the black seats, just ridiculous...

2008-07-15 05:57:43
4.   Sliced Bread
2 dickweed, damnit
2008-07-15 05:59:03
5.   Mr OK Jazz TOKYO
2 agreed and agreed! but still kind of fun...kind of boring when everyone always "respects the game"...
2008-07-15 06:08:26
6.   Sliced Bread
I respect the guy's game for now, but I dunno, I see this punk burning out fast for some reason.
seems to me he's gotta lotta John Rocker in him.
2008-07-15 06:12:41
7.   ms october
well, schilling did say "he's not exactly a charter member of mensa"
http://tiny.cc/gejMP

2 he is particularly grating, a dickweed as you say sliced

his case is really weakened by the fact that mo's numbers are otherwordly this year

2008-07-15 06:23:39
8.   Dimelo
I sure wish that wasn't the first thing I read this morning.

After Youk said something that kind of endeared me to him, albeit very, very little, hoping that the bleacher creatures would give him, Manny and Pedroia row call. I thought that was cool of him.

But now reading Paps comments, I hope he gets hit with a line drive dead in his mouth. If "C" is for "Crazy" then call me "Crazy".

2008-07-15 06:24:54
9.   Josh Wilker
Tabloid soundbites have a way of making people look like douches, but for what it's worth, here's what Papelbon told the Boston Herald:

"I've always referred to [Rivera] as The Godfather," said Papelbon who spent some time with Rivera yesterday morning along with current Sox, and former Yankee, coach Gary Tuck. "He's the Godfather of the closers.

"This is what I think, of course I want to close the game out. I wouldn't be Jonathan Papelbon if I didn't want to close the game out. But at the same time, there's also things within this game I have to understand and people have to understand. It doesn't always work out that way. We owe a lot to this game, we truly do. I feel I owe a lot to this game and that's one of the things I owe to this game, to let an elder statesman go ahead of me."

2008-07-15 06:29:54
10.   Matt B
9 I was just going to say that he should have said something akin to what apparently he did say, that you've shown us. I have no beef with him expressing a desire to close the game, it was just that "blah blah blah" was pretty awful.
2008-07-15 06:33:08
11.   Felix Heredia
Even A-Rod had the class to let Ripken start in his place.
2008-07-15 06:35:17
12.   Sliced Bread
9 So what's he saying? "age before beauty"
C'mon, Josh. He's a dickweed regardless of the tabloid treatment.

Speaking of which:
looks like ARod handled the midge swarm pretty well yesterday.
One of the gossip sites just posted a picture of him "huddling" with Shaq at Jay-Z's 40/40 club last night. He's not hiding. He's taking it like a man.
Unless there are more unappealing revelations to come, I think the third baseman will be good to go for the rest of the show. Shit storm's blowin' over.

2008-07-15 06:43:26
13.   Max
My favorite latest Papel-bonerism is how he says his teammate Pedroia is going to be "a little church mice" at the game tonight.

http://tinyurl.com/6aedlz

"I understand. My first All-Star Game, I was a church mice. "

2008-07-15 06:54:19
14.   ny2ca2dc
12 Exactly; not only is Rivera indeed the Godfather, in his own home park, but he's still the best. He's having one of the best starts in {history, recent memory}? It ain't age before beauty just yet, whippersnapper.

And oh by the way, I'm in the big city for the game tonight! My Red Sox fan wife got us tickets to the game for our first anniversary last summer, so I've been waiting for this for 11 months. I didn't get any sleep last night, tossing and turning in anticipation like a little kid. I can't believe how amped I am. The city is really decked out for the festivities, it's pretty cool (though probably annoying for locals who don't care about baseball). We walked by the grand hyatt yesterday without knowing the hoopla was there - Joe Nathan was outside being mildly mobbed. He had his kid with him, who was literally crawling all over him. He looks younger in person, and my wife says even cuter. We're heading down for the parade soon, I can't believe all the HOFers - psyched to see Yogi.

Kudos to Francona for writing out the lineup without favoring his guys. Youk was cute in his comments about the roll call (never thought I'd say that). Pap being Pap.

2008-07-15 07:05:48
15.   tommyl
Papelbon can lead an Irish dance after Mo closes it out. He's shown he's the best qualified for that important role.

When he comes in they should just put the clip Brett Gardner singling off him on infinite loop on the scoreboard.

2008-07-15 07:13:47
16.   RIYank
Jonathan Papelbon ERA+ = 178
Not bad.

Joakim Soria ERA+ = 292
Joe Nathan ERA+ = 348
Mariano Rivera ERA+ = 384

(Via River Ave. Blues)

2008-07-15 07:23:41
17.   JL25and3
I don't see a problem with what he actually said.
2008-07-15 07:36:42
18.   Schteeve
17 Me either, not to mention the fact that I can't believe how much Yankee fans give a crap about what Jonathan Papelbon has to say.
2008-07-15 07:51:36
19.   Travis08
16 Papelbon's also given up 5 unearned runs. Soria's given up 1, and both Nathan and Rivera 0.
2008-07-15 07:59:03
20.   RIYank
What he said to the Herald is fine. What he said to the LoHud Journal News isn't so good.
2008-07-15 09:43:11
21.   Alex Belth
Yeah, I saw this from Paps too:

"This is Jonathan Papelbon, closer of the Boston Red Sox," he said, using a reporter's tape recorder like a microphone. "Mariano Rivera will be closing the 2008 All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium.

"I'm making a statement right now, saying I don't want it, I want him to have it. I said all that earlier, but that's the way I feel about it."

2008-07-16 09:31:27
22.   pistolpete
21 Shouldn't have even come to that.

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