It seems that the theme today is going to be former Red Sox players who were once very popular with the team. I took the above photo of former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon during a Red Sox game I went to in 2010, and I never thought I would use it in a post on this website. However, Papelbon is always full of surprises.
While perusing the internet today, I came across an article from Philadelphia’s local CBS news station regarding an interview Papelbon gave to a local radio station (if you must, here’s the link: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/03/08/jonathan-papelbon-phillies- fans-more-knowledgeable-than-red-sox-fans/ ) In the interview, Papelbon made some interesting comments:
The difference between Boston and Philadelphia, the Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball. The Philly fans, I think they tend to know the game a little better, being in the National League, you know, the way the game is played. I’ve had a guy take of his prosthetic leg and throw it in the bullpen in Boston...
You hate ‘em [Yankees] when you play in between the lines. But there's a fine line here. That hate and that passion to beat them was in between the lines, and that was it. I would have definitely entertained the decision to go to the Yankees if that was there, but obviously it wasn't.
Really, Papelbon? Philly fans are better than Boston fans? I’ve heard from many outside sources that Boston and Philly fans are about the same in intensity… they are as intense as they come. There are reports of Philly’s fans overtaking Nationals home games, and it wasn’t too long ago that a Philly’s fan was tasered when he went onto the field during a game. Also, wasn't it a Phillies fan who barfed on a young girl last year?
Papelbon was always a character (anyone remember this exchange two years ago when Papelbon was preparing for his second child? Papelbon's wife, Ashley, is pregnant with the couple's second child, a brother for toddler daughter Parker. The child is due in April. "Got a name picked out,'' Papelbon says. "Gunner Roberts." The significance? "Nothing, man. Just a badass name, so we went with it.'' ) (Here’s the link, if you want to go down memory lane: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/columns/story?
columnist=edes_gordon&id=4803511 ).
As the title of this post eludes, Papelbon was never one of my favorite players. I liked him when he was on a hot streak, I found him entertaining at times, but he also caused a lot of frustration for me as a Red Sox fan, as I’m sure he did for many others.
When my family went on that trip to Boston in 2010, my relatives and I went to Yawkey Way and bought some things before a game. This game happened to be the game on August 3, 2010, which was voted the number one game of 2010 by NESN viewers, by the way. I bought a blue, Mike Lowell shirt and a red, Dustin Pedroia shirt that day. One of my cousins bought a Papelbon shirt and asked why I didn’t. I explained to her that I wasn’t expecting Papelbon on the team after the 2011 season. I guess I was right.
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