For Jonathan Papelbon, no place is off limits when it comes to seeking pitching advice. Not even the shower.
Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Thursday to pick up his first save with the Nationals since being traded to Washington from Philadelphia. He apparently liked what he saw from Drew Storen, the Nationals’ previous closer, who pitched a scoreless eighth for the hold.
According to MASN’s Chris Johnson, Papelbon said after the game that he asked Storen in the shower to teach him his slider grip.
Jonathan Papelbon: "I was in the shower with Storen, I said ‘can you show me that slider grip tomorrow?’ He was really, really good."
— Chris Johnson (@masnCJ) July 30, 2015
I’d hate to tell Papelbon what I do in the shower, but I can assure you, it’s not asking for pitching tips. Then again, we’ve seen Papelbon get quite intimate with teammates before, so this might not come as a big surprise.
As for the slider, it’s one of Storen’s money pitches. His average fastball velocity has dropped the past two seasons, so he’s increased the amount he throws his changeup and slider. He now throws his slider 35 percent of the time according to Fangraphs.
Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
