Last week, we found ourselves wondering what the Red Sox plan on doing with their closer after the 2010 season. Jonathan Papelbon has blown a career-high six saves this season and is under team control through next season. Should they trade him? I don’t know how much they’d get in return for a declining closer who has an arbitration number that will be around $10 million for 2011. Should they keep him? He seems to have become a liability on the mound and the Sox have their next closer, Daniel Bard, waiting in the wings.
After attending Thursday night’s Red Sox-Angels game at Fenway Park, I’m now fully certain that Sox fans have had enough of the once beloved, Irish dancing Papelbon. A couple of friends and I sat in the bleachers, section 41, which is right behind the Red Sox bullpen. Here is a list of some of the more memorable things I heard yelled at Papelbon Thursday night during Boston’s 7-2 loss, many of which may or may not have come out of the our mouths:
“Hey Pap, you’re still here?!”
“Hey Pap, we’d be in the playoffs if we didn’t have you!”
“Hey Pap, I just heard your salary arbitration number for next year come across ESPN. They’ve got you slated to make $575,000!”
“Hey Pap, get the mustard ready!” (I have no idea what that means)
“Hey Pap, you think you can somehow blow a five-run deficit, too?”
“Pap, I’m sure you’ve figured this out by now but just in case your brain is as slow as your fastball, no one likes you anymore!”
A few more colorful phrases were yelled that I wouldn’t even know how to censor. The bottom line is Papelbon’s luster in Boston has clearly worn off. This heckling was all done one night after he pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 30th save, and on a night where he had nothing to do with the loss. The truth of the matter is his arrogant attitude has turned against him. Unless the Red Sox make the playoffs and Pap dominates, I think he’s completely lost the Fenway faithful.
