As the Phillies were in the process of picking up their first win of the season Wednesday night against the Boston Red Sox, the attention shifted to quotes from Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, in which he suggested he has never really felt like a Phillie.
“The Red Sox are a part of who I am, man,” Papelbon said in a story for The Boston Globe. “I don’t really feel much like a Phillie.”
Papelbon pikced up the save Wednesday night, his first of the season. This is the fourth year Papelbon has bene in Philadelphia, and it is probably safe to say he came at a bad time. The Phillies went spiraling out of playoff and championship contention just as he got to town, and he is getting paid a lot of money to close for a team that has little to play for on most days. Papelbon does not feel like a Phillie, because to the fans he has never really been accepted as a Phillie.
Papelbon’s character is what comes in to play. He has not felt like a Phillie because we as a fanbase have never embraced him as a Phillie. Whether it is his quirky character after watching an honest and down-to-earth closer like Brad Lidge, or Papelbon being a misguided free agent acquisition under general manager Ruben Amaro, Papelbon has not meshed well for whatever reason. And, truth be told, instances like this certainly do not help the cause.
Papelbon also got off to a somewhat rocky start in Philadelphia, blowing a handful of game sin his first season in town, but he has mostly been a dependable closer. On Wednesday night he came in for a four-out save against his old team. He has the ability to do that, and that can be a nice luxury to have. Still, Papelbon rubs some the wrong way, and he lives his life without thinking or doing much to change that. And that is fine, really.
But what will continue to ensure Papelbon never feels embraced here might be these quotes;
“It’s been a tough transition over here,” Papelbon said. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been tough. Tough getting used to the way it is here. It’s two totally different organizations.
“The way they’re ran, the way they’re coached, the players that are on them. Two totally different styles of baseball. I don’t know if I can honestly tell you if I’m even used to it yet.”
Papelbon is not really off the mark with these comments. There is something different about the way the Red Sox and Phillies are run as organizations. The philosophies differ in some respects, and the management executes differently as well. But if Papelbon has any concern for not feeling like a Phillie, statements like this that could be perceived in a negative fashion are why that will never change.
Papelbon’s comments were more a reflection of his fondness for his time coming up with the Red Sox and winning there. He helped Boston win a World Series, so why shouldn’t he feel a deep connection with Boston and the Red Sox? Current Boston outfielder and Shane Victorino gets praised for his respect paid toward Philadelphia years after being traded away for many of the same reasons Papelbon reflects fondly on Boston, yet Victorino gets a pass because his comments are not taken out of context or viewed as controversial. You can even see some of this happening with Jimmy Rollins in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, these are also the comments that will overshadow Papelbon’s thoughts on working with a younger bullpen.
“The great thing about our bullpen here is it’s easy because you have such great talent to work with,” Papelbon told The Boston Globe. “We have a really talented bullpen, but time will tell.”
Papelbon is going to go and do his job, whether he feels like a Phillie or not. The question is how long will that be the case?
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