Tag: Jonathan Papelbon (Page 2 of 3)

      Jonathan Papelbon wants to be a Yankee

      June 19, 2009 /

      …okay, so Pabelpon didn’t really say that he wants to be a Yankee. I just threw out that headline to suck readers into the story. It’s called the old bait-and-switch (actually, it’s not called anything – I made that up too) and scumbag bloggers have been using the tactic for years. I promise I won’t do it again…today.

      Here’s what Papelbon really said in relation to possibly joining the Bronx Bomers one day:

      In an appearance on Sirius XM Radio, Jonathan Papelbon told Jody McDonald and Bert Blyleven that he would consider playing for the Yankees once his Boston career is over:

      “Oh, of course. I mean, I think if we can’t come to an agreement on terms here in a Red Sox uniform, I mean I think that’s pretty much the writing on the wall.”

      Papelbon says he’d consider joining other teams, too:

      “Not only the Bronx, but anywhere. I think anywhere is a possibility. You always have to keep that in the back of your mind because you can’t just be one-sided and think that, “Oh, I’m going to be in a Red Sox uniform my entire career” because nowadays that is very, very rare and hopefully we can because there’s no question I would love to stay in a Boston Red Sox uniform but I have to do what’s best for me and play in an atmosphere where I’m wanted.”

      Even the mere suggestion of a BoSox player possibly joining the Evil Empire is enough to get Boston fans to throw up their cereal, but Papelbon is just being realistic. He’s leaving his options open down the road and while there once was a time when no Boston player would ever dream suiting up in pinstripes, Johnny Damon proved that money and opportunity talk louder these days.

      Remember though, Papelbon is under contract with Boston through 2011, so he’s still a couple years away from being able to test the market.

      MLB

      Team by team MLB draft rankings: Best drafts of the last 10 years

      June 9, 2009 /

      With the 2009 MLB Draft set to kickoff at 6:00 ET tonight on the MLB Network, SI.com did a cool feature in which they rated how each club has fared over the past 10 years when it comes to the draft.

      The Brewers were rated number one and it’s hard to argue with the ranking after looking at the names Milwaukee has drafted over the years: Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Manny Parra, Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo. Amazingly, this club also drafted Hunter Pence (Astros), but couldn’t sign him.

      The Red Sox were rated No. 2, with Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester and Manny Delcarmen leading the way, but the site left off a glaring omission: Jacoby Ellsbury. The Rays actually drafted Ellsbury in the 2002 draft, but never signed him. The Sox then nabbed him with the 23rd overall pick in 2005 and he’s currently their starting centerfielder.

      Speaking of the Rays, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Tampa ranked higher than No. 4 in the next couple of years. Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine and David Price are just some of the names they’ve drafted in the past 10 years. Don’t forget that they were the team that also drafted Josh Hamilton before he got injured and then became the poster child of what not to do when you’re an inspiring ballplayer with loads of free time on your hands.

      You look at a club like the Nationals ranked No. 8 and you wonder why they’ve been so awful over the years despite drafting so well. Then you realized they dealt Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips all in the same trade for Bartolo Colon and it all starts to make sense.

      If you’re wondering whom SI had ranked last, it was the Astros; only Hunter Pence was worth noting of the players Houston drafted the past 10 years. The White Sox were second to last, although if Josh Fields, Chris Getz, Clayton Richard and Gordon Beckham develop like the club hopes, I highly doubt Chicago will be ranked that low again if SI does another ranking like this in the next couple of years.

      MLB

      Papelbon goes nuts-o on photographer

      May 26, 2009 /

      After giving up a two-run home run to Mets’ backup catcher Omir Santos in New York’s 3-2 victory over Boston on Saturday night, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon screamed and hurled a towel at a photographer trying to capture Papelbon’s utter failure.

      Papelbon screamed, “Don’t take my f- – -ing picture,” according to Causi, before throwing his towel at him.

      It should be noted: Papelbon missed Causi.

      “I guess he missed with two pitches that night,” Causi cracked.

      Papelbon then stormed off to a corner of the dugout, hiding from the lensmen working in the first-base photographers well.

      Causi contrasted Papelbon’s behavior with that of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. The fotog recalled taking a picture of Rivera last month at Fenway Park just after the ace reliever blew a save against Boston.

      “He knew I was shooting him, and he didn’t say a word,” Causi said. “A true champion realizes you got to take the good with the bad.”

      Wow – Causi 1, Papelbon 0.

      I don’t know what’s worse, giving up a two-run home run to Omir freaking Santos or having a no-name photographer make you look like a massive chump in the newspaper.

      MLB

      2009 MLB Preview: #2 Boston Red Sox

      March 31, 2009 /

      Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

      Offseason Movement: The Red Sox made a slew of moves this offseason, including signing free agent starters John Smoltz and Brad Penny, as well as adding outfielders Rocco Baldelli and Brad Wilkerson. Boston also added pitchers Takashi Saito, Junichi Tazawa, Billy Traber, Ramon Ramirez, Miguel Gonzalez and Randor Bierd.

      Top Prospect: Lars Anderson, 1B
      Anderson was considered a top talent in 2006, but slipped to the 18th round of the 2006 MLB Draft because teams were worried about whether or not they could sign him. The lefty first basemen can hit for average and power, and has an excellent feel for the strike zone. He was named Minor League Offensive Player of the Year for the Red Sox in 2008 after clubbing 18 home runs and driving in 80 runs while hitting over .300. After spending most of the year in Single-A, Anderson has a while to go before he makes his MLB debut – especially considering the Red Sox are never out of contention these days. But he’ll be a name to keep an eye on down the road.

      Continue reading »

      MLB

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Relief Pitchers

      March 13, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      There are two general schools of thought when it comes to selecting relief pitchers. Some owners zero in on a stud and are willing to select one in the first couple rounds, while others don’t mind cruising the wavier wire on a regular basis during the season after they waited to address the position late in their draft.

      Neither approach is bad, although each has its drawbacks. K-Rod racked up 62 saves last season, but switching clubs and leagues this year leads to some uncertainty, plus outside of saves, his ERA and WHIP numbers have been on the decline for years. If you’re the type that burns a high draft pick on a top reliever and a guy like K-Rod fizzles, you obviously would have cost yourself an opportunity to select a position player that could have given you great value at that spot.

      Conversely, if you wait until the later rounds of your draft to address your stopper(s), then you run the risk of playing Russian Roulette with the position throughout the regular season, possibly costing you wins/points in not only saves, but strikeouts, ERA and WHIP as well.

      If we could offer some advice, we recommend finding a happy medium between those that make finding a reliever one of their top priorities, and those who avoid it like the dentist. Find that next wave of relievers after names like Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera come off the board. Chances are you’ll get a nice combination of saves, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP without burning a high draft pick on one of the studs.

      Below are some closers that won’t cost you a top draft pick, but also ones that shouldn’t come up short in the production department.

      Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
      Marmol is an incredibly intriguing, yet risky closer prospect. He has all the tools and talent to must 40-plus saves, but he is inexperienced and has some control issues. Still, the closer role is all his after Kerry Wood signed with the Indians in the offseason and if Marmol can take the next step forward in his development, he could be in store for a big season.

      Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox
      Jenks might scare some owners away this year after having back issues last year. But if he earned 30 saves at less than ideal health and after losing some zip on his fastball, then he’s capable of producing 35-plus saves this season now that he’s healthy again. If he ever matures, he could be one of the better closers in the league.

      Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
      Wood might be the most intriguing closer in fantasy this year after saving 34 games last season for the Cubs. He joins the Indians this year and if the Tribe bounces back, he has the potential to top the 40 mark in saves. He obviously has to stay healthy, however, and must avoid tiring like he did in the second half last season. (He went from having a 2.43 ERA and 0.86 WHIP to 4.57 and 1.45 in the second half.)

      Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
      Don’t be scared – Broxton is a stud in the making. The 24-year old has 40-plus save potential and should once again sniff 90 strikeouts, all while keeping his ERA south of 2.80. He has trouble staying consistent at times, but Broxton’s 11.4 strikeouts per 9 innings is nothing to scoff at.

      Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
      If the Angels give Fuentes as many opportunities for saves as they did K-Rod last year, then the former Rockie could be one of the best bargains in your draft this season. He saved 30 games last year and managed to keep his ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.10) low. You might be able to put Fuentes down for 35 saves this season, with comparable ERA and WHIP numbers from 2008.

      Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
      Wilson’s 4.62 ERA and 1.44 WHIP were nasty last year, but his 41 saves make him an awfully intriguing pick. Now that he has a full season under his belt, he should be able to lower his ERA dramatically, although he must be more consistent and cut down on the walks. Even though he pitches for a poor team, the Giants will give Wilson plenty of opportunities for saves as they have the penchant for playing in a ton of tight ballgames.

      Below is our official ranking of relief pitchers.

      1. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
      2. Joe Nathan, MIN
      3. Mariano Rivera, NYY
      4. Brad Lidge, PHI
      5. Joakim Soria, KC
      6. Jose Valverde, HOU
      7. Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
      8. B.J. Ryan, TOR
      9. Carlos Marmol, CHC
      10. Bobby Jenks, CWS
      11. Jonathan Broxton, LAD
      12. Kerry Wood, CLE
      13. Francisco Codero, CIN
      14. Brian Fuentes, LAA
      15. Matt Capps, PIT
      16. Brian Wilson, SF
      17. Heath Bell, SD
      18. Trevor Hoffman, MIL
      19. Frank Francisco, TEX
      20. Matt Lindstrom, FLA
      21. Mike Gonzalez, ATL
      22. George Sherrill, OAK
      23. Chad Qualls, ARI
      24. Huston Street, COL
      25. Joey Devine, OAK
      26. Troy Percival, TB
      27. Joel Hanrahan, WAS
      28. Justin Duchscherer, OAK
      29. Brad Ziegler, OAK
      30. Brandon Lyon, DET
      31. Jose Arredondo, LAA
      32. Brandon Morrow, SEA
      33. Manny Corpas, COL
      34. Chris Ray, BAL
      35. Chris Perez, STL
      36. J.J. Putz, NYM
      37. Fernando Rodney, DET
      38. Manny Parra, MIL
      39. Dan Wheeler, TB
      40. Miguel Batista, SEA
      41. Kevin Gregg, CHC
      42. Takashi Saito, BOS
      43. Grant Balfour, TB
      44. Hong-Chih Kuo, LAD
      45. Rafael Betancourt, CLE

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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