It comes as no surprise to many that the Sox named Papelbon their closer yesterday. What did come as a surprise to a lot of us was that the move was made not only because the Sox didn’t have a closer yet, but because Jonathan Papelbon wants the job.
"This is something I want to do for the rest of my career. It has nothing to do with Timlin’s health or us not having a closer or my shoulder. I broke into the league as a closer. They drafted me as a closer. In college, I learned to pitch in the bullpen. It’s where my heart is."
Good enough for me. Seriously. If the kid wants to close, let him close. He’s already proven he could do it and I don’t believe for a minute that the Sox (or Papelbon) would allow this if his shoulder were that big a concern.
I can’t wait for the day when I’m watching Lester start games and Papelbon finish them!
On a personal note, technology is not my friend this week. Working with Dell to see if my computer can be salvaged and last night realized that my cell phone is probably being kicked around the streets of Boston.
Ah well, it’s Spring…time for new beginnings, right?
(Photo lifted from SI.com)
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