Closer Minded

Dear Mr. Papelbon,

The Red Sox just suffered another loss to the Baltimore Orioles -- with you on the mound and the post season on the line -- punctuating the greatest September swoon in the history of Major League Baseball and your post game quote was, "I don't know what anyone else in the clubhouse is feeling, but, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Really, Pap? Fuckin' really!?

That's all you got one night after you nearly broke an arm patting yourself on the back telling anyone with a microphone and camera how much you love "pressure situations?" You love them so much, in fact, that if we "checked the tape from [the previous] night's win you'd see me smiling."

Was that bravado real or were you just showing off because Heidi's tits were in view? It's an honest question, Pap. I'd say just about anything if Ms. Watney was that close to me and a shower. Or, as I like to call it, the sanctuary of self abuse.

Listen, Jonathan, I appreciate you taking the "professional" approach to your team's historic collapse. I really do. But maybe taking a little ownership of the defeat instead of quoting Zen-like proverbs would've been better received by the constituents of Red Sox Nation. After all, sometimes professionalism can be misconstrued as indifference.

Just ask Bill Belichick.

The thing is, you're right. That which does not kill you DOES make you stronger. If you can't strike out a number 9 hitter in Baltimore with your team's season in the balance it won't kill you.

It'll just kill your career.

Disappointedly Yours,

sports+thoughts
Spokesman, Red Sox Nation