Papelbon in NYC

by 0157H7 on Jul 16, 2008 3:43 PM EDT

ESPN has a disturbing story on the All-Star Game Parade, and how Papelbon was received by New York fans. The piece was written by his driver, an editor for ESPN.

A snippet:

Seeing the success they had with Morneau, fans started throwing items at Papelbon to sign … all the while hurling insults as well and waving the now-infamous New York Daily News back page. Until the NYPD put a stop to it by ordering the players not to sign anything, our truck was pelted with taunts, baseballs and pens. It got so bad that at one point my co-pilot Al rolled up his window, saying, "I don't know what's coming at us next." To put it in perspective, this is a guy who is a member of El Barrio's Bravest, whose only negative comment about life in the FDNY is that he doesn't get to fight enough fires. Needless to say, it was getting ugly.

At one point Papelbon switched from riding on the wooden bench in the back of the truck to sitting on the edge of the tailgate. He played it off as if he was doing a favor for the fans, so his back wouldn't be turned to one side of the street, but it sure seemed like more of a defensive maneuver, hoping to calm his pregnant wife's fraying nerves.

If any of the thousands that booed / pelted / insulted Papelbon had read his remarks, they would understand there was nothing to get worked up about. Pap merely said to reporters that he wanted to pitch and would close if he were the manager. Shortly thereafter he lauded Rivera ("He's the godfather of closers.") and abdicated any claim to closing the game ("I'm making a statement right now, saying I don't want it, I want him to have it.").

The behavior of New York fans at the All-Star Game parade was shocking and inexcusable. I have difficulty imagining something like this happening in Boston if the All-Star Game were held at Fenway. This is not to say Boston or New England is innocent of sports-related excesses - there have been plenty of celebratory riots and other examples of stupid, dangerous behavior here. Most of those incidents have grown out of celebration, however, not out of misplaced anger and tabloid journalism.

0 recs | Comment 21 comments

Read Related

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Word.

That was some BS. I already expressed my feelings, during the game thread.

I’m out, have a good week. GO SOX!

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 16, 2008 4:23 PM EDT 0 recs

Could you add my blog to your blog list?

http://yourtubesox.blogspot.com/

I am trying to get a fan base. Many Thanks.

by hportallstar on Jul 16, 2008 10:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

A copied response from Pinstripe Alley

Here’s the quote you didn’t post….
“If I was managing the team, I would close,” Papelbon said. “I’m not managing the team, so it don’t matter.
“We’ve both earned that right; us, by winning the World Series and having the opportunity of having our manager there and our team being represented, and Mariano by what he’s done for this role, we’re in Yankee Stadium and blah, blah, blah,” Papelbon added. “It’s not that easy. Everybody thinks it’s a cut and dry answer, but it’s not.”
Here’s something else he did that was appalling:

Yankees clubhouse manager Rob Cucuzza said how impressed he was with the Red Sox players. A few of them asked to see Thurman Munson’s locker. “Those guys and Terry (Francona) have been incredibly respectful,” he said. “I didn’t really know them before this and they’ve been great.”
Then we have Jonathan Papelbon, who is wearing a sleeveless blue t-shirt with a drawing of a hand making an obscene gesture. Yes, that obscene gesture.

Papelbon has to be some kind of moron for wearing a shirt like that in plain view when the baseball world’s collective eyes were focused on Yankee Stadium and the Hall of Famers in the pre-game ceremony.

Have some respect, punk. You act like a buffoon and you’re gonna be treated like one.

by drabidea on Jul 16, 2008 4:29 PM EDT 0 recs

funny

...i guess the fact that one of the most prominant players in the sport, who is on one of the most popular teams in the game, is getting divorced, negates the fact that his wife showed up to a game with a shirt that spelled out what she was trying to say and just sat there for everybody to see it.

Honestly, I’m a little surprised Yankee fans aren’t happy with Papelbon wearing a shirt with that image…it saves them the trouble of having to sound the words out

Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.

by DougieWentDeep on Jul 16, 2008 5:27 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm not defending the people on the street...

...but, in the eyes of New York, Papelbon disrespected a man who is an institution here. And while most of the blame should be placed on the Daily News, a type of “newspaper” that New Englanders should be thrilled to not have, Papelbon’s backpedaling couldn’t cover up the fact that the real quote from the interview was “If I was managing the team, I would close.” You can spin that either way you want, but the simple fact is that the quote is there, and it doesn’t look good. It’s a lot of people’s fault.

Now, another point: the people on the street who were being obnoxious shouldn’t be written off as “New York fans” because (a) New York is flooded right now with baseball fans from every other city due to the All-Star Game and (b) “fans” are the people in the Stadium. It’s not Boston, where everybody’s a baseball fan and everybody roots for one team. Don’t paint the entire City with the same brush.

It’s really tough to be able to figure out if the same thing could happen in Boston, but my hunch is that, under similar circumstances, it could and would. The problem right now is that the Yankees don’t have many youngsters with whom you can draw comparisons with an established Red Sox (the reversal of the Papelbon-Rivera duality).

I say it’s best to just leave it alone. Some guys acted like douchebags when the Red Sox came to town, and the rest of New York silently rolled its eyes in exasperation. The same thing happens when the Yankees go to Boston. Why is it a problem with the entire fanbase?

by dzawaki on Jul 16, 2008 4:29 PM EDT 0 recs

Paps

“If I was managing the team, I would close.” So you are accusing him of being too hungry and wanting to close in an all star game? I don’t get it.

Why would other baseball fans, not yankees fans, want to assault Papelbon? He hasn’t done anything to offend baseball. I could see if it were Barry Bonds or something who has brough discredit to the game, but Paps has done nothing wrong.

I mostly blame the newspaper for happened and not the fans. If I read something similar in a local crappy paper about the reversal I would probably react pretty similarly. I just hope Paps name isn’t totally skewed now and he becomes less vocal and more like Manny because of it.

That being said, Paps is a punk. I like that though. If I wanted a bunch of clean cut prissy boys I would be a Yankee fan.

by drabidea on Jul 16, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Of course I'm not accusing him of being too hungry...

and I don’t blame him for wanting to close. I’m simply saying that it didn’t look good to the idiots who read the Daily News. And I’m not saying that Papelbon had done something to irritate baseball in general; but can you seriously tell me that you think every person on the parade route who acted like a jerk was a Yankee fan?

And enough with the “prissy” comments; insinuating that the Yankees are inherently effeminate and that the Red Sox are inherently manly is the sort of argument that a twelve-year-old makes. If you want to see players getting pampered, read up on how Yawkey treated his Red Sox.

by dzawaki on Jul 16, 2008 6:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

The problem wasn't them yelling at Papelbon...

It was that the fans, whatever team they support, should have had more respect for the other people in the car, namely Mrs. Papelbon. People in today’s society have no respect for other people, especially those whom they could harm with actions. What would happen if all the distress Mrs. Papelbon was going through somehow affects the baby’s health? New York itself is filled with a lot of inconsiderate people, as is the rest of the world.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 16, 2008 5:00 PM EDT 0 recs

Here’s my view, which I posted on Pinstripe Alley too.

I don’t see a word of disrespect in any of those quotes. I think the reason you Yankee fans are mad is because Papelbon doesn’t bow down to Mo’s greatness like everyone else is. He wanted the ball in the 9th, and anyone who has succeeded at a level past little league knows that you can’t approach a game with an "It’s OK, he’s better than me" attitude.

Papelbon doesn’t hail Mo, and he isn’t going to. Suck it up.

by Charger567 on Jul 16, 2008 5:14 PM EDT 0 recs

Disturbing indeed

I also enjoyed the “Overrated” chant when Paps came in. Next trip to the Stadium with the whole team is going to be interesting…

by soxaholic on Jul 16, 2008 5:45 PM EDT 0 recs

Another drawn out tirade...it's all i'm good for

This whole situation is ridiculous….not one player in the majors would be where he is now if he always backed down and gave way for somebody else. They got where they are because they’re competitive and that means wanting to play as much as they can in the biggest stages there are and that includes the All-Star game, where the best are supposed to shine.

Personally, I was pretty tired of the pomp and circumstance that was the New York Yankee hand job. Seriously, this glitter and glamour wouldn’t have been seen anywhere else. I understand that it was the final All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, but seriously…its still just a fake game that really shouldn’t mean anything, at least until the fan voting is stricken from the process. But I guess if it was based merely on merit there only would have been like 1, maybe 2 yankees there. Anyways, I still think Titos classyness should be the only thing the Yankees are talking about because there is no reason he had to start ARod and Jeter in the field just so they can get a round of applause when they left the game.

All in all, it was an interesting game, and I’m sure the yankees would never see this, but I felt like it was very appropriate. Yankee Stadium is closing and the yankee representatives that were there really didn’t have much of a say in the final outing (Rivera even got lucky he didn’t get tagged with the loss since he got himself in trouble as well but was saved by a good throw by Navarro and an easy double play ball). It showcased the Sox with Drew picking up the MVP and tying the game with his 2 run bomb, as well as the new worthy AL East challengers in the Rays: Longoria tying the game and Kazmir getting the win (side note, wins are a stupid stat, but it still works in this scenario). It was a changing of the guards, something that is obviously happening in the NL when you looked at their All-Star team and noticed that the majority of their players actually deserved to be there.

The Yankee fans are finally faced with something they’ve been afraid of and that is uncertainity. They don’t know how to deal with it, and I feel sorry for them honestly, because they’re not going to know what to say when Selig has to tell them at the end of the season that they’re not automatically in the playoffs just because of who they are. I was in New York over the weekend, and was warmly welcomed with a “Boston sucks. Lets go Yankees” cheer from a guy in the subway station that clearly didn’t realize the place of his favorite team. Hilarious.

Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.

by DougieWentDeep on Jul 16, 2008 5:48 PM EDT 0 recs

Really?

You do realize that “Yankees suck” started in the ‘70s, right? What was the place of the Red Sox then? Saying that your rival “sucks” isn’t a sign of confusion or bitterness, it’s an articulation of the nature of the rivalry (albeit a rather unoriginal one).

Also, how is it that we’re afraid of uncertainty? It’s not like our playoff spot was guaranteed last year. And how many times over the past decade have the Yankees struggled in the first half and then come roaring back to make the postseason? Uncertainty is a part of the game, and Yankee fans, like any other group of fans, are fine with that. The Yankees have never made the playoffs “automatically” because of “who they are”, they’ve gotten there by winning games. You can’t buy divisions or wild cards, as some people claim.

I agree that the fan voting is crap. I also agree that not many Yankees would have been there if the voting had been done the real way, but in all fairness, several Red Sox would have been borderline, too. Manny comes to mind.

by dzawaki on Jul 16, 2008 6:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

...........

http://www.bostondirtdogs.com/Miscellaneous%20Pages/Yankees%20Suck.htm

by jjbooth74 on Jul 16, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

The Suck Chant,

Yes I’m well aware that the chant started back then when the Sox weren’t good. I just think it’s rather lame when you are not at a sporting event and some yahoo feels like being clever and start a Red Sox Suck chant simply because he sees somebody wearing a Red Sox hat. Shows a lack of intelligence and isn’t very mature. I don’t partake in “yankees suck” chants personally because I see no point in it other than to piss someone off. They don’t bring anything to the game other than being slightly annoying, especially when the chant is started when the Yankees or Red Sox aren’t even playing each other!! When I go to Orioles games to see the Sox play and I hear a yankees suck chant start, it just bothers the hell out of me because it has nothing to do with the current game that is happening. I think the chant was funny at first, and i also thought it was fair and balanced when the Yankee fans turned it on us, but it’s starting to wear on me personally. All that being said, I’m well aware that the same thing would most certainly happen if a Yankees fan walked through a Boston subway stations, I just think it shows a lack of class when it’s done in a situation that does not involve the Red Sox and Yankees playing each other.

I will admit that i may be jaded growing up in Northern Virginia where most “Yankee fans” aren’t fans at all and don’t even really know anything about the Yankees. So if I’m painting all Yankee fans with a broad stroke (i believe that’s the saying, if not, it is now), than I am sorry. I am certain that there are fans out there that care, follow and actually understand that you have to take time to rebuild a team every now and then. I enjoy conversations with those fans no matter what team they cheer for because I am a baseball fan above all else, but coming from where I live, it’s hard to have an intelligent conversation with a Yankees fan because most don’t know what they are talking about or will only feed back what they read online at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Fox, or ESPN which still tend to drool over the Yankees franchise. And yes they drool over the Red Sox too which is why I dont put much stock in anything some writers say and prefer reading my baseball news from places like Deadspin, this blog network, Firejoemorgan, or other places where intelligent writing takes place from time to time.

So dzawaki, if I have offended you I am sorry, cause you seem like a reasonable guy, and I agree with you that there would not have been Red Sox players starting where they did. I just wish there was more class when it comes to stuff like yelling at players and fans of other teams and starting demeaning chants in a family environment.

Who knows, it’s baseball, anything can happen so there is nothing stopping the Yankees from coming back and shocking us all again like they’ve done for the past two years when we thought they were dead in the water. So good luck in the second half

Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.

by DougieWentDeep on Jul 17, 2008 1:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

Not at all, Dougie.

And for what it’s worth, the only times I’ve heard the “_ suck” chant during an actual ballgame were (a) by drunk guys in the Yankee Stadium bleachers and (b) by the Fenway crowd after Manny went after Clemens in the 2003 ALCS. I think everybody’s pretty reasonable, it’s just that special circumstances (on-field brawls, drunkenness) in addition to the already vocal minority of idiots usually results in bad things happening, whether it’s what happened to Papelbon in New York or what happened to that guy who got assaulted in Cape Cod.

by dzawaki on Jul 17, 2008 7:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

Boston Red Sox

We are def. not exception to the sport because Red Sox fans sometimes do some really stupid things but this was just classless behavior on NY fans part.

by Boston Knucklehead on Jul 17, 2008 6:09 AM EDT 0 recs

"FLAPPINGUMS" (papelbon)

ONE…Papelbon, you’re in New York (your most hated rivalry / city)
TWO…It’s the ALL STAR game.
THREE…Oh snap! It’s in Yankee Stadium
FOUR…Oh snap snap! It’s the final season in Yankee Stadium
FIVE…You made a comment stating “If you were manager, you would choose YOU to close.”
SIX…If I’m not mistaken, Mariano’s stats are better than yours this season w/exception of number of saves (minus 5).
SEVEN…Mariano is ‘perhaps’ the greatest reliever of all time.
EIGHT…You’ve already shown your big mouth w/comments about how “It ain’t over w/the RAYS.” (yawn), so now you’ve established that you like to make antagonizing remarks.
NINE…what’s the point of even going on w/this?

You are so damned naive to think that making a comment like that won’t be taken out of context and abused by the NY media. You are a complete idiot! Do what you do best…Pitch the damn ball and let your actions speak for you.

"DUDE..."

by LOUtheMETSfan on Jul 17, 2008 4:38 PM EDT 0 recs

Points well taken

However, this isn’t the last year of Yankee Stadium. The last game played in the “House that Ruth Built” was way back in 1973. The current Yankee Stadium is a bad 1970’s ball park. There is nothing left of the original stadium. It looks different. The dimensions are different. Home plate isn’t even in the same place.

This is from an SI article about the House that Steinbrenner Renovated:

Physically, the renovated park followed the trend of cylindrical, hollowed-out Stadiums that were in vogue in the ‘60s and ‘70s. It may have been slightly more convenient than the old version, but aesthetically it was not an improvement. The bleacher seats were cut in two and the centerfield fence went from 461 feet to 417. “Death Valley” in left-center went from 457 feet to 411, though the corners were pushed out slightly (future “renovations saw center field go to 410 feet in 1985, then 408 in ‘88, while left-center eventually ended up at 399). The place was colored in royal blue.

This is what became of Yankee Stadium: