Carp's Comments

I have been meaning to write this column for a while and seeing as this is my last chance, I decided to get my frustration out in words.

I was devastated after moving from Cleveland to Connecticut when I was 11. I had to leave my beloved Indians but eventually I learned to love the Red Sox.

Maybe I was too young at the time, but I never remembering criticizing the Indians besides letting go of Manny Ramirez. But I have a lot of problems with the Sox. And enemy number one is Jonathan Papelbon

The man is a goon. He is a fading player. He is slowly becoming the new and un-improved Keith Foulke.

He didn’t always piss me off. He was an integral part of the team’s 2007 World Series win. He holds the record for most consecutive scoreless innings (26) to start a player’s career. In 2006 he had a .92 ERA in nearly 60 games. He consistently musters up around 40 saves every season. But these are not the numbers that bother me.

Papelbon’s GO/AO (ground out to air out) ratio was .41 last year and stands at .71 thus far in 2010.

As a closer, he wants to get easy ground ball outs for a quick inning. The Sox have a great defense-minded infield and are more than capable of putting a game away when ground balls are hit to them. Papelbon can’t keep the ball on the ground and winds up getting a large chunk of his outs from well-hit fly balls that look like they could sail over the fence.

Coupled with this poor GO/AO ratio is his falling strikeout/walk ratio. In 2008, a good year for Paps, he tallied 77 strikeouts with only 8 walks. In 2009 his strikeout count remained about the same at 76 but his walk count rose to 24. In 2010, his walk and strikeout counts are both at 9. Walking men in the ninth inning just puts extra men on base for when those pop-ups eventually turn into extra-base hits.

Why has his strikeout/walk ratio suffered? He is missing his spots. I have seen Martinez set up high and inside so many times only to chase #58’s pitch that wound up low and outside. His ball speed has gone down and his placement is horrible.

I am sick and tired of watching him close games with a high fastball after having loaded the bases and brought the count to 3-2 with 2 outs. It makes for entertaining baseball but I would rather just see them win.

Papelbon is also the head perpetrator in making baseball the slowest game ever. Pitchers in the 1970s would get the throw from the catcher and start the windup three seconds later. Papelbon has to stare behind himself for 10 seconds before grunting at the batter for 20 seconds.

Slow play is unbearable and Bud Selig agrees. He has been fined more than $10,000 at least five times for his slow play.

After a recent game, Papelbon commented on the slow play and said, “Have you ever gone to watch a movie and thought, ‘Man, this movie is so good I wish it would have never ended.’ That’s like a Red Sox-Yankees game. Why would you want it to end?”

Well Jon, I want it to end because the longer you are in the game the more likely it is that you give up runs and lose it for the Sox.

His bad attitude and deteriorating play has won him a 4 year/$40 million contract with the Sox. I say drop this goon and put Daniel Bard in the closer spot. The Sox should have some loyalty, but when Papelbon doesn’t have any loyalty to his team, it’s time to drop him and let a young gun step in.

Some young guns will be stepping into the role of Sports Editor next season and I wish them luck. Have a great summer!