ETBlogs Sports - Latest Comments in This just in … Papelbon is good

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 07:15:00 -0000

I've heard this "exploding" fastball comment a lot, and not only here. It seems like a baseball buzzword to me (like other phrases like "it was a grind" and "well, a lot factors into it..."). Does this just mean late movement?

That being said, I don't think that Pap could be more effective even if his fastballs actually exploded.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Jeff — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 09:18:00 -0000

Rob, with the Durbin pickup, a thought came to my mind and you're the most accessable qualified person to ask.

The kid's out of options, the Sox picked him up on waivers. They may try to send him down and hope he clears waivers for the Sox, which may not happen. Is there a limit as to how many times you can claim a guy? Like, can the Diamondbacks claim him again if the Sox try to send him to Pawtucket? And if the D-Backs try to send him down, can we claim him back again? Is there a mechanism to stop this kid from being bounced from place to place outside of a team keeping him on the 25 man roster?

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 07:19:00 -0000

Tek.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

TJ — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:27:00 -0000

Two Words: Late Movement.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:05:00 -0000

fransworth came in for the 9th innning tonight and his first 4 pitches were balls. he was throwing up there at 97 but missing. papelbon can locate better and his fast ball explodes through the zone. it's the life on the ball that make papelbon the dominant pitcher he his, the one who can overpower michael young, mark texiera and an aging samy sosa.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:44:00 -0000

Someone enlighten me. What are the rumors?

Chris Nelson

Batavia, Ill.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Dover — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:17:00 -0000

I want you to tell me one original thought or opinion that Glenn Ordway has had in the last five years that he didn't read from the Globe or Herald that morning.

And if the rumors are true this only means Ordway will sound smarter. ;)

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:54:00 -0000

Rob... if the rumors are true, congratulations. You've worked damn hard to rise through the ranks.

Though honestly, I want you to tell me one original thought or opinion that Glenn Ordway has had in the last five years that he didn't read from the Globe or Herald that morning.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

John — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:17:00 -0000

Two points, 1) His splitter is nasty. Plenty of guys throw splitters but the break on his seems just so much sharper than others'. 2) He's consistently in the strike zone but not over too much of it. (last night that had to be to some degree luck, Tek was setting up on the other side of the plate and he caught the opposite, closer to target and it might be smacked.) So when he's always in the zone, hitters know they only have 3 pitches, maybe four. So they have to swing earlier.
Farnsworth might throw hard (and we can't really say ineffectively) but a good hitter can watch a few and wait for the fastball that catches a lot of plate, and isn't fearing that second pitch.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:02:00 -0000

Hey, Happy Birthday, Mrs Bradford!

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Fenway Blogger — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:06:00 -0000

I just had this discussion this afternoon of why one pither looks unhittable at 96 mph and another can get slammed. Paps clearly threw inside when Tek was setting up outside. Cathers deke hitters but I do think from signs I saw Tek wanted Paps outside. Michael Young looked very bad! I think Paps ball explodes and worrying over the split is a problem for hitters. Beckett threw so many fastballs last year in the zone and hitters sat on it at about same mph. Also, Randy Johnson is the only other pitcher I know who could look so mean and ugly as Paps did last night. Glad he's on the Sox as a closer.

Papelbon 2007 salary $425,500

Piniero 2007 salary $4 million

Go figure!?!?

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:05:00 -0000

patrick, don't kid yourself... trying to get all technical! You speak like someone who's never hit off a guy with a 'live' arm

Jack nailed with the 1st post -Papelbon's relaxed motion and then the late movement are his keys

96 at the knees in 40 degree weather - wow. The definition of filthy, right there.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:00:00 -0000

This just in... you've stolen Dale Arnold's line...

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:48:00 -0000

I'll tell you why Papelbon is so good:

1. Incredible late life on his fastball that very few guys are blessed with.

2. Good location. Just watch where Tek sets up, and where the ball ends up. He doesn't get enough credit for good location. That fastball to Young on the outside was paint.

3. Good "misses". When he misses a location, it's usually missed in a spot favorable to the pitcher.

4. Devastating splitter. He simply does not get much credit for having one of the very best splits in the game.

5. A 3rd pitch he can at least throw for a strike (slider). Just another thought in the batter's head.

6. Incredible late life on his fastball which lets him get away with many more "down the middle" mistakes than your average pitcher.

7. Killer instinct and confidence. He knows the game is over when he comes in.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:42:00 -0000

Rob,

Not to hijack this discussion, but the Red Sox just picked up another flame thrower off the waiver wire. JD Durbin. He's not Papelbon but he's got a really big arm.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:29:00 -0000

I'm just wondering when other people around the league will realize Paps is good.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

tinisoli — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 13:16:00 -0000

There was a great shot of Michael Young on the dugout steps, reacting to the sight of Papelbon coming out of the 'pen, in which Young's expression said it all. It was like Chief Brody's reaction when the shark pops up behind the boat in "Jaws": "We're gonna need a bigger boat." Papelbon is clearly one of the most intimidatingly talented pitchers that a hitter could face, and nobody is unaware [insert Manny joke here] of what he accomplished last year. He made Young and Wilkerson look foolish, and the feeble pop-ups were just as satisfying as the Ks. I'm not sure there's a more exciting or riveting moment possible in Red Sox baseball. Even Papi's walk-offs, with their comparable air of inevitability, aren't as great as the one-run, five-out saves that Papelbon occasionally gives us.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Sean Dongre — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 13:02:00 -0000

His between-pitch ritual is impossible to tune out. You just catch a glimpse, and for the rest of your own ritual you're trying to stay calm and relaxed. But the fact that you have to try means he's already won. His reputation, as it builds, just enhances the effect all the more.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:24:00 -0000

Like real estate, it's location, location, location.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Patrick — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:12:00 -0000

It's clearly not his command. Last night V-Tek was picking spots outside and Papelbon was throwing them up around the ears of opposing batters. Papelbon does have command over his pitches, but it didnt make a difference last night... It's not the command and its not the velocity, its a combination of the mental aspect of knowing your facing a dominating closer and knowing you cant sit on a fastball or else you'll wind up on your knees when he throws you the split or a curve, and the fact that the rotation on his fastball makes it appear to speed up at the end. The reality of the situation is that most everyone else's fastball slows down due to wind resistance on the ball, but the spin on Papelbon's fastball lends it self to less wind resistance over the flight of the ball, and for hitters that are conditioned to make split second decisions on pitches that will travel a certain way - hitters that are used to fastballs slowing over their flight , Papelbon's seems to speed up, and they are almost inevitably behind it.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Buffalohead — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0000

I just wish he would do an Al Hrbosky thing to really psych out hitters even more!!!

Gerry Callahan loves transexuals!!!

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Dover — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:58:00 -0000

It's the explodey-thing it does at the end.

pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: when i get my world series ring i'm gonna punch your face off.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Tom — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:58:00 -0000

"He looks like if you got a hit off him, he'd crush your spleen."

Sounds about right to me.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Shaun — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:49:00 -0000

because Papelbon is NASTY!!! I was all about having him become our 4th starter, but seeing him at the back of our bullpen, where he's comfortable, is a great feeling. Knowing that when he comes into the game, that it's all but over. He has the intensity and the mind-set to be a successful closer for the Red Sox for a long time and I look foward to watching him succeed for many years to come. Go Rob!!! Excellent blog and you're great on WEEI, especially the baseball show on Sundays.

Re: This just in … Papelbon is good

Griffin — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:36:00 -0000

What everyone said about movement and command, plus what Jim Bouton noted in "Ball Four" about Jim Brabender: "He looks like if you got a hit off him, he'd crush your spleen."