Philadelphia Daily News
Phillies’ closer Jonathan Papelbon has not only been suspended yesterday for seven games, but fined as well for an undisclosed amount, after an incident two games ago in which he controversially grabbed his crotch in the dugout. Papelbon was perceived to have made the obscene gesture towards the Phillies’ fans, after they booed him for blowing a 4-1 Phillies’ lead in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game vs. Miami. Home-plate umpire Joe West subsequently ejected Papelbon from the game, after the latter argued with the umpire.
The Phillies released the following statement about the suspension:
“The Phillies fully support the decision of the Commissioner’s Office, which has exclusive jurisdiction for on-field player behavior. By Major League Baseball rules, the Phillies have no authority to make official judgments about activity which occurs on the field or to determine the appropriate penalty for misconduct. We apologize to our fans for the actions of our player yesterday.”
Despite the blown save, Papelbon has had a solid year this year, going 37/41 in save opportunities, with an ERA of 2.10 and only two home-runs allowed in 64.1 innings.
Should Papelbon be suspended, in my mind, for his actions on Sunday? Yes, and let me explain why.
Tags: closer, Jonathan Papelbon, Kyle Lutz, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, suspended, suspension, Talk Sports Philly, TalkSportsPhilly
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