Considering if he goes into Starting Rotation, it leaves a MASSIVE hole in their Bullpen and they dont have a closer, ..and as much as the geniuses running the Red Sox think you dont need a Closer, the fact is YOU DO. So if they get the Japanese kid, shouldnt they leave Papelbon in the Closer role? Besides, they know he can close in the Majors, they have NO idea what he will be as a every 5th day starter.
2006-11-10 13:45:14 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
If we were talking a middle reliever or long man, yes...were talking a Closer, and Papelbon was as good as anyone in AL this passed season..im not sure if a starter is as hard to find as a elite game over type closer, which he was.
2006-11-10 13:56:49 · update #1
He is NOT Rivera lol, noone is.. he would have a LONG way to go before ild ever mention him in same breathe as MAriano... but thats not to say he couldnt be.. but Eric Gagne was supposed to be that good too and look what happened, as was Brad Lidge and one home run from Pujols later and Lidge is a mess. Potentials nice, but let Papelbon do it before we say it.
2006-11-10 14:06:15 · update #2
Yes it will leave a hole. I disagree with the guy who says that starters are more important than relievers, it has been proven again and again, that you need both. See Red Sox blowing game 7 of 2003 against the Yanks.
Look at the Braves of the late 90s. Great rotation, not so great closer.
Papelbon will leave a hole in the bullpen, and they will certainly need to find a good closer. Hansen may be the man someday, but he is far from ready for that role, he was rushed. I do think that he will do a good job in the rotation, and is needed as Schilling started to wear down at the end of last season. Maybe the Red Sox will go by their "closer by committee" that they had in '03, it worked SO well.
I laugh at the guy who says Papelbon will put up better numbers than Rivera! Why? Because he has had ONE GOOD YEAR?? Most relievers are good for a few years then tail off. Mo's been great from the beginning and has 400 saves.Let's see him do it for 10 years and have a postseason ERA of 0.80 for over 100 innings. Then you can compare him to Mo!
2006-11-10 14:08:23 · answer #1 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi Kimtastic, to answer your question, i agree that a closer is important, but Papelbon will be in the rotation for the following reasons
1) A starter is more important for a team, more wins. Papelbon will win more games, and keep the Sox in more games than any other starter than can role out
2) The organisation has always viewed Papelbon as a starter, he has trained to be a starter, this year at closer was kinda freakish
3) The most important reason is the health, that one person touched on.
With his shoulder injury he did this year, they really don't want to lose the guy for extended periods, and while he will pitch more innings as a starter, it will be better for him because he will be on a constant schedule, rather than up and down, day on, day off, 2 days on.. you get in a Bullpen.
Hard to see Papelbon failing as a starter, he has good stuff, not just a fastall, he has good pitchers, he is too good in his stuff to be a closer.
The Red Sox have timlin, Hansen and trade options to get a closer.
They also want to build a really really strong rotation, and
Schilling, Beckett, Papelbon, Matsuzaka and Wakefield/Lester/Clement/Roger Clemens is pretty intimidating...
2006-11-10 20:38:55 · answer #2 · answered by holdon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree he should remain a closer. the reason he want's 2 become a starter is because he feals that he can pitch more innings that way he would help his team more. If the red sox do win the bid 4 the jappanese guy, then i think it's clear papelbon will remain the closer. What if the sox sign eric Gagne then he could be closer and papelbon could be a starter. But let's just wait and see what happens, only time will tell.
2006-11-10 15:06:24 · answer #3 · answered by Compton,CA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hes conditioned to be a starter. As the season went on you could see his velocity and control going downhill (though still good) finally ending in a shoulder injury. He WANTS to be a starter and yes starters are more important than relievers, starters pitch 200 innings and closers pitch 60-80. The red sox can find somebody during the offseason to fill the gap and if they dont, they can have him fill in the roll till they find somebody.
Oh yeah and the closer is the most overrated position in baseball. You come on for one inning usually with the bases empty, setup men at least have to deal with more runners in scoring position. And as an everyday 5th day starter they may not know whats going to happen but they dont know whats going to happen to him if he stays a closer for a long period of time.
2006-11-10 15:37:36 · answer #4 · answered by miamiman 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
they might desire to create a clean place call for Papelbon somewhat of "nearer". If Francona grew to become into clever, he could carry Papelbon in for the time of any inning previous due in the recreation whilst the Sox incredibly need help, because of the fact he can get out of any subject comfortably. I truthfully have considered him are available in in the process the 8th with 2 or 3 runners on base and mow down the competition, then sit down in the ninth, and that i've got been incredibly chuffed to verify that. If that needs to take place in the sixth or seventh to maintain the recreation from slipping away, i does not be opposed. somewhat of "nearer", perhaps call him "hero"! He ought to truthfully be the emergency guy as quickly as we desire help, and not the starter. the actual issue we've is that we replaced his rotation spot with Tavarez. That guy is thoroughly ineffective, he should be sent to single-A yet he's Francona's buddy so he will continuously be enjoying a key function, and that's quite unlucky.
2016-10-21 21:26:25 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would leave a huge hole. Especially with Foukle not coming back. Like he was any good the past two years. The Sox have to do some major looking.
2006-11-10 15:04:33 · answer #6 · answered by Jazzy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he hurt his arm closing...
it's better for his arm to start, even though it might not be better for the red sox
they have no idea, but can't have him close now...
foulke declined his player option so now they need to get a closer either via trade or free agency
and they cannot have close by commitee because he didn't work out good it was terrible
that was a reason that the grady little couldn't pull pedro.. but thats the past
they need to get a closer from Free Agency
and will need to leave Papelbon as a starter
2006-11-10 14:37:16 · answer #7 · answered by Antwaan M 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i think they should leave him where he is and the red sox need to find someone pretty good to get in that rotation if they want to compete and if they do get someone good then they are pretty good as a pitching staff because papelbon is so good at closer.
2006-11-11 05:13:31 · answer #8 · answered by Jack NYY #1 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you. If he progresses as a closer he could end up putting up better numbers than Rivera. he did however start in minors but the majors is alot different and ithink he would be more effective pitching in tight, game effecting situations such as a ninth innnig world series clincher. he is the man i would want in my bullpen but idont know if he would be as successfull in the starting rotation. Boston does lack starting though!!
2006-11-10 13:59:40 · answer #9 · answered by steve 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
its simple, would you rather have papelbon pitch 200 inings (starting) or 60 (inings closing)?
papelbon is so good he needs to pitch alot.
2006-11-11 03:50:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋