I still LIKE Jonathan Papelbon. There. I said it.

Yes, Papelbon blew a save at the worst possible moment.  He went from the guy who HAD NEVER allowed a post season run to score…to the guy who allowed all of them to.  He seemed to have no command of the strike zone and therefore, he was leaving balls right in the middle of the strike zone.  It was a bad night….when we needed him most.  It was brutal to watch…especially since when Pap comes into the game, we all tend to put that W in the record books.  This night, Pap couldn’t get it done and it meant that Soxtober ended earlier than we ever expected it to.

Having said that, I still adore Jonathan Papelbon.  I dig him.  I still want him to be in Boston forever and any talk otherwise, I am in complete denial about.  I still have 6 Pap t-shirts and a Pap hat…and I still plan on wearing them with pride.  When the 9th inning comes around, he is still the guy I want on the mound.  I still think he is one of the elite closers in the business…and that we take him for granted more often than not.  I still am saddened to think of the team after 2011 and how it will probably not have Pap on the team.  Pap didn’t seem as dominant this season…even though his stats don’t tell that story.  In 09, Pap had a 1.85 ERA in 66 appearances….he converted 38/41 save opportunities which is just under 93%.  I know Pap seemed so much MORE dominant in 2008 than he did in 2009….but the numbers show it just isn’t the case.  He had a better ERA in 09, allowed less hits in 09, allowed less runs in 09, etc.  He did allow a heck of a lot from BBs, but they often did not cause damage…other than him getting the nickname HeartAttackPap.

I heart Jonathan Papelbon.  I think the guy is phenomenal at what he does.  I also think he is going to take this last outing and use it as major fuel…and mark my words, we’ll see him just crazy good on the mound next year.  I can’t wait to see him out on the mound and reminding us why we stand and cheer and swoon when we hear “Shipping Up To Boston” coming out of the bullpen in the 9th inning.

Can’t wait to see more of this next season…

ETA: Here are Joshie Beckett’s comments on Monday about Papelbon:

“I speak for myself, but I am pretty sure that everybody that is in the clubhouse everyday would say the same thing. There is not a guy alive we would rather out there than him. He is the guy we give the ball to in that situation 100 times out of 100 times. And probably 99% of the time he would get it done.”

Thanks Josh.  I could not agree more.