Papelbon ignores kids in Los Angeles

[boxajoe]

Last night as I stood in the front row during BP at the Dodger game, I felt a wave of excitement come over me. I was standing in right field and recognized the former Red Sox closer Jonathan Paplebon just 8 feet away. He was standing in right field talking or should I say complaining to Kendrick while the other Phillies took BP. Standing along the wall were many kids, all desperately trying to get a ball during BP. As one ball after the other came rolling out Mr Kendrick was kind enough to pick up each ball and selectively toss the ball to an excited young man or pretty girl in the stands. He made eye contact and made the fans feel like they existed. Paplebon was part of the same conversation, but refused to even turn and look at his adoring fans. He was clearly complaining and gossiping about someone, laughing, joking, making funny chicken like dance stances, but above all , he made sure to never engage the fans. As I called his name, asking if he could please sign a baseball that I had just caught, he continued to ignore us. He would not even ackowledge that we existed. He was not doing pre game warmup, he was not in the mental zone, he was not preparing himself for a game, he was just plain uninterested. As he talked and talked and talked, Mr Kendrick continued to pick up more balls hit out to right, and select Phillies and Dodger fans to throw the baseballs to. Jonathan, I thought you were a great closer and I was a huge fan when you were with the Red Sox. When I heard your rediculous comments about Ortiz being bigger than Ted Williams I figured they were taken out of context. After seeing you in action last night, your lack of interest or interaction with even your own Phillies fans, to see you ignore 5, 6 and 7 year old fans.............I'm glad you left Boston. Philadelphia can have you. I am a Sox fan for life, and sad to say that me and a bunch of kids in right field are no longer Pap fans.

[mvp 78]

Just in: Some MLB players don't want to sign autographs 24/7.

 

Film at 11.

[SouthieFanatic]

Clemens use to make people pay on the spot, even kids sometimes

[Peakbagr]

"Just in: Some MLB players don't want to sign autographs 24/7"

 

News flash, if you don't want to sign, don't stand 6' from the fans and ignore them.

[mvp 78]

So if you buy a ticket, you're entitled to autographs from every player in speaking distance? Really? Complain if Paps tells a kid to f off, not for ignoring autograph hounds.

[mvp 78]

Also, "huge fans" can at least spell his name correctly.

[a700hitter]

That's pretty standard stuff. Cursing out a fan or flipping the bird would be uncalled for. Not conversing with the fans is not a big deal.

[yeszir]

I think Papelbon did much worse when he was in Boston. Not the classiest guy apparently...

[NativeBostonian]

Pap doesn't seem that personable. I've been to plenty of spring trainings and he didnt want anything to do with fans. Youk on the other hand was a really nice guy. He signed my baseball and let me take a pic of him after he signed the ball.

[NativeBostonian]

Clemens use to make people pay on the spot' date=' even kids sometimes[/quote']

 

He is a dick and I hope he gets hit by a bus.

[jung]

The one positive note I think on Paps is that like a number of guys similarly constructed...I don't think Paps makes any bones about who he is and who he is not. That does not make being a dick something to admire or aspire to but I don't think he is a hypocrite. I do think you want to be prepared for guys like him to just put you on ignore.

[SoxSport]

Some players can't sign--their signatures are owned by companies that pay them. Mantle told me that, and gave me an autographed picture instead.

[BornToRun]

Paps has a reputation as being kind of a dick but I honestly don't see the issue here. Sure, it isn't exactly painting him as the most friendly guy but I can imagine being constantly hounded by fans as not very fun.

[a700hitter]

Paps has a reputation as being kind of a dick but I honestly don't see the issue here. Sure' date=' it isn't exactly painting him as the most friendly guy but I can imagine being constantly hounded by fans as not very fun.[/quote']It's exhausting just responding to the dickwads on this forum.

[BornToRun]

Is that directed at me?

[a700hitter]

Is that directed at me?

No, you're cool. I was just joking. I thought you probably felt the same way.

[BornToRun]

No' date=' you're cool. I was just joking. I thought you probably felt the same way.[/quote']

 

Okay, just checking. I was gonna say, dickwad's one hell of a judge of character. I was wondering you if you were qualified to make such a statment.

[boxajoe]

Yeh 100,000 a game to pitch 40 times a year must be tough.

[User Name]

I don't really see anything wrong with it. It's an annoying thing for players 24/7. If they want to do it during BP, I'll think more highly of them. If they don't, no big deal. If they're directly a dick to fans, then that's a problem.

[2004 ALCS]

Did you call him "Papp-le-bon"? That might have something to do with it.

[Cocos Disciples]

Pap signed for me in 2005, his first year. I've found that players just get tired of it as their careers progress. Pedroia and Youk signed a lot early in their careers too.

 

Fans can be dicks sometimes, so even if you have an adorable kid or whatever, there probably are 40 year old people who have a binder full of baseball cards that are going straight on eBay (it's a cliche but it's true).

[YAZMAN]

Did you call him "Papp-le-bon"? That might have something to do with it.

 

 

SACREBLEU!!!....LOL, how many years has MLB been out of Montreal now?

[TutGadol]

Manny used to leave the games in his uniforms without showering so he can avoid the fans. Or so Remi tells me.

[mvp 78]

I was stuck in traffic next to Manny outside of Fenway right after a game. He must have left really quick. He wasn't wearing a uni though.