Those other guys are good closers, but Papelbon is setting records. You can't say that he is not a Mo-type reliever because he has not done it for 10 -years. He is more of a Mo-type reliever now than Mo. The fact that he has not done it for 10 years is an irrelevant fact.
Yes we Red Sox fans tend to overvalue our 32-year old sure fire Hall of Fame players.
BTW Manny will make the Hall on the strength of his tangible numbers. He will not have to depend on the sentimentality of writers that use trumped up excuses like Intangibles or rings.
From today's Boston Globe"
"Timlin attempted to throw before yesterday's game, but when that did not go well he had an MRI and was placed on the DL. Timlin said the MRI showed `'no structural damage. Everything's very sound. The doctors are amazed that I'm actually 40 years old.'"
Red Ruffing was 39-93 for the Sox, not deserving of even an honorable mention. The Babe was almost purely a pitcher for the Red Sox (and a great one at that). He doesn't deserve consideration for an OF slot. One year part time outfielders don't deserve consideration.
ARod should be the better player, he is getting paid 3 times more than Lowell. He is also a # 3 or 4 hitter for the Yankees, when Lowell will be batting 6th, 7th or even 8th for the Sox. However, Lowell is the superior fielding third baseman.