papelbon

[Joe Mauer]

[quitesanemax]

got a mohawk today if that counts as an injury

if they were going to move pap back they wouldnt have lenny freakin dinardo starting TWICE

they DID call up delcarmen today though..let the "foulke back to closer" stuff start again (people might say a hard thrower like that could be used in 7/8 and let foulke close again)

pap is there for the year though i think

Foulke has looked pretty good himself. Papelbon has been lights out. I think they will keep Papelbon in there until (if) he blows a few games, and then they will give the job back to Foulke. For the shortterm Papelbon is the closer... but the season is long, and I'm not convinced he will be there all season.

[footballsimp]

as a fan I hope they keep him there. why try to fix something if it aint broke. the guy has been lights OUT! Foulke scares me

[quitesanemax]

as a fan I hope they keep him there. why try to fix something if it aint broke. the guy has been lights OUT! Foulke scares me

I tell you what worries me about keeping Papelbon as the closer. They are supposedly grooming him to be a lights out starter in a year or two. What affect is closing going to have on that? What affect is pitching just about every day going to have on him becoming a starter sooner or later? How is it going to affect his arm? How is it going to affect his psyche? Schilling has said that going from being a closer to being a starter is very difficult... while it isn't as difficult to go from being a starter to being a closer. I don't know enough about it to say. If having him as a lights out closer for this year prevents him from being the lights out starter in a few years that we all know he is capable of... as a fan, I hope they don't do this. On the other hand, there have been pitchers that have done it...

But I just don't know enough about it to say. If closing for a year, while waiting for minor league prospects to get ready is safe on Papelbon's arm and psyche, I'm okay with it. In another forum, the idea was bought up that they might trade Foulke... Maybe they can get a decent 3rd, 4th, or 5th starter (which, if they aren't going to use Papelbon as a closer, they desperately need!) for him if he continues to do good.

[HasteTheDay]

Well.... in his college days at Mississippi St., Papelbon was used as a closer... then was used as a starter in the minors, called up to the majors last year as a starter, now is being used as a closer this year. A few things are certain:

College Closer: Good
Minor League Starter: Good
Major League Starter: Good
Major League Closer: Good


This kid is going to have massive value no matter where he ends up. Personally, I think they will keep him in a closer role. Right now, that whole situation is revolving around HIM. If he keeps tearing it up, they won't take him out of that role.

[number9]

Smoltz didn't have any problems becoming a closer then starter again. Papelbon seems to be similar. Are they a special breed, or should pitchers be able to adjust?

[beatlehead84]

I wonder if Papelbon will remain closer for his career, especially with his history. When a guy does that well (assuming he keeps it up), it is very hard for a team to make a change. As a converted starter on a team that can afford to bring in starting pitching year after year, you wonder if he will remain in the position he's in. Relievers and closers are getting very expensive and don't always produce so why would you screw with a good thing?

[hoya1982]

Smoltz didn't have any problems becoming a closer then starter again. Papelbon seems to be similar. Are they a special breed, or should pitchers be able to adjust?

Yeah, I think the whole thing is overblown. It might take some amount of adjustment to make the switch within the season, but I think anyone who has started should generally be able to switch back and forth without any problems. I do however buy the theory that guys who have only succeeded as closers may have trouble becoming starters because they only rely on two pitches which become less effective as they go through the order multiple times.

[hoya1982]

Smoltz didn't have any problems becoming a closer then starter again. Papelbon seems to be similar. Are they a special breed, or should pitchers be able to adjust?

Yeah, I think the whole thing is overblown. It might take some amount of adjustment to make the switch within the season, but I think anyone who has started should generally be able to switch back and forth without any problems. I do however buy the theory that guys who have only succeeded as closers may have trouble becoming starters because they only rely on two pitches which become less effective as they go through the order multiple times.

[hoya1982]

Smoltz didn't have any problems becoming a closer then starter again. Papelbon seems to be similar. Are they a special breed, or should pitchers be able to adjust?

Yeah, I think the whole thing is overblown. It might take some amount of adjustment to make the switch within the season, but I think anyone who has started should generally be able to switch back and forth without any problems. I do however buy the theory that guys who have only succeeded as closers may have trouble becoming starters because they only rely on two pitches which become less effective as they go through the order multiple times.