Noblepap:
I just got back from dinner and the game today so I couldn't post. I've known for days that this was happening but couldn't say anything. First of all, this move is 100% what Jonathan wants, it has nothing to do with want anyone else wants. We have had many discussions over the last couple of days and I can say closing is in Jonathan's heart, he thrives on the pressure and competition. Chach is completely right on with his shoulder analysis. His shoulder was never injured, his MRi in 2003 was exactly the same as his MRI in 2006, the muscles were tired and couldn't hold his shoulder joint together. Jonathan is comfortable as the closer he wants the game to be on his "shoulders". He has not been able to concentrate, sleep or enjoy playing without thriving in the postition of closer. I have always said if the day comes when you are no longer having fun playing it's time to get out. He loves closing and I'm just glad he doing what he loves.
And:
Jonathan's delivery is exactly the same as last year. I go through every pitch motion by motion when he pitches and I can say watching him today it was the same, now I will say I saw his demeanor in the 8th and 9th, the stare, the look, the confidence. I hadn't seen it thus far in ST. I think he's finally happy.
Jonathan is not concerned at all about his health because he knows what his offseaon strenthening did to help his shoulder, he said he's never felt stronger.
Noblepap is our closer's mom. ... I love the internets.
Well, if Paps' mom is OK with it, far be from me to take the cynical low ground. We've got our closer back! YEEHAW!!
ReplyDeleteThat's the way I feel.
ReplyDeleteThere's also this Pap quote: "I haven't been sleeping well because there's been that feeling deep down in my heart that I wanted to close."
Let's Go!!!
Noblepap is our closer's mom. ... I love the internets.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. That's fantastic!
I love, love, love the Red Sox community.
ReplyDeleteif Papelmom approves of it, (and who on earth would no better whether or not he's happy), then how can we argue?
Papelmom. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love Papelbon, I love him as a closer, I'm in love, love, love.
I once loved another closer... [you can fill in the blanks here as you choose], and I'm totally prepared to transfer my Closer Love to Mr Papelbon.
Now I REALLY can't wait for Opening Day!!
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious as to what turned the tide to move you from your former fandom, l-girl, but perhaps the reasons are too personal, etc.
ReplyDeleteZen: Not as such.
ReplyDeleteDevine: She has written at length about it at her own blog. Perhaps she will offer a link.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?
ReplyDeleteThe girl who loved Mariano.
Hey Devine, thanks for asking, it's not too personal, but it's sometimes hard to explain.
I wrote about it here, but it's long, maybe more than you want to know.
The short answer is I fell out of love. The Yankee organization and the experience at the Stadium drove me away. If it weren't for the 2003 Red Sox - and my constant exposure to them - I probably would have given up on baseball.
But as the Yankees were draining out of my heart, the 2003 Sox were creeping in. I couldn't even admit it to myself at first, it was so shocking. That's why it was like falling in love: I had no choice.
The team was so much fun, they were irresistible, and I got hooked. Just in time to have my heart broken, which seems only right.
Devine, you have to also know, this is in the context of Redsock & I both being diehards on opposite sides of the Great Divide for all those years. It was a sea change in our relationship.
ReplyDeleteIt was so shocking to me, I didn't even tell anyone (except Allan) for a long time. I didn't want to deal it - didn't want to explain. I stayed in the closet.
But I got it together eventually.
It must have been an amazing journey to cross such a divide. Scary.
ReplyDeleteWang on the DL for a month into the season - hate to have this kind of good news, but it is good news.
I cannot imagine going through this from the perspective of a long relationship on different sides of the divide. I'm intrigued thinking about how it must have been in the house/apartment during that 2003 and 2004 season (when did you confess your newfound baseball feelings to mr. redsock, if you don't mind me asking?).
ReplyDeleteYou and I approached the Red Sox in a similar manner, l-girl, though from much different origin points. A roommate in college was a BIG Yankees fan and he rekindled in me a love of baseball I hadn't remembered I had (I used to love watching the Rangers, especially Nolan Ryan, when I was a boy, and I read a crapload of Matt Christopher books). So I sort of nominally rooted for the Yankees, though without any significant emotional investment, from college on.
Until the 2003 postseason and specifically after the Red Sox came back from 2-0 to beat Oakland in the ALDS. I thought that was their year, I bet a friend they would beat the Yankees, and (to cut a long story short) I felt heartbreak (petty compared to a long-time fan's, of course) rather than the loss of a few bucks when Pedro gave up those hits in the 8th. I knew I was a Red Sox fan then.
My s.o. of about a year and a half was a nominal Yankees fan as well (big part of her Sept. 11th experience was that 2001 WS and the comeback wins at Yankee Stadium...I didn't live here then--I was still in college). But I've got her steered right now. She bought us tickets for my birthday to Fenway last year...tickets to Papi's walkoff game against Texas (two runs down, two strikes, two men on, with a frightening foul tip right before the inevitable walk-off)--unfucking real.
Zenslinger, it was an amazing journey! I was a really serious Yankees fan. Put that way, it makes sense why I couldn't tell anyone for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine going through this from the perspective of a long relationship on different sides of the divide.
Looking back on it, I now realize that it was made easier b/c neither team was in serious contention during our early years together. Even so, when we first went to games together at Yankee Stadium, we'd come home not speaking to each other, and I'd be in tears.
We finally said, we have to learn how to do this. We both love the game, and neither of us has had anyone to share that with before, let's appreciate that, respect each other's fan-ness, and put the other stuff aside.
For most of those years, the Yankees sucked - so it was easy!
Then when they came back in 1995, 96, Allan was working on his book, and more interested in 1918 than in the present day. (I'll leave it at that. He might want to say more.) In 1996, IIRC, Allan was happy for me. (Not knowing the future...)
Honestly, I don't know what we would have done in 2003 and 2004, had I still been a Yankees fan. It would have been very difficult. I don't think we could have watched the games together.
I'm intrigued thinking about how it must have been in the house/apartment during that 2003 and 2004 season (when did you confess your newfound baseball feelings to mr. redsock, if you don't mind me asking?).
Not at all. Late summer 2003. Possibly even September 2003.
On Allan's 40th birthday - October 17, 2003 - that day - we were both incredibly psyched for the game that night, and openly rooting for the same team.
* * * *
Devine, thanks for sharing that about your own evolution. I describe my heartbreak the same way. Petty compared to the lifers, but genuine.
The 2001 WS was part of my 9/11 experience, too. I was at Game 4. It's partly why I can never love Curt Schilling.
I also relate to your "rekindled in me a love of baseball I hadn't remembered I had". Meeting Mr R Sock did that for me, and of course deepened my appreciation for the game. It's a great feeling. It's like coming home.
(I'll leave it at that. He might want to say more.)
ReplyDeleteSimply: I did not want them to win the World Series until after the book was published. Really. Did. Not.
On Allan's 40th birthday - October 17, 2003 - that day
My birthday is October 16.
So, L-girl , you don't really hate the Yankees?
ReplyDeleteI do with a passion, I have close realtionships with some of their fans, My best man is a yankee fan.......some people I consider great friends are yankee fans.....But I hate the Yankees and They hate the Red Sox...Its what makes our relationships tick.
L-girl said:The 2001 WS was part of my 9/11 experience, too. I was at Game 4. It's partly why I can never love Curt Schilling.
Partly the reason........
Curt is a Red Sox and by the laws of the nation , I believe you most love him....
I quess what I am saying is i really hate the yankees....
I believe that is why Red Sox fans always buy their children, before they are even born, Red Sox gear..
It's a birth right .......or at least we make it one.....I can tell you it is the only thing I force upon my children.They have to be Red Sox fans.......It's sound crazy, I know, but so is being a Sox fan....
On Allan's 40th birthday - October 17, 2003 - that day
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is October 16.
TYPO!!! I promise. Just an innocent typo. :-)
Curt is a Red Sox and by the laws of the nation , I believe you most love him....
ReplyDeleteMust? Um, no.
Hey 9Casey, you might want to watch it with your kids. Force the Red Sox on them, and you might just create some Yankee fans.
Our leftist vegetarian friends have kids who became meat-eating Tories. You get my drift.
Oh, and yes: "partly" the reason. There are other reasons I do not love the big blabbermouth. I love what he did for us. He's just not my kind of player.
He's just not my kind of player.
ReplyDeleteWas this another typo?
Maybe you meant "not my kind of prayer".
L-girl said:"Hey 9Casey, you might want to watch it with your kids. Force the Red Sox on them, and you might just create some Yankee fans.
ReplyDeleteOur leftist vegetarian friends have kids who became meat-eating Tories. You get my drift."
Thats kind of the whole forbidden fruit taste sweeter theory......
Just wondering are all vegetarians leftist and are all meat eaters tories?
I think Curt eats alot of meat....
My four year old is in pre-k and she had this little crush on a boy in her class........She came home the other day and told me she didn't like him anymore.....I said "oh really, why?"
She said as innocent as she can be.............
"he's a yankee fan"
It works when they're 4. It's when they're 13 that you gotta watch it.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering are all vegetarians leftist and are all meat eaters tories?
No! Allan and I are not vegetarians.
He's just not my kind of player.
ReplyDeleteWas this another typo?
Maybe you meant "not my kind of prayer".
I just caught this!
I was trying to be nice, and not enumerate the many reasons I don't care for Mr C. Montague Schilling.
But good catch. :)