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It's about time

Frayed Knot Sep 05 2009 06:34 AM

Or, you could say, it's overtime Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon received a $5,000 fine from Major League Baseball on Thursday for a pacing violation. Last season MLB starting asking umpires to enforce a rule that limits the time pitchers take to throw, and is also meant to control the pace of hitters and managers. Papelbon has frequently violated the pacing rule and says he has been fined seven times for taking too long to begin the inning, MLB.com reports. "Game pace, pace of game, or something like that," Papelbon told the Boston Herald and WEEI.com. "I don't know why they keep coming after me. It's probably because I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm not obeying the rules. I'm taking too long getting to the rubber. You're allowed [two minutes and 25 seconds], and I'm taking too long." Papelbon says his first fine was for $1,000 and the total balance now is well over $10,000. "After this, I don't know, man," Papelbon told the newspaper. "I think they're going to call my parole officer and put me away." Papelbon has 34 saves in 37 opportunities this season, with a 1.84 ERA. Papelbon's implication that the fine is for taking too long just in getting the inning going is full of it; it's because he just takes too fucking long to throw each pitch. Dude takes like 30 seconds per heave whether there are guys on base or not. "I don't know why they keep coming after me". You don't? I do.

metirish Sep 05 2009 06:40 AM Re: It's about time

The guys a proper prick , I hardly ever see him pitch but he is top five of players I dislike.

Frayed Knot Sep 05 2009 11:46 AM Re: It's about time

For me it's not even so much a matter of Papelbon being a pinhead (although he certainly can be) it's that I think they really need to get a handle on the pace and length of these games. Every year or so Selig talks about how they're going to do something and every year it seems to get ignored. Of course that something will never include shortening between-innings time which has really become a monster during the post-season but at least this is something. The fact that Papelbon admits that it's not his first fine even though it's the first we've heard about it means that maybe they realize how serious it is and are trying to attack this more than they're publicly saying (that would be a first). What would really make it hurt is giving the umps power to affect on-field calls for delays: balls called on pitchers, strikes called on wandering batters. Theoretically they already have such power but I've never actually seen it used.