Lights Out (In Boston)

Jon Pappelbon is a rookie closer for the Boston Red Sox. Normally, I can’t stand the press that the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry creates. Everyone is going to be a star; every move puts whatever team makes it over the top. While many turn out to be flops, or free agent busts (Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright of the Yankees and Edgar Renteria for the Red Sox come to mind). But this kid is for real. He has given up just one earned run this year and leads all of baseball in saves with 20. His E.R.A. is 0.28. When he comes in, it is game over, lights out, and head to your car. In 32.1 innings this year, the big right-hander has allowed just 21 base runners, or 0.65 base runners per inning pitched (the league average is roughly 1.30 base runners per inning). Not only has he just given up one measly run, but he gave it up a long time ago. It happened on May 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He went all of April without giving up a run, and has done the same so far roughly halfway through June. He just has that one blemish on May 3.

When Peter Gammons, ESPN analyst and Boston Red Sox fan, was drooling over Pappelbon last season, I thought there was no way Pappelbon could live up to the hype he was given by Gammons. I was wrong. He has blown away my expectations. The guy might be the best closer in baseball not named Mariano Rivera, and he could be even better than him. He has what it takes to be a closer, electric stuff (his fastball is in the mid 90’s and he has some devastating off-speed pitches) and the mindset to be a closer. In an interview he did for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight (back when he had around 12 saves) he said that he wasn’t nervous or worried at all when he entered games in Boston’s famed Fenway Park, or Yankee Stadium (one of the most intimidating places to pitch).

I’m looking forward to seeing Pappelbon pitch for a long time, I want to see what he can do for a career, this is a dominating start that reminds me of when Francisco Rodriguez emerged out of the bullpen on the Anaheim Angels (now Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim) World Series championship team. K-Rod, as he is called, emerged as a set-up man who blew batters away with incredible curveballs and sliders to go along with his 96 MPH fastball. K-Rod has been able to maintain his success, as he is now one of the better closers in the game, I wonder if Pappelbon can continue his early success, because right now it is lights out in Boston when he comes on.


Hey everyone, it has been a while, but I am going to try to keep this updated.