Jonathan Papelbon and the Art of playing the Heel

Diamonds are forever, and so is Jonathan Papelbon

You remember Jonathan Papelbon.

How could you not?

The outspoken and flamboyant closer came to Philadelphia in November 2011 when he signed a 4 year, $50M contract with a patented Ruben Amaro Jr. vesting option for a fifth year. The 31-year-old Papelbon was fresh off of a seven-year tenure in Boston that saw him rack up 16.2 WAR and 219 saves along with posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. He was a three time All-Star and won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2007.

Papelbon was unquestionably one of the best relievers in the game at the time and he was joining a Phillies team that had won a franchise record 102 games. Both he and the team believed they would be contending for a championship.

Well, it didn’t quite work out that way.

Papelbon lived up to his end of the bargain in Philadelphia, In 234 games as a Phillie, Papelbon logged a 2.31 ERA and collected 123 saves, putting him atop the Phillies franchise leaderboard in the statistic. The Phillies as a team, however, didn’t come anywhere close to what they or Papelbon expected.

The Phillies never made the postseason during Papelbon’s tenure, Their best record was in his first season with the team in 2012, a season in which the Phillies finished 81-81 and failed to win their division for the first time since 2006. It was a steady decline to the bottom then on, with rock bottom finally coming in 2015.

But that’s not what Papelbon signed on for. And he was not afraid to let everyone know it.

Coming into 2015, it was clear that Papelbon had had enough of playing in Philadelphia. He was just a few months removed from his infamous 2014 incident where he appeared to grab his crotch while being booed after blowing a save at Citizens Bank Park.

Just three days into the 2015 season, Papelbon reflected on his time in Philadelphia by telling the Boston Globe “The Red Sox are part of who I am, man. I don’t really feel much like a Phillie.” The sentiment continued through the All-Star break, as Papelbon, the Phillies lone representative, used his media availability at the Midsummer Classic to tell the Phillies and their front office to “you-know-what or get off the pot” in regard to his trade requests.

Papelbon eventually got his wish to be out of Philadelphia when he was shipped to the Nationals at the 2015 trade deadline in exchange for Nick Pivetta. He quickly “endeared” himself to Nats fans too when he attempted to choke out Bryce Harper in the dugout.

To understand (at least partially) Papelbon’s tenure in Philadelphia, one must understand the concept of a heel. A “heel” is a term from professional wrestling, meaning the villain in the story who is usually paired against the “babyface” or hero. Every wrestler’s job is to elicit a reaction. The worst possible thing they can hear when they hit the entrance ramp is silence. So, heels work to elicit negative reactions. If they’re getting booed, they’re doing a good job.

One of the most famous heels in wrestling history is none other than Ric Flair. Flair played the role of heel perhaps better than anyone else ever had, becoming the most hated man in wrestling by insulting fans and fellow wrestlers alike on his way to 16 championship reigns. Papelbon happened to be a huge fan of Flair, going so far as having a replica robe signed by the wrestling icon in his locker and using his trademark “Woooo!” as part of his entrance music later in his career.

In that context, many of Papelbon’s antics begin to at least make a little sense. He was on a series of forgettable Phillies teams, yet he’s someone you’ll never forget. That’s because he thrived at playing the heel, being the villain that you loved to hate. He won’t be remembered fondly in Philadelphia, yet he was very successful on the field. In the leanest of lean years for the Phillies, he at least gave fans something to discuss and allowed them to come together in their shared hatred of his attitude even if they had a hard time arguing against his talent.

“I take a certain persona. I feel like that’s me and that’s who I am. Whether it’s an alter ego, or Cinco Ocho or Ric Flair, it is what it is. When I step on that line, I’m not Jonathan Papelbon. I’m a different person that goes out there and competes and will do anything to win.” –Jonathan Papelbon at the 2015 All-Star Game.

A real heel never knows how to turn it off. He lives the gimmick. Once Papelbon turned heel in Philadelphia, he never went back even after he got his ticket out of town and away from the worst team in baseball. Unfortunately for Papelbon and the Nationals, he wasn’t quite as successful on the field as he was in Philadelphia, as he pitched to a 3.84 ERA across 59 games. But if you ask a Nationals fan who was around in 2015, you can practically guarantee they will remember Jonathan Papelbon even if his performance wasn’t particularly memorable.

So, let’s review. The best heels, or villains, are ones that get under your skin, thrive under the negative reaction, and, most importantly, are memorable. Jonathan Papelbon became the Phillies all-time saves leader, openly disrespected the fans, franchise, and the front office, and gave one of the most memorable moments of the Phillies rebuild era.

What possibly could make a better heel?