#12 – Jonathan Papelbon
Washington Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon has never been a beloved baseball figure. From his days with the Phillies to his time with the Nats, fans and teammates have all found Papelbon to be abrasive and unlikable.
There was the much-discussed incident in Philadelphia, when Papelbon was booed off the field following a blown three-run lead in the ninth inning of a game against the Marlins. In response, the Phillies’ closer grabbed himself and gestured in the direction of the fans, which irked umpire Joe West. West tossed Papelbon from the game, which resulted in an in-your-face argument between the two, culminating in West grabbing Papelbon’s jersey.
The controversial closer has been involved in plenty of beanball incidents as well, as he sees himself as the enforcer of unwritten rules when it comes to “pimping” home runs. Notably, he was ejected in 2015 for plunking Manny Machado with a pitch a little too up-and-in for comfort.
But nothing cemented Papelbon’s reputation as a bad clubhouse guy more than this incident with Bryce Harper last season:
PSA for any future major leaguers who may be reading this: choking your teammate is never a good way to make friends, and it certainly won’t help your bad-guy reputation. Luckily for Papelbon, he doesn’t seem to mind all of the hate.
Next: The Fiery Young Outfielder