It's Unclear Whether Jonathan Papelbon Paid Jim Thome $5,000 for His Walk-Off Home Run
Cinco Ocho may or may not have paid Jim Thome cinco mil after today’s game.
After blowing his first save of the season, Jonathan Papelbon told his teammates that if someone walked it off, he would pay them $5,000. Thome did. And Papelbon paid up. Or at least he said he did.
“I came in the clubhouse and I said, whoever walks this guy off, I’ll give them five grand. I didn’t think Jim would do it right off the bat. Not that he needs the money. But…”
Is that something you pay up on?
“Yeah, I just wrote him a check for $5,000.”
That’s a good story and all, but Thome denies any money changed hands:
Someone’s lying, or Paps hadn't yet handed over the check. We'll keep you updated.
Mandy Housenick of the Allentown Morning Call has video of Papelbon talking about it here.