Jonathan Papelbon Calls Out Ruben Amaro, Jr.
Jonathan Papelbon was on WEEI’s Bradfo Sho in Boston and continued his summer of shit talking the Phillies.
This comes a month after he questioned the Phils and Bryce Harper’s leadership because of the Joe Girardi firing. Even after they started 27-14 under new manager Rob Thomson. During the broadcast he said this about Ruben Amaro Jr’s handling of those early-2010 teams:
I went there one, because they were the ones that wanted me the most. And two, I thought I was gonna go there and win two more championships, at least, Rob. I mean you look at what we had. We had Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, myself.
Ruben Amaro was handed the keys to a damn Lamborghini and crashed it.
Papelbon was in Philly from 2012-14. During that frame the Phillies had seasons mired by injuries as the core four aged with Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay and the farm system wasn’t replenished. The ironic part is Pap admitted this during an interview with Betway Insider last month:
“When they brought in me, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, everybody started getting hurt, and the sh**show began after that, I believe. It’s been nothing but downhill for the Phillies since then, and there hasn’t been anything even close to resembling a postseason team.”
Listen, RAJ isn’t without fault. The same guy who oversaw the Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Roy Oswalt moves also was the guy who traded Lee just to sign him again, signed Ryan Howard to a three-year deal in 2009 (then gave him a five year extension in 2010), and refused to address the 2011 bench. During that four-year stretch from ’08-’11 the Phillies should’ve at least had two World Series titles. By the time 2012 rolled around, those guys were hanging on by a thread ready to unravel at any time.
I understand why people give Pap a platform because he’s more likely than not going to say a couple things that get some headlines. In this interview alone he had three that made news here and here, including this post. Luckily for everyone, this typical behavior has a shelf life as people start to tune guys like this out and interviews dry up.
RAJ took the high road in his response on Twitter:
Proud of those clubs. Didn’t win it but had a good shot. Pap is entitled to his opinion. https://t.co/DPxob7V7TZ
— Ruben Amaro, Jr. (@RAJr_20) August 15, 2022