Jonathan Papelbon: ‘I was in the wrong’ in Bryce Harper incident
Nearly everyone associated with the Washington Nationals organization would like to put last season behind them. No single person would benefit more from that than reliever Jonathan Papelbon.
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On the first day of Nationals camp, Papelbon attempted to do just that. He sat down with reporters to discuss last year’s brawl with teammate Bryce Harper. During that conversation, Papelbon admitted he was at fault, and said he’s been in touch with his teammates throughout the offseason.
Papelbon also stated the week he was suspended was one of the worst moments of his career.
As far as apologies go, that’s pretty thorough. Papelbon took ownership of the situation, and it seems like he’s in good standing with his teammates. He’ll have to prove that to fans over the course of the season, but it certainly seems like eveyone involved is ready to move forward.
That’s a good thing. Papelbon faced a fair amount of uncertainty this offseason. After the incident with Harper, it was unclear whether he would open the season with the Nationals. There was some talk he was on the trading block, but nothing materialized. At some point, it became clear Papelbon would return, and that this issue would have to be addressed.
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It’s early, of course, and Papelbon has a reputation, but this was a good first step. Now that Papelbon has publicly talked about the issue, the Nationals can focus on winning games in 2016. That’s a strong positive for everyone involved.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
