Jonathan Papelbon says Craig Kimbrel is ‘a younger version of me’
Craig Kimbrel is the next Jonathan Papelbon, according to Jonathan Papelbon.
“Me and Kimbrel are very similar in our styles. He’s a younger version of me,’’ Papelbon recently told WEEI.com.
In his six years with the Boston Red Sox, Papelbon earned a franchise-record 219 saves. His tenure with the Red Sox had its ups (three saves in the 2007 World Series) and its downs (a blown save on the final day of the 2011 season), but he left Boston as a World Series champion and a four-time All-Star with a strong sense of what it takes to succeed as a closer in Fenway Park.
“The biggest thing is having no memory,’’ Papelbon said. “I remember what Mariano [Rivera] told me. ‘Papelbon, no memory.’ It took me a while to figure out what he was talking about, but I learned that is the biggest key, especially in Boston.
“I love Kimbrel. He’s a great guy. Closers are a fraternity. It’s like we’re a group. Every city I go to I try and get with the closer and tell them, ‘Mariano made this role special. Goose Gossage made this role special. Lee Smith. Let’s try and keep it going.’ And that’s the same thing Mariano did for me.’’
Kimbrel, who the Red Sox acquired via trade from the San Diego Padres in exchange for four prospects in November, arrives in Boston with 225 career saves and a 1.63 ERA over six seasons. In 2011, Kimbrel broke Papelbon’s rookie record for saves before the All-Star break. Unlike Papelbon, Kimbrel has never been suspended for a dugout altercation. But he believes he has the makeup to also thrive in Boston.
“Nobody can be harder on me than myself,’’ Kimbrel told MLB.com on Saturday whe asked if he can handle the intense atmosphere at Fenway. “If I blow a save and get booed, I deserve it. I expect the highest out of myself, so I don’t think that would get to me much at all.’’
Of course, Kimbrel may need a Wild Thing-style mohawk to ensure the Papelbon comparison really sticks.
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