Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon revisits his 'did not come here for this' quote

Jonathan Papelbon has been very vocal about the Phillies since he signed with the team in November 2011.

Over the past two seasons he has done everything from question the Phillies' leadership to saying after one of the team's longer losing streaks last year that he didn't come to Philadelphia to lose.

Monday afternoon, as he sat on a picnic bench along the left field foul line at Bright House Field, the 33-year-old closer changed his tone.


"This year, I'm definitely trying to be a lot more of a positive influence and be more upbeat," said Papelbon. "It starts from Ryno [Ryan Sandberg]. It starts from our manager in encouraging us to stay positive and be upbeat even though the last two seasons didn't go as expected for myself and the rest of the guys in that clubhouse. There is a lot more upbeat positivity. It's night and day, it really is."

His enthusiasm has also translated into his preparation for the upcoming season. Papelbon doesn't think he's ever come into camp feeling this good and put in some of the toughest offseason training in his career to get to that point.

Papelbon credited much of his new attitude to Sandberg and said he's completely buying in to what the manager is selling.

When asked, Papelbon said he bought in when Charlie Manuel was manager as well, but made it sound as though it was harder to do. He felt that everything was set, from the environment, to the personnel, to the way things were done when he arrived from Boston. He also mentioned they weren't winning, which could have been the biggest problem.

However, not buying into what a manager has in place should not have affected his velocity. Something did, and the drop in his velocity was talked about an extensive amount last year.

According to PITCHf/x, which tracks the speed of each pitch in all major league ballparks, Papelbon's fastball averaged 95 mph in his last season with the Boston Red Sox. Since coming to Philadelphia, the average speed of his fastball has dropped both years, first to 93.8 mph in 2012 and then down to 92 mph last season.

Papelbon said Monday he had some minor injuries last year and wasn't fully 100 percent. He noted that it's possible his loss of velocity could be attributed to his health but it could have also been because he lost interest during losing seasons.

"My role is an intensity-driven role, so on nights when the ballpark is full and it's a close game, that's what makes me tick and we're in a race," explained Papelbon. "That's the big reason I've always decided to be a closer is when the dial is turned up and there is something on the line, I just seem to be at my best."

Papelbon was 5-6 in 2012 with an ERA of 2.44, 92 strikeouts in 70 innings, and 38 saves. Last year, those numbers were 5-1, 2.92 ERA, 57 Ks in 612/3 innings and 29 saves.

The righty did discuss the comments he made last year, specifically about not coming to the Phillies to lose. Papelbon thought his remark was taken out of context and didn't portray exactly what he was trying to get across.

He did want to make it clear that he's not a bad teammate, something he felt people were characterizing him as after he made his statements.

Just because Papelbon is changing his tone at the beginning of this season, doesn't mean he's going to take back anything he's already said or watch what he says in the future — especially if the Phillies find themselves limping toward the finish line once again.

"If I say something, it's because I mean it and I'll become fiery and emotional," Papelbon stated. "That's who I am. If I say the wrong thing, then so be it. As long as I'm fighting for my teammates and going to war for them and doing everything I can to help my teammates win a ballgame, nothing else will matter."

Twitter: @SteveGrossMCall