Topic: Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Robert Papelbon (pronounced /ˈpæpəlbɒn/; born November 23, 1980 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed.

He was the Red Sox closer during most of 2006. In early September, Papelbon injured his shoulder. When the Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention, he was shut down for the rest of the season to rest. Papelbon was being groomed to be part of the Red Sox starting rotation, but because of his shoulder problems, was later moved back to the bullpen before the start of the season and remained the team's closer. On August 21, 2007, Papelbon had his 30th save of the season making him the first Boston pitcher to ever have two 30-save seasons. As of July 1, 2009, Papelbon holds the record of most saves by a Red Sox pitcher, beating Bob Stanley's previous record of 132 saves.

Papelbon was a three-time All-City honoree while playing in high school for Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, FL. Early in his senior year, he committed to play college baseball for Mississippi State.