The Papel-Face

My girlfriend Suz and I have been joking about the face that Jonathan Papelbon makes when he’s getting ready to deliver a pitch. It’s like he just sucked down a lemon. Or maybe he’s about to blow a smoke ring? (Suz does a good impression).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of the Papel-face anywhere on the internets, which is hard to believe.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Others have noticed the face.

Valen writes on a Sporting News message board, “Love the look on Papelbon’s face as he stares in. Not sure I have seen too many pitchers look more focused and intense.”

Denton at FanHouse says, “He’s already got back-to-back 30-save seasons, and has a ridiculous 71 K’s in 51.1 innings. And, seriously, who has a better game face than Paps?”

And then there’s this guy, who decided to post his version of the Papel-face on YouTube.

What do you think? I think it’s a pretty good impression.