Phillies pitcher Jonathan Papelbon was a classic case study in Freudian defense mechanisms Monday night. After surrendering the game-winner to the Los Angeles Dodgers and taking the loss, Papelbon decided to blame someone else for his misfortune.
To say Papelbon was off his game might be an understatement. He gave up a leadoff triple and an RBI single before settling down and retiring the side. After the inning, he was ready to challenge plate umpire D.J. Reyburn; ready to get ejected and show the world that the mean man in black unjustly ruined his night.
Instead, as the half-inning concluded, crew chief Derryl Cousins stepped in between Papelbon and the plate, preventing Papelbon from making good on his umpire-baiting intentions: "The other umpire [Cousins] came over and said, 'What are you doing over there?' and I said, 'I'm going to a...
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