For Matt Williams not to immediately remove Papelbon from the game defies logic. Papelbon went after the best player in the game, Harper, the 22-year-old superstar whose emergence has been by far the best thing that has happened to the Nationals this season. And Papelbon got away with it.
If the Nationals want to show real leadership — and support for Harper, their franchise player — they should suspend Papelbon for the rest of the season and fire Williams.
General Manager Mike Rizzo was not available to reporters after the game, but Williams seemed oblivious to the issues. Asked why he allowed Papelbon to keep pitching after the fight, Williams said, “He’s our closer.”
Right. He is. And he just attacked your best player. – Tyler Kepner, NY Times, September 27, 2015
Matt Wiliams will undoubtedly lose his job soon, but anyone who can avoid sharing oxygen with Papelbon can call himself a winner in life.