Jon Papelbon: I pity the fool!!!
From the Boston Herald:
One of the stranger, and uglier, bets in Red Sox history was revealed yesterday inside the visitors clubhouse at Rogers Centre.
Prior to the Sox’ 8-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, closer Jonathan Papelbon appeared in the clubhouse sporting what can only be described as a disturbing Mohawk hairdo. Looking much like Robert De Niro when his character, Travis Bickle, snapped in “Taxi Driver,” Papelbon had the thick stripe running across the crest of his skull, splitting into four fish hook-type tails at the base of his head.
Stranger than all that, however, was the revelation from Papelbon that he had actually won the bet with teammate Kevin Youkilis. The two had made a friendly wager, with Papelbon saying he would have 10 scoreless innings in April before Youkilis would have five home runs with a .350 batting average.
Papelbon reached his mark in Friday night’s series-opening loss. By yesterday morning, bullpen catcher Jason LaRocque was shearing Papelbon’s locks.
The right-hander was sheepish about the look and received the appropriate ribbing from his teammates.
“You ain’t leaving it like that,” bullpen mate Julian Tavarez said. “Malo, mucho malo (bad, very bad).”
Papelbon joked that his wife had told him he needed a haircut.
“This ain’t no biggie,” he said. “I’m married now. I only have one person to answer to.”