Did Papelbon really say Philly is smarter than Boston?

Jonathan Papelbon is never shy or at a loss for words. On Thursday morning, during an appearance on 94WIP’s Morning Show, the closer tried to compare the Philly fans and the Boston fans.

If you read the ESPN headlines, it sounds like Papelbon took a shot at Red Sox Nation. Here is the portion of the interview in question. Draw your own conclusions.

“The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better, being in the National League, you know, the way the game is played,” Papelbon said.

To us, that is simply fact. Not because we are Philly fans ourselves. Read the words.

Obviously, fans of National League teams are more knowledgeable about the game of baseball than American League fans. There’s more strategy involved, more thinking, with double switches and no DH. In that vein, fans in Milwaukee and St. Louis are also smarter than Boston fans.

The AL is a power league, just send them up and let them hit. Remember, Terry Francona won two World Series championships managing in the AL. Anyway, that’s our two cents. Here is some more from Papelbon’s interview with 94WIP.

“It’s a religion [in Boston]. It’s a way of life,” Papelbon said. “[Fans] come to the field and they expect certain things out of players. … It’s an environment where you put up or shut up. I enjoyed that. That’s what got my motor running every day.”