Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time

Mike Schmidt,Third and First Baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat the during the Major League Baseball National League East game against the Chicago Cubs on 28 June 1988 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, United States. Cubs won the game 6 - 4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images) /

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Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

47. player. 6. . RP. 2012-15. Jonathan Papelbon

It’s hard to ignore the success closer Jonathan Papelbon had in Philadelphia, despite him being one of the wackier players in recent memory. Perhaps better fit for the 1993 Phillies, Papelbon was just as dominant on the mound as he was loony at times.

One of the best closers in modern baseball, Papelbon signed a four-year, $50 million deal with Philadelphia going into the 2012 season. Papelbon was coming off a World Series win with the Boston Red Sox and joining a club coming off a 102-win season that included nine blown saves by seven different pitchers.

In his first season with the Phillies, Papelbon led the league with 64 games finished and made his first All-Star game in three seasons. His 38 saves were tied for the third-most in the National League. Generally, things were solid for him, despite the club finishing 81-81.

In 211 games, he sealed the franchise saves record at 113 thanks to a fantastic throw from Jeff Francoeur.

Papelbon’s personality went on to clash with the fanbase, Papelbon’s tenure was highlighted by an unfortunate gesture made towards fans. Philadelphia later traded Papelbon to the Washington Nationals where his woes continued.