Papelbon Makes National Headlines For All The Wrong Reasons

At Citizens Bank Park, closer Jonathan Papelbon squared off against Philly fans and lost.

Papelbon, behaving like the beastly Boston jock he is, grabbed his crotch while facing the crowd-- or did he?

Either way, umpire Joe West, who, in Papelbon's defense is nicknamed 'Cowboy', ejected the turbulent all-star veteran from the game for seemingly making a lewd gesture utilizing his reproductive organ.

Papelbon appeared to be responding to the raucous boos that serenaded his career worst appearance in relief Sunday.

Papelbon matched a career high by allowing 4 runs in 1 inning, single-handedly causing the Phillies to lose by blowing a 3 run 9th inning lead.  When Papelbon entered, the Phils led 4-1, on the verge of a sweep over Miami.  When he left, they trailed 5-4 en route to a loss.  It was as bad as could be, except the home team had already been playoff-eliminated long before the first pitch was thrown in Sunday's contest.

In 2012, when Papelbon ditched Boston for the Phils, he gave this explanation to 94WIP's "Angelo Cataldi and The Morning Team:"

"The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better," he said.  "Being in the National League, you know, the way the game is played."

Sunday, however, he was trying to square dance away from his unflattering improvisational method for either itchy private parts or childish fight-back antics.  Either way, it was an unflattering day for the star reliever, who is set to make $13-million in 2015 and 2016 if he, and the Phillies, don't get their collective wish for him to be traded.

''This is baseball,'' Papelbon told reporters at Citizens Bank Park. ''I had to make an adjustment and I did it and by no means am I directing anything at any fans. When I'm out there and in the moment, the fans are irrelevant to me. I don't see them. I don't hear them. To me, this is pretty stupid, to be totally honest with you.

''They pay money, they want to see a good game and they have the right to boo and do whatever they want to do, but when an umpire gets caught up in that and starts trying to look for extra things he may think are going on -- just umpire the game... I think Joe [West] took it to a different level."

West didn't agree.

'I was just really, really itchy.'

''I told him, `You've got to go,''' West said to reporters. ''And then he charged out of the dugout and his head bumped into my hat. And I grabbed him and I said, `Get off of me.'

''The whole thing started because the fans booed him and he made an obscene gesture. He had no business doing that. He's got to be more professional than that. And that's why he was ejected.''

"By no means was I directing anything at any fans," Papelbon said. "I mean, I have a 4- and a 5-year-old son and daughter. I am not out here doing inappropriate things. Come on this is baseball. This is what we do. Go look at the game and see how many people do that just in today's game…  Joe had no right to grab me by any means so I will file a complaint for that for sure."

See and judge for yourself:

Papelbon: "adjustment" or frontal attack on fans?