It's not uncommon to hear Major League Baseball players claim they are in the best shape of their lives when spring training rolls around, but Jonathan Papelbon knows optimism can only get you so far.
"The percentage of players that say they are in shape and the best shape of their lives and they are ready, have got to be 90-plus," Papelbon told WEEI's Rob Bradford during his appearance on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast. "But what they actually are has got to be 30 or 40%."
Players work hard in the offseason to make sure they're ready for spring training and getting back into a baseball routine. While there are some who stay quiet about how they're feeling physically ahead of a new MLB season, one player in particular drove Papelbon crazy while they were members of the Boston Red Sox.
"(Jacoby) Ellsbury, every year, man, it used to drive me crazy," Papelbon told Bradford. "I was like, 'Dude, we have got 162 of these and another 30 in spring training.' And I was like, 'You're there running 4.2 40's. Suave Mente, bro. You don't have to prove anything because everybody knows you're in shape.'"
"... Guess what? If if goes out that they are not in shape or they proved to not be in shape then it's a problem."
Papelbon has a point. The baseball season is 162 games and that's not counting the postseason. It's important to stay in shape for the whole thing in order to give your best effort on the field. You don't want to burn yourself out in spring training before the season even begins.
