JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) — Jonathan Papelbon remembers being “a 6-foot-4, 170 (pound) string bean” when Tommy Raffo recruited him to Mississippi State two decades ago.
Papelbon shined for the Bulldogs before becoming a six-time All-Star during a 12-year career with three Major League teams. He was recently in town to support Raffo’s program as the featured guest at Arkansas State’s 17th annual Grand Slam Banquet, a key fundraiser for Red Wolves baseball.
Raffo and Papelbon attended the same high school in Jacksonville, Fla. Himself a former Mississippi State baseball player, Raffo was an assistant coach for the Bulldogs when he recruited Papelbon to Starkville.