Bitter Medicine

When Pappas took the stand to defend himself, he continued to insist that he had told Barrett the whole truth about his injury—even if he hadn't announced it to the press—and that it was Barrett who had failed to follow his advice to wear a brace. When Shapiro began his cross-examination, one could almost see Pappas's defense evaporating into thin air. Before it was over Pappas had been forced to concede that, yes, it was possible that he had failed to tell Barrett that he had torn his ACL.

And then, late on the afternoon of Oct. 25, after deliberating for less than four hours, the jury came back with its verdict. It awarded Barrett $1.7 million, all of it in lost wages. It wasn't the $4 million Barrett had asked for, but it was a victory nonetheless. In the courtroom as the verdict was read, Barrett began crying, wiping away tears of joy and gratitude. The Pappases simply stared off into space, their expressions never changing.

Afterward, with a few reporters crowded around them, Shapiro and Barrett made their victory speeches. "At a minimum," Shapiro said, "the Red Sox need to evaluate Dr. Pappas's role with the team." Barrett added, "I think this verdict is a step in the right direction regarding team doctors and their conflicts of interest."

Two days later, Pappas told the Boston Herald that he had no intention of letting go of either his position as team owner or as team doctor. "No, I'm not going to change," he said. "I see no reason to change anything nor does anyone else see any reason to chance it."