Take a moment and picture an MLB manager.
Did they look like this?
That’s Gabe Kapler, a man who blogs, eats grasshoppers and goats, and in his spare time manages the Philadelphia Phillies. Before he took the job in late October, Kapler spent three years as the Dodgers’ director of player development, where he developed a reputation as one of the most analytically minded gurus in baseball—and one of the most intense.
As Brewers executive Doug Melvin described Kapler to Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci while Kapler was interviewing for the Phillies job, “My only worry is he is so full of energy that is there somebody there who can say, ‘Gabe, just tone it down a little bit.’”
The man is a living, breathing meme.
“On a scale of one to 10, Gabe always wants to be a 10,” a Dodgers staffer told SI this week.
His tenure with the Phillies has been tumultuous, so in honor of how extra Kapler is, let’s count down the most bizarre moments of Kapler’s short career in Philadelphia so far.
6. Having No Faith in His Second-Best Hitter on Opening Day
In 2015, Odúbel Herrera led the Phillies in bWAR. He did it again in 2016, and in 2017 he was third. On opening day of 2018, he was on the bench.
“I want our guys to want to be in the lineup every day,” Kapler said after the game. “I want them to have that fire in their belly. I thought the coolest thing was when I talked to Odubel, he said, ‘I’m upset. I want to play.’ And I said, ‘Awesome. That’s exactly what we want you to feel.’”
5. Infuriating Nick Williams
Outfielder Nick Williams, who hit 12 home runs with a .338 OBP in 83 games last season, started just two of the first six games. Let’s just say he was perturbed.
“I guess the computers are making [the lineups], I don’t know,” Williams said last week. “I don’t get any of it but what can I do? I’m not going to complain about it because I have zero power. I’m just letting it ride.”
4. Having No Faith in His Best Pitcher on Opening Day
With the Phillies leading the Braves 5-0 in the sixth inning of the season opener, Kapler pulled starter Aaron Nola after just 68 pitches. To put that in perspective, only two pitchers were pulled from that same scenario all of last season. The bullpen promptly gave up six runs, and the Phillies lost 8-5.
Intermission: Kapler Eats Ice Cream … and Then Spits It Out
In November, Matt Gelb reported a startling fact about the just-hired manager. Kapler loved ice cream, but was so committed to his diet that he refused to swallow it.
“So he would sit there and lick ice cream but have a cup and spit it into it,” a former minor leaguer who played for Kapler told The Inquirer. “He would lick it just for the taste but didn’t want to eat it. I told him, ‘Dude, that’s like Unabomber type stuff.’”
3. Cycling Through Relievers So Fast, Dave Roberts Gets Motion Sickness
In the second game of the season, the day after the Nola fiasco, Kapler once again went to his bullpen early, pulling starter Nick Pivetta after four innings. The Phillies cycled through nine pitchers in a 5-4 win in 11 innings. After going to the bullpen 13 times in the first two games of the season, Kapler assured reporters before the game that he had a plan entering Saturday.
“We’re in good shape,” Kapler said before the game. “We have coverage. We met for several hours this afternoon and we’ve got a game plan that we feel confident and comfortable with.”
Whether according to plan or not, Kapler pulled starter Vince Velazquez after just 2.2 innings and used an additional five relievers as the Phillies were crushed 15-2. The loss capped a ludicrous three-game stretch when the Phillies used 21 pitchers in 28 innings. Adding to the confusion is that one of those pitchers was shortstop Pedro Florimón, who threw some bullpen sessions in spring training as the designated emergency pitcher. Usually when position players take the mound, it’s in extra innings for teams with exhausted bullpens. Kapler called Florimón in for the eighth inning three days into the season.
2. The Great Warm-up Debacle of 2018
That wasn’t even the wildest decision Kapler made in the third game of the season. When Velasquez was removed after 2.2 innings, Kapler called for reliever Hoby Milner out of the bullpen. Milner had pitched each of the previous two days and hadn’t even been warming up. Umpire Jerry Layne, out of fear for Milner’s health in the bizarre situation, gave Milner more time to warm-up than the rules allow. On April Fools’ Day (yes, seriously), ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that MLB agreed with Layne’s choice to give Milner more time and would send the Phillies a formal letter admonishing Kapler’s decision.
1. Losing Phillies Fans One Week Into the Season
After that disastrous game against the Braves, Kapler took responsibility for the 15-2 loss and then guaranteed the Phillies would make the playoffs. The Phillies promptly lost their next two games against the division-rival Mets, then headed to Philadelphia for the home opener, where Kapler was booed during pregame introductions.
“If we get booed,” Kapler had told The New York Times, “we probably deserve to get booed.”
