Management material: What shaped Gabe Kapler on his unconventional path to the Phillies (2024)

The stark white walls represent a blank canvas for Phillies manager Gabe Kapler.

A stack of framed photos, with a black and white image of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela peeking through, lean against chairs in the manager’s office within the bowels of Citizens Bank Park. A copy of Baseball Forecaster & Encyclopedia of Fanalytics rests on the cabinet unit behind Kapler, who is seated in a black leather office chair.

On this cool day in late January, Kapler’s desk is sparse, though the iPad he often carries is within reach. He wastes no time using it to summon BrooksBaseball.net as he’s asked about Jerad Eickhoff’s 2017 performance, quickly analyzing the metrics.

Kapler already has a vision of how his new home at the ballpark will look. He plans to rearrange the giant mahogany desk, which previously was the first thing players or staff saw as they walked through the short hallway into his office. He wants a more welcoming, environment.

It’s a microcosm of how he is approaching his new job, and, in many ways, speaks to the essence of Kapler. In conversations The Athletic had with more than a dozen of his former teammates, players he’s coached and people who’ve worked with him, insights and anecdotes from his acquaintances provide a view intoKapler’s baseball life – a journey to becoming a major-league manager that certainly has been unconventional, much like the man who’s in charge of guiding the Phillies through their rebuild and back to the playoffs.

He’s held only two coaching jobs – managing the Red Sox’s Class-A Greenville Drive in 2007 and serving on the staff for Team Israel in the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifier. He worked the previous three years as the Los Angeles Dodgers’director of player development, where he was not a universally beloved figure.

It’s unrealistic to expect every player in the Phillies’ clubhouse will like Kapler and his approach, which has and will generate scrutinygiven his background.

“It’ll be one of those things – even for anybody that is unhappy– that they’ll look back and say something to the effect of, ‘He just wanted the best out of me,'” Rangers TV color analyst and former teammate C.J. Nitkowski said. “He’s that unselfish. He’s not about any kind of Gabe Kapler managerial legacy. I don’t think that for a second. He’s about people and he’s great with people and tries to get the most out of them and together they’ll win if they do that.

“It’s interesting that it’s become a slight polarizing hire, without a doubt.”

Those who speak highly of Kapler, including many of his former Greenville players, praise his intensity, relatability and positivite energy. Those traits will be challenged in a high-profile job.

But each stop along his baseball career, on and off the field, has prepared the 42-year-old for this opportunity.

“A lot of times you’ll play for a manger who’s not very approachable, where he’s separated or he’s above everyone whereas, Gabe was taking batting practice with us,” said former Greenville pitcher Josh Papelbon, the younger twin brother of the Phillies’ all-time saves leader Jonathan. “sh*t, there were a lot of times where he’d stand in on our bullpens and give us pointers on what he thought he was seeing and what he was picking up. And I think that was huge.”

Defying odds, then making his mark

Three years later and Kapler’s professional baseball career might have been over before it even began.

A 1995 draft pick of the Detroit Tigers out of Moorpark College in California, Kapler was selected in the 57th round, a round that would be eliminated when the draft was reduced to 50 in 1998.

Kapler became only the seventh player to reach the majors out of the 143 in MLB history who were drafted in the 57th round. By the time his career ended, he was easily the most successful of that small group, appearing in more than 1,100 games and winning a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox.

“Some guys, and I’m not saying necessarily this is the case with him, almost operate better when the odds are against them,” Nitkowski said. “Not that he couldn’t accomplish more if he was a favorite, but there’s something about being that underdog that he just thrives off of.”

Kapler watched and learned from some of the game’s best managers during his playing career, featuring Clint Hurdle, Terry Francona and Joe Maddon.

“I’m not surprised that he’s had a trajectory within the game,” said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, who managed Kapler in Colorado. “He’s forward thinker, he’s a creative thinker … and as I tell many of these young men that get their first opportunity, welcome to the First Guesser’s Club.”

By the time Kapler played for Maddon in Tampa Bay, he was in the twilight of his career. Maddon was struck by Kapler’scuriosity and leadership in the clubhouse. He knew then that Kapler would coach one day.

“He was a really great conduit between the office and the clubhouse talking to young players,” Maddon said. “But his relationship with me, I was really impressed with the intelligence level and inquisitiveness. I thought it was really interesting. Sincere, not fabricated, this is like real. And the way he played the game so hard and so proud, square-jawed, just everything about him, he’s really focused all the time.”

Kevin Millar saw daily the effort Kapler put in to build relationships and connect with teammates during their three seasons playing together. Their lockers were next to each other in the Red Sox’s home clubhouse. Even though Kapler’s role shifted during his time in Boston–he became a bench player after returning from a brief and unsuccessful stint in Japan – his work ethic and commitment to healthy eating never waned.

“He was one of my favorite teammates ever because he had the ability to make you feel good when starters weren’t feeling great, and I think that’s a great asset to have,” MLB Network’s Millar said. “Gabe understands people. … He’s never going to forget how hard the game is.”

The makings of a first-time manager

Boston’s 2006 season ended sooner than expected.

Instead of competing for their second World Series title in three years, second-half struggles meant players were packing up their lockers just days into October.

Ben Cherington, then the vice president of player personnel, headed into the clubhouse on clean-out day and crossed paths with Kapler as the latter was departing. Having gotten to know Kapler during the outfielder’s four seasons in Boston, the two stopped to chat. Cherington mentioned one of his offseason tasks was to hire a manager for their Class-A Greenville affiliate. The Red Sox wanted to find a recently retired player who possessed leadership potential.

“Give it some thought and let me know if you have any names, if you can think of anyone,” Cherington told Kapler.

Within a day or two, Kapler contacted Cherington and wanted to further discuss the position. As they started talking, Cherington initially thought Kapler had called to make sure he was thinking of the right type of people to suggest to the Red Sox’s front office.

The31-year-old Kapler had thought of someone to recommend for the managerial job: Himself.It sparked a months of conversations among Kapler, Cherington and Mike Hazen, then the director of player development who is now the Arizona Diamondbacks’ general manager.

“Honestly, we were trying to talk him out of it. We were pushing back,” recalled Cherington, who’s now with the Blue Jays as vice president of baseball operations. “Because he was still young and he could still play and he was going to take a massive pay cut and there’s nothing quite like playing.

“So we kept pushing back and he kept coming at us, and I think he was at a moment in his life that he felt he needed to be challenged differently.”

Unable to change Kapler’s mind, Cherington and Hazen eventually were convinced to give him a shot.

“He was someone we really admired and that we thought would bring a new kind of energy and thinking to the role,” Cherington said. “I remember thinking that, if worst case, this is just a year that we’d still benefit from it so we decided to go forward with it and we had a lot of fun working with him.”

Ultimately, it proved to be a one-year gig, as the pull to play was too much for Kapler. That 2007 season left an impression.

“He had a real interest in everyone and that kind transformative type of personality that people are just drawn to,” Cherington said. “He just had that interest in people and learning what their particular stories were.”

‘A players’ coach’

Kapler’s ability to relate to his young players and make them feel valued resonated with his team, even if it didn’t correlate to many wins.

The 2007 Greenville Drive went 58-81 in the South Atlantic League during Kapler’s only season at the helm. Multiple former Greenville players referred to him as a players’ manager, always approachable.

Josh Papelbon had heard good things about Kapler from his brother Jonathan, Kapler’s former teammate for two seasons with the Red Sox. Josh appreciated that Kapler didn’t force everyone to do things his way. He let them take their own path, which for Josh meant Kapler didn’t tinker with his submarine pitching motion in a quest to turn him into a more conventional pitcher. He became Kapler’s go-to reliever that season, appearing in a career-high 62 games while recording a 3.91 ERA and 18 saves.

Kapler’s presence as a former big leaguer fresh off the field caused the players to take notice of what he would analyze and nitpick. He expected players to give their best effort on a daily basis.

Greenville right-hander T.J. Large: “One thing that stands out that I still tell people to this day: I’m standing in left field, and he’s throwing batting practice when we’re at home in Greenville. Our shortstop Argenis Diaz, is standing at shortstop just kind of going through the motions, balls get hit through the six hole and he just kind of watches the ball go and then he takes the ball off the fungo, not taking any live reps. Gabe kind of gets the ass on it, and he’s high intensity and goes, alright that’s it. He calls someone in to finish his round of BP and he takes his jersey off, he’s got a cutoff shirt on, and he takes the glove from somebody and he starts playing shortstop.

“He’s diving all over the field like a maniac. It was the most phenomenal thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s making every play. I’m standing out there in left field, like, oh my God. If this isn’t going to make Diaz step up his game then nothing is, you know? I played with Diaz for a few years before the Red Sox traded him and that day put a lightbulb into this young, elite shortstop. Man, after that day Diaz’s reps became game reps every single day. The ability he had to challenge players with himself is uncanny.”

Kapler’s devout commitment to nutrition fascinated and, at times, amused his players.

Even when the team traveled on the road, Kapler had ways to stick to his lifestyle. Greenville first baseman Lars Anderson recalled limited food options during a four-game series in Charleston, South Carolina. The team’s hotel was surrounded by a McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Burger King. Anderson, who grew up in California eating organic food, was resigned to being stuck with fast food.

Kapler, however, came prepared. Apples, honey and almond butter were among the items he’d packed for himself. On another trip, this time in Augusta, Ga., Anderson walked into a Waffle House and saw Kapler had brought his own almond butter to put on his waffles. During any road series, Kapler could be spotted with his camo bag, which held a spoon and canned kidney beans, in case he got hungry.

Kapler found a way to satisfy his sweet tooth, too. Greenville catcher Jon Still said Kapler loved ice cream, though it’s loaded with sugars and fats. To solve that issue, Kapler would lick his cup of ice cream and then spit it into a separate cup to fulfill any cravings.

“I guess I felt like it wasn’t out of the ordinary, but looking back on it, it was really out of the ordinary in an awesome way,” Anderson said of Kapler’s dedication to health and nutrition.

While Kapler is now considered part of the new breed of analytical big-league managers, he possessed old-school elements to his managerial philosophy.

As much as he embraced building relationships and was forward-thinking, Kapler is a product of his generation of ballplayers when slights and disagreements were settled between the lines. He always preached that they play for the guy next to them.

Large, now the Pirates’ coordinator of minor-league operations, was the Drive’s 6-foot-4 quasi enforcer out of the bullpen. Kapler called down to the bullpen once after an opposing player slid hard into second base and took out Greenville’s second baseman. The instructions were simple: “Large, you’ve got him.” Large said he knew exactly what Kapler meant. He was efficient when he entered the game, drilling the first batter and striking out the next to end the inning.

Afterward, Kapler guided Large into the dugout tunnel and was so fired up he started slapping Large’s chest and back before unleashing what Large described as a “father-son you-just-graduated-college bear hug.”

Following the win, the players hit the showers, and Large noticed everyone staring at him until they finally suggested he check out his back. A mirror revealed a Kapler-sized handprint. When an amused Large walked into the manager’s office, Kapler grinned ear to ear.

“There was one time we had a meeting after we had lost a couple in a row and we were on a real bad skid,” Josh Papelbon said. “We came in after the game and he told everybody else to leave and just the team to stay there. He had on a sleeveless shirt and he just ripped into us. I’ve probably never had a coach that intense before. His emotions and his demeanor said it all. He could’ve said nothing and the message would’ve been received. He was so fired up, I remember it looked like every vein in his body was about to explode from his biceps and his arms and his neck. I thought he was going to blow a gasket right there.

“He could tell the effort level just wasn’t … where it should be. And so I think it was kind of an eye opener for a lot of us guys because here’s a big leaguer that even when you’re losing six, seven games in a row when you’re on this grind and you’re halfway through the season, you still have a whole half of a season left. Here’s a guy that’s still intense, still staying positive and still busting it day in and day out, you know? I think that kind of opened our eyes to what our effort level really was and where it needed to be.”

At one point after the season ended, Kapler was in Boston and needed a place to work out.

Zak Farkes, a Greenville infielder, worked at his former Cambridge, Ma., high school during the offseason and was responsible for taking care of their gym. Kapler asked and received permission to use it one day.

Twenty minutes after Kapler arrived, Farkes heard an awful noise, prompting him to run out of his office to the gym. There was Kapler, wearing a weight vest as he stood holding 45-pound dumbbells while the treadmill’s torn rubber belt made an awful noise as it went around in circles.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

Unbeknownst to Kapler, by raising the treadmill to its highest incline and then running with the 45-pound dumbbells in his hands, he had pushed the machine to its limit. Strenuous workouts were not uncommon for Kapler, which his players would witness firsthand.

“We were riding from the hotel one day to the field and Kap wasn’t on the bus,” Greenville right-hander Chris Province said. “We’re driving along to the field that’s about five miles away and we just happen to look outside: Kap had ran from the hotel to the field.”

L.A. times: a mixed bag

For as beloved as Kapler was by his Greenville players, his three years in the Dodgers’ organization featured divisive, mixed feelings.

Kapler oversaw roughly 150 players on six minor-league teams in his position as the Dodgers’ director of player development from 2015-17. His leadership skills, big-league playing career and analytic qualities helped him become a finalist for the Dodgers’ manager opening in 2015, a job that ultimately went to Dave Roberts. Kapler’s candidacy took a hit when a few notable veteran Dodgers reportedly endorsed Roberts, an external candidate, to the front office over Kapler.

Kapler introduced organic foods to every clubhouse within Los Angeles’ organization. He embraced a no-rules approach.

Lars Anderson, who played for Kapler in Greenville, spent 2015-16 playing for the Dodgers’ Double-A and Triple-A teams. Eliminating most rules meant there was no curfew. Players weren’t required to shave facial hair or keep their hair a certain length. While some players pushed the boundaries of their freedom, it allowed the organization to see all sides of a player.

Anderson also appreciated being served three organic meals a day and said it even cost players less money in clubhouse dues. Although there was some pushback that first season – for example, soda was no longer available in the clubhouse – by the second year, players had largely adapted, Anderson said.

“It wasn’t like if you brought in McDonald’s you’d have to hide it,” Anderson said. “You could eat that. You’re welcome to bring whatever you wanted in. It was just like, this is what we’re giving you.”

Both of those philosophies are expected to be implemented in some form with the Phillies.

“I think that’s one of the things, sort of talking through the rules concept, in my opinion, grown-ups don’t like being told what to do,” Kapler said in December. “They like to be given choices and given the chance to make sensible ones. It doesn’t always play out the way you expect it to, but I think through a relentless approach of educating, educating, educating, you get there over the course of time.”

Veteran reliever Sam LeCure had only been a part of the Cincinnati Reds organization during his first 11 years before joining the Dodgers’ system in 2016.

LeCure had liked some of the structure that rules provided when he was with the Reds. But after joining the Dodgers, he said it clicked when he experienced the culture Kapler helped create.

“As far as some of the ‘no rules’ go, I wouldn’t say it was bad. That’s why I say he’s unique because he’s all encompassing,” said LeCure, who spent the entire 2016 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. “It’s tough to explain without being in a clubhouse because he’s new school in the sense of nutrition and efficiency in your workouts – not necessarily just taking a million swings a day, doing it properly. Feeding your body the right way and also the old school way of let’s let the players police themselves. Let’s hold each other accountable too. That’s a nice blend.”

Kapler used one-on-one conversations and text messages to connect with players, even the older veterans in the minors whose future with the Dodgers organization was uncertain. There were a few times LeCure would receive text messages from Kapler 15 minutes after he came out of the game, sometimes as simple as, “Hey, that was great!”

“When he came into town he was always personable and always had his mind on the game, but you also got the feeling he cared about you personally off the field,” LeCure said. “So either he was a good bullsh*tter or he was really genuine. I prefer to believe he was really genuine.”

Added infielder/outfielder Brian Burgamy, who spent 2015 in the Dodgers’ farm system: “In the conversations with him, he was totally straight up and honest with me and there was no, for a lack of a better term, B.S. that was involved. Unfortunately, there is sometimes. Because everybody wants to be the nice guy, wants to be your friend sometimes and what you really need is complete honesty and that’s the part of it that I appreciated the most.”

But ugly accusations from his Dodgers tenure still linger.

Complaints by Nick Francona, the son of Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, have fractured Kapler’s relationship with his former Red Sox manager. Nick Francona claimed Kapler, who was his boss, pushed him out of his player development role with the Dodgers after Kapler learned Nick, an Afghanistan war veteran, made an appointment with Home Base. The organization helps veterans deal with the psychological impact of combat.

Nick Francona, who was let go by the Dodgers in March 2016, filed a complaint to Major League Baseball. Kapler and the Dodgers were cleared after an investigation, and the league considers the issue closed.

At his introductory press conference in November, Kapler referenced Terry Francona as a manager he watched and learned from during his playing career. But that relationship will now take time to repair, if it ever does. At the winter meetings, their interactions were limited to Francona saying hello.

“I don’t ever root against anybody, but that’s personal and not something that I’d be comfortable hashing or rehashing,” Terry Francona told The Athleticat the winter meetings in December. “My son is near and dear to me, as he should be, so it’s pretty personal.”

The challenges ahead

There’s no consensus on what will be Kapler’s biggest challenge as a first-time MLB manager with limited coaching experience.

Earning respect in the clubhouse is a must, but LeCure doesn’t expect that to be an issue. He believes it won’t take long for Phillies players to buy into Kapler and his vision.

“He’s intense and passionate about what he’s doing,” LeCure said. “People throw that out a lot, and I think a lot of times it’s bullsh*t. They say they care because they’ve got 20 reporters in front of them and that’s what they have to say. He doesn’t have to say a word. You can see it in his eyes, like, this guy is 100 percent invested in what he’s doing, and he’s 100 percent invested in the team and each individual player.”

Jerry Narron, who managed Kapler for two seasons in Texas and is now the Diamondbacks bench coach, is concerned Kapler won’t allow pitching coach Rick Kranitz and bench coach Rob Thomson to provide input before he must make the final call during a game. He doesn’t want Kapler to feel he must make all the decisions on his own. Narron, who coached alongside Kranitz for five seasons on the Brewers’ staff from 2011-15, considers Kranitz a huge asset for Kapler. He witnessed how much Kranitz can help, whether it’s suggesting when to change pitchers or deciding if the starter should go out for another inning.

As a former pitcher, Nitkowski understands the trickiness of running the bullpen. Beyond properly timing when to warm up relievers and putting them in the best position to succeed, communication is imperative. With the trend of bullpen usage in which a team’s best reliever could be used in a high-leverage situation in the seventh inning, it’s vital to get pitchers on board with the strategy.

“The manager’s success doesn’t completely rely on that because you could beat up your bullpen and get away with it if it’s deep enough,” Nitkowski said. “But if it’s not, it’s going to show up. Trying to figure that part out because it is so important.”

Kapler is only five years older than the Phillies’ most veteran player, 37-year-old reliever Pat Neshek, and is leading a young team. The average age of their current 40-man roster is 25.6 years old, the youngest in baseball.In theory, having a younger manager who’s closer in age to the players could behelpful in building a rapport. Narron was only 45 when he became a first-time manager as an in-season replacement with the Texas Rangers in 2001.

However, Narron downplayed the age factor.

“Players want somebody who’s honest with them, somebody who will relate to them and really build a relationship with the players no matter what age you are,” Narron said. “Players can tell if you are real or if you’re a phony when it comes to relating to them – and I know Gabe’s going to do a good job at relating with the players.”

Cherington sees fewer hurdles with the performance and job itself but rather the environment and attention that will surround Kapler.

“Obviously, Philly is not a place where people are going to be quiet,” Cherington said with a laugh. “People care in Philly and the team is growing and developing and probably getting closer to where people are going to start expecting more performance on the field. … Philly and the Philly market isn’t a quiet incubator for these kinds of things. He’s going to be tested right away, I’m sure.”

Spring training will offer early feedback on how players respond to Kapler’s persona.

“Anytime a new manager walks in, earning the respect of the clubhouse – it takes time,” Nitkowski said. “He definitely has the credibility as far as what he’s done over the course of his career. There’ll always be skeptics, and it’ll be unusual because it’ll probably the first time for any of these guys that they’ll be playing for someone who’s in better shape than they are.”

Kapler is already in Clearwater preparing to lead his first camp in less than two weeks. The next time he steps into his office at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies will have played meaningful baseball, opening the season on the road.

The Gabe Kapler era will be in full swing.

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