On Tuesday, Dec 12th, Gabe Kapler retired from the Boston Red Sox and announced his retirement from baseball as a player. Subsequently there after, he was hired by the Red Sox to manage their South Atlantic League team in Greenville, SC.
Kapler came to the Red Sox in 2003 to be a backup outfielder. In, 2004, him and the “idiots” won a World Series while he and Kevin Millar provided leadership for the Sox that year when they were struggling. In 2005, he left to go play for the Yankees of Japan, Yomiuri Giants, but didn’t produce there. He returned to the States and was resigned quickly by the Sox where he played sparingly as a backup outfielder before rupturing his Achilles tendon. He returned the Red Sox last season after his rehab and played in 72 games for the Sox hitting .254 with 2 hrs. It might not have been his bat last season but rather his leadership that helped the Red Sox endure the trials and tribulations of last season.
“I have been thinking about this transition for many years, and believe this to be the right time,” Kapler said. “This will afford me the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of young men, not only to help them develop as baseball players, but also — more importantly — as human beings.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the lives I have an opportunity to impact at this point. Essentially, it’s going to school. You’re going to learn how to manage. You’re going to learn when for the first time you’re put in that situation with the game on the line, to make a decision. You’re going to learn the first time a guy … does something stupid, how you are going to handle that situation.”
I had the opportunity to meet Gabe Kapler back in 1998 at the Bic Double-A allstar game when I worked for the New Haven Ravens. We were hosting the game and a few of us were working late and stopped by to grab a bite to eat before getting the field ready during the night. He stopped us and asked us what we did there so we told him and talked to him for a bit. Kapler was a 57th round draft choice who worked hard to get where he is now. But the one thing that always stuck with me from meeting him was him telling us stories of being a fitness model. Playing in the minor leagues and being a late round draft choice doesn’t really pay the bills. Honestly neither does working in it. We all did it for the love of the game. My point is he pulled out the cover of a magazine to show us him on the cover. What kind of person does that? Well he did. Later that season, all his hard work had paid off and he made his big league debut with the Detroit Tigers.
Good luck to ya Gabe on the managing job. Your gonna need it. Just remember one thing, there’s no chartered plane in the SALLY league. Trust me, I know. I spent a season working in Podunk, GA. Well actually, Albany, GA.
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