Gabe Kapler Career Tracker

Brewers sign Kapler
By Tom Haudricourt
Thursday, Dec 20 2007, 02:41 PM
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has been saying all winter that the free-agent market for corner outfielders is bleak.

That must be true because Melvin brought one out of retirement today.

The Brewers announced they have signed Gabe Kapler, 32, an eight-year veteran who managed in Boston’s farm system in 2007 after announcing his retirement as an active player.

Kapler, a right-handed hitter, has played in 850 major-league games with Detroit, Texas, Colorado and Boston, batting .270 with 64 home runs and 302 RBI, with a .331 on-base percentage and .418 slugging percentage. He played in 72 games with the Red Sox in 2006, batting .254 with two home runs and 12 RBI.

Less than a month after Boston won the 2004 World Series, Kapler signed with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League. He struggled there and was placed on waivers in July, allowing him to rejoin the Red Sox midway through the ’05 season.

Kapler ruptured his right Achilles tendon late in September of that season – oddly enough, running the bases on what turned out to be a home run by Tony Graffanino, who played in 2006-’07 for the Brewers before suffering a knee injury. That injury sidelined Kapler until June 2006.

Last season, Kapler managed Boston’s Class A Greenville (S.C.) team to a 58-81 record, 14th in the 16-team South Atlantic League.

After that managerial stint, Kapler announced his intention to play again in 2008. “I miss the battle,” he said. “The experience reawakened the competitor in me. I still need to be on the field as a player.”

Known as a superb defensive player (no errors in 2005-’06), Kapler was used primarily as a platoon player in right field with Trot Nixon while playing for Boston, facing left-handed pitchers.

Melvin, who had looked into acquiring Kapler in the past, has been in the market for a left fielder this winter. But I’m guessing Kapler merely will be thrown into the mix of others in the outfield picture, including Gabe Gross, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Joe Dillon.

Corey Hart is expected to start in right field, with Bill Hall in center.

“Gabe brings versatility and athleticism to the outfield position,” said Melvin. “He has always been a great teammate and possesses the determination to bounce back and become a valuable player to our club.”

Perhaps acquiring Kapler would allow Melvin to throw one of those other outfielders into a trade. As soon as I find out what’s on his mind, I’ll write another blog.

This is turning out to be one wierd winter!

Damn!

Gabe Kapler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gabriel Stefan "Gabe" Kapler (born August 31, 1975, in Hollywood, California) is an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has also played portions of nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox. His height is 6 feet 2 inches and he weights 210 lbs.

He announced his retirement from professional baseball on December 12, 2006. After serving the Boston Red Sox as manager of their Class-A minor league affiliate the Greenville Drive in 2007, in September 2007 Kapler announced his intention to resume his playing career in 2008. "I miss the battle, he said. "I still need to be on the field as a player."[1]

Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 1995. He bats and throws right handed. In nine Major League seasons, Kapler posted a .270 batting average with 64 home runs and 302 RBIs.

Early life

Kapler played for the Taft High School (Los Angeles) baseball team, and graduated in 1993.

He attended Cal State-Fullerton in 1994 on scholarship, before transferring to 2-year Moorpark College in 1995. He was named 1st team All-Western Conference after hitting .337 with 7 homers and 52 RBI.

Kapler is an avid weightlifter and used to be a bodybuilder. He was on the cover of several bodybuilding magazines and became renowned for being the focus of an entire K-Swiss shoe campaign before he had even reached the pros.

Minor leagues

In 1996 he led the South Atlantic League in hits (157), doubles (45), and extra-base hits (71), was 2nd in homers (26), RBIs (99), and slugging (.534), and 5th in batting (.300). He was named a South Atlantic League All-Star.

In 1997 at Single-A Lakeland, he led the Florida State League in doubles (40) and total bases (262), tied for first in extra base hits (65), was 2nd in games, 3rd in hits (153), tied for 3rd in home runs (19) and RBIs (87), was 4th in slugging percentage (.505), and tied for 4th in runs (87).

In 1998 he won the Southern League MVP award, as he batted .322 with a league-high 28 home runs, 47 doubles, and 146 RBIs (most in the minors in 1998 and most ever in the Southern League). His league record for RBIs broke the 1986 record of 132 set by Terry Steinbach. He also set league records with 81 extra-base hits and 319 total bases, and broke the old doubles record of 44 with 47. He also led the league in hits (176), runs (113), and finished 6th in batting. He played in both the Double-A and Southern League All-Star Games and was recognized as MVP of the Southern League All-Star Game. He was also named to the SL's post-season All-Star team. He was honored as Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today, Baseball Weekly, and The Sporting News and USA Today, and was named Tigers Minor League Player of the Year and Detroit's No. 1 prospect by Baseball America.

Major Leagues

Detroit Tigers (1998-99)

He made his Major League debut in 1998 at the age of 22. He became the first Tiger since the inception of the draft in 1969 to be selected as late as the 57th round and reach the majors.

In 1999 he hit 18 home runs in just over 400 at bats, third among AL rookies.

Texas Rangers (2000-02)

In November 1999 he was traded by the Tigers with Al Webb (minors), Frank Catalanotto, Francisco Cordero, Bill Haselman, and Justin Thompson to the Texas Rangers for Juan Gonzalez, Danny Patterson, and Gregg Zaun.

In 2000 he batted .302 with 14 home runs, hitting .344 in the second half of the season.

In 2001 he stole 23 bases, and had 8 assists from center field, for Texas. He batted .267, but .329 in games that were late and close. He made just one error in 344 total chances for a .997 fielding percentage, second-best in the AL.

Colorado Rockies (2002-03)

In July 2002 he was traded by the Rangers with Jason Romano and cash to the Colorado Rockies for Dennys Reyes and Todd Hollandsworth.

In 2002 he batted .279, but .321 in games that were late and close, and .357 with runners in scoring position.

Boston Red Sox (2003-06)

In June 2003 he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Rockies.

In 2004, when Shawn Green of the Dodgers announced that he would not play on Yom Kippur, the Boston media asked Kapler if he would do the same thing. Kapler called a Boston-area rabbi for advice. With the Curse of the Bambino still hanging over Red Sox fans' heads, the rabbi reportedly said: "Do it! We need all the help we can get!" Kapler decided to play... but went 0-4, with four strikeouts.

Kapler played a career-high 136 games in 2004, hitting six home runs and driving in 33 runs in 290 at-bats. He batted .272, but .303 in games that were late and close. He also led the team with 6 outfield assists.

Less than one month after the Red Sox dramatic 2004 World Series victory over the Cardinals, Kapler departed the Boston Red Sox for Japan's Yomiuri Giants. He received a $2 million deal plus a $700,000 signing bonus, compared to the $750,000 salary he had received from the Sox. He struggled in Japan, and was placed on the inactive list by Yomiuri in the 2005 mid-season. Kapler was waived in July, and signed by the Red Sox in July 2005 just a few hours after clearing Japanese Central League waivers.

In September 2005, Gabe Kapler ruptured his left Achilles tendon while running the bases on what turned out to be a home run by teammate Tony Graffanino. This ended Kapler's season. Kapler was usually the go-to guy in the outfield in case of an injury. Kapler, who hit lefties very well, usually would play instead of Trot Nixon in right field when a lefty was slotted in as the opposing pitcher.

In 2006 Kapler had his best OBP in 5 years (.340), hit .316 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, and played error-less outfield for the second year in a row.

He announced his retirement from professional baseball on December 12, 2006.

Managing career

He served the Boston Red Sox as manager of their Class-A minor league affiliate, the Greenville Drive, for one season in 2007.

Return to baseball

On September 20, 2007 after only a season as a manager for Red Sox Class A affiliate, Greenville Drive, Kapler announced that he would like to return to Major League Baseball for the 2008 season. Kapler, now 32 years old, has played nine years in the Majors with four different organizations. In his 9 seasons, with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, and his most recent team, the Boston Red Sox, Kapler had a .270 batting average, along with 64 home runs, with 302 runs batted in. Kapler last played on October 1, 2006 for the Boston Red Sox. On December 20, 2007 Kapler signed with the Milwaukee Brewers to a 1-year contract.

Public service

Kapler and his wife, Lisa, co-founded the Gabe Kapler Foundation, which is dedicated to educating the public about domestic violence and helping women escape abusive relationships.

Miscellaneous

• Kapler has a Star of David tattooed on one leg, with "Strong Willed, Strong Minded" in Hebrew, and the post-Holocaust motto "Never Again" with a flame and the dates of the Holocaust on the other.
  
  
• Gabe Kapler has been given the nickname Hebrew Hammer[4] due to his frequent longball hits, along with his muscularity. It has more recently been the nickname of Ryan Braun. Another reason for the nickname is that both of them are Jewish.
  
  
• On September 27, 1999, the Tigers commemorated the closing of Tiger Stadium by wearing the numbers of greats from the organization's history. Kapler's jersey was blank, a homage to Ty Cobb, who competed before players received numbers. This was historically fitting since Ty Cobb as a coach with the Tigers in the 1930's was extemely close and helpful to another Jewish ball player who played for the Tigers, the great Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg. Greenberg's autobiography recounted how helpful Cobb had been in preparing him mentally to be a great hitter. Cobb was an admitted racist, but the assertion that he was also an anti-Semite is undercut by Greenberg's account of their relationship. [5]
  
  
• Kapler and his wife Lisa have two sons, Chase Ty and Dane Rio.
  
  
• Kapler is well-known in baseball for his extraordinary musculature. Bob Ryan once wrote a column in which he nicknamed Kapler "The Body," and mused on the fact that, traditionally, bodybuilder-type physiques have not been considered desirable for baseball players (as speed and reflexes are more important than muscle). This same muscularity has become a part of pop-culture and a staple among Boston fans. His musculature and shirtless photos have made Kapler a favorite of both women and men.

I thought Gabe Kapler was GREAT in "Welcome Back, Kotter"!!

Ex-Tiger Gabe Kapler powers Brewers

NEW YORK -- Former Tiger Gabe Kapler, who managed in the Red Sox organization last season, homered for the second straight day, doubled twice and drove in three runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat the New York Mets, 9-7, on Sunday.

Not bad for a guy who managed Boston's Class A team in Greenville (S.C.) at this time last year.

"It gives you a different perspective on how to approach an at-bat, how to approach a day," he said. "I wouldn't label it ... surreal, spectacular. I'm just enjoying being at the park, being in the clubhouse."

Manager Ned Yost said coaching is the best way to learn the game. He believes that has changed the mind-set of Kapler, who is playing for his fifth team.

"I'm not so sure when he wakes up in the morning if it's not all been a dream," Yost said.

Kapler, 32, came out of retirement during the off-season and has four homers in 26 at-bats. He is playing centerfield in place of Mike Cameron, suspended after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

yet another former Tiger blossoms!

Yep. But it is such a great story . . . good for him!

Kapler added to Rays' outfield mix
Veteran journeyman will compete for backup role

By Bill Chastain / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays added to their outfield depth Monday afternoon when they agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with free agent Gabe Kapler.

Kapler, 33, played in 96 games for the Brewers in 2008, hitting .301 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs.

Kapler began his Major League career with the Tigers in 1998 and has spent parts of 12 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Tigers, Rangers, Rockies, Red Sox and Brewers, compiling a .273 career average with 72 home runs and 340 RBIs.

In addition to Kapler, the Rays' right-field situation now includes Gabe Gross, Fernando Perez, Justin Ruggiano and Matt Joyce.

Kapler hits right-handed and hit .354 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 82 at-bats against left-handed pitching in 2008.

To make room for Kapler, the Rays will need to move a player from the 40-man roster, but have yet to announce who that will be.