Who Had The Better Easter Weekend: Jesus, or Gabe Kapler?
Editor’s Note: This is our Phillies blogger Tbyrd’s joint. Give him hell over at @PhillyTbyrd
Sorry Jesus, but I don’t think your weekend was THAT bad. At least you got to rise from the dead. Gabe Kapler might not even be given that opportunity. Currently, Philly’s resident maniac is pretty much Public Enemy #1 in the eyes of the baseball gods. Over a 3 game stretch, he broke all the records using 21 pitchers, one of which didn’t even warm up, and now has been given an official warning from the MLB to calm the fuck down.
Sources: MLB will send warning to #Phillies that in the future they won't be given the leeway ump Jerry Layne gave last night when Gabe Kapler waved for a pitcher who hadn't warmed up
Layne was told he did the right thing under the circumstances. @Buster_ESPN was first to report
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) April 1, 2018
Having said that, I hope you got this non-sense out of your system, Gabe. The whole city of Philadelphia and pretty much the whole world of sports is mad at you. Actually, I don’t think mad is the word. I think the word we are looking for is why?
No my friends, that is not games 5, 6, and 7 of the World Series. That is games 1, 2 and 3 of the 2018 season. How about some of those ERA’s. We got teens, we got twenties. We even got a 40 sprinkled in. And is that…is that Pedro Florimon? A position player who made the team over Black Lightening, Roman Quinn. Oh, so that’s why he made the team Gabe. Somewhere on that analytics card of yours it told that if you were down a billion, you could always use Florimon. Got it.
I know I’m one of few here, but I still love Gabe and have a lot of faith in him. I think he’s just trying to over-manage. He’s trying to be Joe Maddon, Tony LaRussa, and Billy Martin rolled into one. He is almost too robotic, playing percentages over feel.
Now Gabe, you are really making me look bad. On March 13, I declared this 2018 Phillies team to be Watchable. I take that stance very seriously. Having an average game time of 3 hours and 45 minutes doesn’t help. Also, managing every game like your Jackie Moon and trying every gimmick in the book doesn’t help either.
Speaking on behalf of Philadelphia (Not really, just me) I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Like Peter turned his back, this city can turn on you really quick. Looks like they have already started unfortunately.
Gabe Kapler going to the pen 3 games into the season pic.twitter.com/q5YoWoiDUh
— baseballin’ (@inthephanattic) April 1, 2018
The Gabe Kapler Experience (2018) pic.twitter.com/HQtqDWJUwK
— George Bissell (@GeorgeBissell) April 1, 2018
Gabe Kapler’s managerial debut:
? Didn’t start the team’s only All-Star position player
? Pulled his starting pitcher (throwing a 3-hit SO) in the 6th at 68 pitches
? Pulled his best hitter for a defensive replacement in the 8th
?Chose Ramos over All-Star Neshek in the 8th— Brayden Smith (@atBraydenSmith) March 29, 2018
I’m no Judas, I got your back, Gabe. Let’s show these peasants what managing is all about. Let’s put this in the past, grab a hold of something, bite our lips and give it hell. C’mon! We’re gonna get through this. Tonight we are snowed out. Which couldn’t come at a better time. Primadonna Mets on Tuesday.
Go Phils.