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Revision as of 20:55, 26 January 2010 by Mark Staffieri (talk | contribs) (→Detroit Tigers (1998-99))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Baseball player| Gabe Kapler | |
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| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 19 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Bats: RightThrows: Right | |
| debut | |
| September 20, 1998, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Career statistics (through 2009 season) | |
| Batting average | .270 |
| Home runs | 80 |
| Runs batted in | 372 |
| Stolen bases | 76 |
Stats at Baseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler (born August 31, 1975, in Hollywood, California) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. He has also played portions of nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighs 188 lbs.
Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 1995. Of the 615 players on Opening Day rosters in 2009 who came through the draft, Kapler was the lowest pick. He bats and throws right-handed. In his first 10 Major League seasons, Kapler posted a .273 batting average with 72 home runs and 340 RBIs.
Heritage and early life
Jewish heritage
To honor his Jewish heritage, Kapler has a Star of David tattooed on his left calf, with the inscription "Strong Willed, Strong Minded" in Hebrew, and the post-Holocaust motto "Never Again" with a flame and the dates of the Holocaust on his right calf. (Some would consider it ironic to honor Jewish heritage with a tattoo, because a passage in Leviticus is commonly interpreted as banning tattooing under Jewish law).
Kapler has been given the nickname Hebrew Hammer due to his frequent longball hits, along with his muscularity and the fact that he is Jewish. It more recently became the nickname of Ryan Braun, who is also Jewish, and was Kapler's teammate on the Brewers.
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, an homage to Ty Cobb, who competed before players received numbers. This was ironic, as Cobb was a notorious anti-Semite.
On August 8, 2005, while playing for the Red Sox, Kapler took the field in the 9th inning along with Kevin Youkilis and Adam Stern, setting a "record" for the most Jewish players on the field at one time in American League history and the most in Major League Baseball history since four Jews took the field for the New York Giants in a game in 1941.
In 2008, with his career 69th home run he passed Art Shamsky and Lou Boudreau for 9th on the all-time list for home runs by Jewish major leaguers. Kapler was the unanimous winner of the 2008 Jewish Comeback Player of the Year award.
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 RBIs. Kapler was inducted into the Moorpark College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
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; 2nd in the minor leagues), 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 (3rd-most in the minor leagues), 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; 8th-most in the minors), runs (113; 6th-most in the minors), 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, Japan, and managing
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 a career-high 18 home runs in just over 400 at-bats, third among AL rookies. On May 6, 1999, Kapler hit his first home run in Tiger Stadium. His 10 home runs in his first 64 games was the fastest by a Tiger rookie since 1954, and wasn't surpassed until 2008.
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. Doug Melvin, the Rangers' general manager, engineered the trade.
Kapler hit two home runs the next Opening Day for the Rangers, and had a team record, major-league-high 28-game hitting streak later that season. In 2008, Ian Kinsler threatened to break Kapler's record, but fell short with a 25-game hitting streak.
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 (2003-04)
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.
Kapler played a career-high 136 games in 2004, hitting 6 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.
In Game 4 of the World Series, Kapler had been a pinch runner, but manager Terry Francona left him in the game to play right field in the ninth. Kapler joined an exclusive club, as one of the nine players who were on the field when the Red Sox won their first title in 86 years.
Yomiuri Giants (2005)
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. Driven by the memory of an elementary-school report that he had written about Japan, he felt it was time for a change. “I tend to make emotional decisions,” he said. “I did it more for the life experience than anything else. And ever since I wrote that report, I’ve been fascinated by everything that an 8-year-old associates with a country far, far away.” He struggled in 38 games in Japan, and was placed on the inactive list by Yomiuri in the 2005 mid-season.
Boston Red Sox (2005-06)
Kapler was signed by the Red Sox in July 2005, just a few hours after clearing Japanese Central League waivers.
In September 2005, 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 finally came back from his injury in June, and 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.
Kapler announced his retirement from professional baseball on December 12, 2006 (which proved to be temporary).
Managing career (2007)
He served the Boston Red Sox as manager of their Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, for one season in 2007. The team went 58-81, and finished in 7th place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.
Milwaukee Brewers (2008)
— Kapler"I miss the battle. I still need to be on the field as a player."
On September 20, 2007, after only one season as a manager, Kapler announced that he would like to return to play Major League Baseball in 2008.
Kapler, 32 years old at the time, had a career .270 batting average, along with 64 home runs, with 302 runs batted in. Kapler had last played on October 1, 2006, for the Red Sox.
On December 20, 2007, Kapler signed with the Milwaukee Brewers to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract that paid $800,000 when Kapler made the roster.
— Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, who conceded the Brewers have a bit of a crowd in the outfield."He knows he has to come in and win a job. I don't think this was about the money for him. It was about getting a chance to play again. He has great work ethic. People love the way he plays the game. He's a guy with Major League experience and can play all three outfield positions. And this guy is in better shape than our 25-year-old guys."
The initial plan, before Mike Cameron was acquired, was to have Kapler replace the non-tendered Kevin Mench as a right-handed option to share time with Tony Gwynn, Jr., Gabe Gross, and Joe Dillon, in left field. With a focus on defense, Yost indicated in March that Gwynn and Kapler might have a leg up on Gross.
"He's been very impressive so far," said Brewers manager Ned Yost in March. "I would have never known he took a year off. He doesn't show any signs of it to me.
While Cameron served a 25-game suspension to start the season for twice testing positive for a banned stimulant in the fall of 2007, Kapler made the club, and began to see action in center field. On April 5, 2008, he hit the first pinch-hit home run of his career for Milwaukee in the 7th inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants. Kapler started the season as the Brewers' hottest hitter, going 11-for-26 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.
By late June, with Gross traded to Tampa Bay and Tony Gwynn, Jr. back down with Triple-A Nashville, Kapler was the top option at every outfield spot when a backup was needed.
Kapler gave fans a taste of his hard-nosed style against the Dodgers on August 16. He ran full-speed after Russell Martin's long fly in the seventh inning, snagging the ball to deprive Martin of a home run as he toppled head-first into the left-field seats. The outstanding catch helped the Brewers hold onto a one-run lead, and earned Kapler the Play of the Year Award, voted by over 12 million fans in major league baseball's This Year in Baseball Awards. Similarly, three days later Kapler made a diving catch in left field to rob Ty Wigginton of a hit, and on September 6 Kapler ran down a blooper to center and made an outstanding diving catch.
Kapler injured his right shoulder on a throw to the plate in mid-September, tearing his latissimus dorsi muscle, and missed the last two weeks of the season as well as the NLDS.
— Ryan Braun""He's as good a backup outfielder as there is in baseball. He could be a starter on most teams."
For the year, Kapler batted .301, with a .498 slugging percentage, hit 8 home runs, and was 3 for 4 in stolen bases, playing most of his games in center field, and batting .386 with a .632 slugging percentage in tie games. Kapler started 43 games. He was the club's best pinch-hitter, batting .323 with 2 homers (the first pinch-hit shots of his career) and 8 RBIs. He had 2 extra-inning walk-off hits, including a home run against Washington in August. Kapler also broke up Chris Young’s perfect game with a homer in the 8th inning against San Diego late in the season.
Kapler was mentioned as a candidate for, but did not win, the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Kapler hit .270 over four seasons with the Red Sox.
On October 30, 2008, Kapler filed for free agency.
Tampa Bay Rays (2009-present)
On January 12, 2009, Kapler signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays for $1,000,018; the extra $18 represents both Kapler's lucky number, and the symbol for "life" in Judaism.
He started the season platooning in center field with Matt Joyce, in place of Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who had offseason surgery on his left shoulder, and was not ready for Opening Day. On April 13, 2009, Kapler struck out against New York Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher. Kapler then began to platoon in right field with Gabe Gross, playing against southpaws -- a job Kapler did particularly well in 2008, as he hit .354 with 4 homers in 82 at bats against left-handers. In this role he almost broke Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game on July 23, 2009. Leading off the ninth inning against the White Sox, he was robbed of a home run by a leaping DeWayne Wise, a ninth inning defensive replacement.
Through July 10, despite a slow start Kapler had the best slugging percentage of his career (.505), and was batting .320 with a 4 home runs in 75 at bats and a .680 slugging percentage against left-handers. As of July 10, 64% of his hits in 2009 had been for extra bases, which would be first in the major leagues for a player with at least 100 plate appearances (Kapler had 129).
Kapler was re-signed by the Rays on October 27, 2009, to another one-year contract, this time for $1.05 million. Over 2009-09, Kapler hit .304 against left-handers with a .577 slugging percentage, 11th-best in the Major Leagues. "Over the past two years, Kap has been one of the best in baseball against left-handed pitching," said Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "Because he's also a plus defensive outfielder, he's become a tremendous asset here. His value even extends beyond the field; his knowledge and presence make him a positive influence on our younger players."
In a December interview manager Joe Maddon said: "I'm still a big Gabe Kapler fan. You look at his OPS over the last couple of years versus left-handed pitching, it's among the best in all of baseball".
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.
Personal
- Kapler and his wife Lisa have two sons, Chase Ty Rio, born September 4, 2005, and Dane Gabriel Ri, born October 20, 2007.
- 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).
- In a clubhouse poll, it was once revealed that of the 25 players on the Red Sox, 24 were Republicans and Kapler was the lone Democrat.
Kapler has 11 tattoos, mostly on his legs, and his wife's name on his left shoulder.
References
- ^ "Jon Heyman: Kapler managing a quick return to prominence - Jon Heyman - SI.com". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. April 14, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Torgovnick, Kate, "Skin Deep; For Some Jews, It Only Sounds Like ‘Taboo,’" The New York Times, 7/17/08, accessed 3/12/09
- Topkin, Marc "New outfielder Kapler an offbeat guy who's in tune with the Tampa Bay Rays' needs," TampaBay.com, 3/16/09, accessed 3/18/09
- http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/09/20/gabe-kapler-plans-to-return-to-the-field/
- "New faces, position changes for Brewers this spring - MLB - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. February 24, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Paul LukasSpecial to Page 2 (Archive (April 2, 2007). "Uni Watch: Passover edition - ESPN Page 2". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Text "Contact)" ignored (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "jt-050929-21". Jewishtribune.ca. September 29, 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Career Batting Leaders through 2007, jewishmajorleaguers.org. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- "Youkilis, Grabow, Kapler named best Jewish Major Leaguers | New Jersey Jewish News". Njjewishnews.com. January 1, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Moorpark Hall of Fame to induct nine new members : College". Ventura County Star. January 25, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- http://minors.baseball-reference.com/bat_leaders.cgi?yid=1996&lvl=&lid=&sort=2B
- The Final Season, p.49, Tom Stanton, Thomas Dunne Books, An imprint of St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, 2001, ISBN 0-312-29156-6
- ^
- Topkin, Marc. New outfielder Kapler an offbeat guy who's in tune with the Tampa Bay Rays' needs, St. Petersburg Times. Published March 16, 2009.
- Published: July 18, 2008 at 11:38 PM (July 18, 2008). "MLB: Minnesota 6, Texas 0". UPI.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/sports/baseball/13kapler.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin
- ^ "Scout.com: Red Sox Notebook". Braves.scout.com. December 29, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com (December 20, 2007). "Brewers, Kapler agree to one-year deal | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Kapler wants a return - Extra Bases". Boston.com. September 20, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Topic Galleries". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Chicago Sports news and headlines, including the Cubs, WhiteSox, Bulls and Bears - chicagotribune.com". Chicagosports.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Kapler's drive to play won't melt away". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com. "Kapler continues his pursuit of a return | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- ^ "Wisconsin State Journal". Madison.com. March 19, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Kapler goes up and over the wall, robbing a homer - Video, Major League Baseball
- By Tim Ott / MLB.com (December 18, 2008). "Season's finest claim TYIB Awards | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Kapler makes a diving catch in left field - Video, Major League Baseball
- Kapler runs down a blooper to center - Video, Major League Baseball
- ^ "Brewers report card: Players". JSOnline. October 9, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com. "Yost credits Kapler's time away | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Phils Look To Add a Righty". Bleacher Report. January 11, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- "Brewers report card: Team grades". JSOnline. October 9, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Mychael Urban / MLB.com (September 28, 2008). "This year in baseball great early to late | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Chuck, Bill. 100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees, The Boston Globe. Published April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com (October 30, 2008). "Brewers prepare offer for Sabathia | brewers.com: News". Milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- Bill Chastain (January 12, 2009). "Kapler added to Rays' outfield mix". MLB.com. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
- "Major League Baseball : Major League Baseball News and Photos". chicagotribune.com. February 26, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Bill Chastain / MLB.com. "Kapler added to Rays' outfield mix | MLB.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- By Bill Chastain / MLB.com (January 15, 2006). "Rays reload for another run | raysbaseball.com: News". Tampabay.rays.mlb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
- http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/looking-at-a-platoon-grosskapler/
- "Kapler is a Powerful Man," MVN.com, 7/10/09, accessed 7/18/09
- "Tampa Bay Rays re-sign outfielder Gabe Kapler"
- Chastain, Bill, "Rays lock up Kapler for one more year; Veteran confident team can return to Series in 2010", MLB.com, 10/27/09, retrieved 12/27/09
- "Maddon: Bartlett at the top, and other things", TampaBay.com, 12/8/09, retrieved 12/27/09
- Men and Feminism: Seal Studies, Shira Tarrant, Seal Press, 2009, ISBN 1580052584, 9781580052580, accessed January 21, 2010
- "BostonHerald.com - Blogs: The Point After» Blog Archive » One random question: Who are you voting for?". News.bostonherald.com. January 8, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Gabe Kapler Foundation
- Baseball Library
- Jewish Virtual Library bio
- Jews in Sports bio
- "Your Everyday Bodybuilding Jewish Outfielder; Gabe Kapler," 6/03
- "Kapler retires, named Class-A skipper," 12/12/06
- "The Boys of Summer and Seder: Baseball, Passover share openers," 3/12/07
- "Kapler wants a return" Boston.com Sports, 9/20/07
- "Brewers acquire free agent Gabe Kapler; Veteran outfielder signs one-year contract," MLB.com, 12/20/07
- "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08
- "Touching Base; Best Nine Innings; Gabe Kapler," 5/8/09
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