Hittin’ Season #251: Interview with Phillies manager Gabe Kapler

On Episode 251 of Hittin’ Season, host John Stolnis talks about Roy Halladay’s induction into the MLB Hall of Fame, why Nick Pivetta is poised to have a break-out season in 2019, and an interview with manager Gabe Kapler on the never-ending Phillies off-season and his second spring training in Clearwater, less than a month away!

Among the items discussed with Kapler:

• Talked about the California wildfires that destroyed his home and his work to help others who were affected by the fires
• Macharper talk!!!
• Yes, he’s been imagining what the lineup would look like with Bryce Harper or Manny Machado in it
• Harper or Machado would make the club better
• Bryce Harper is a better defender than he showed last year and Machado is an elite defender at third
• Hitting it off with Harper AND Machado during their get-togethers.
• “I also hit it off and had a nice conversation and connected well with Manny Machado.”
• On conversations with Harper & Manny: “We’re both interested in training, we both have some intensity to our personalities, and we’re aligned on trying to gain every possible edge to be ready for a baseball season through training and nutrition and research.”
• “Manny is so incredibly easy going makes everybody in the room feel as if they’re a part of his world. And he’s a big fan of food and flavor and so we all went out to a really nice dinner in Philadelphia... ... and had an incredible meal and bonded over that.”
• “I had a really cool connection with both guys.”
• On signing so late in the off-season: “The urgency the various cities feel about the free agent coming is real, it’s fair, it’s understandable. At the same time, the job of the club, and the job of the players is to be as patient as humanly possible. That doesn’t mean you don’t feel those feelings of urgency and wanting this to be done as soon as possible, but you can start planning for lineup construction and defensive alignment and who starts what game as late as the middle of the spring.”
• “The job of the player, the job of the club is to be as patient as possible because you really understand that this could happen in spring training and you’ll be just fine.”
• How he’s going to approach his second spring training differently than his first one.
• Kap is happy to have so many options in his bullpen right now.
• Scott Kingery usage in 2019
• Getting positive reports on Odubel Herrera, who is already in Clearwater working out.
• Kapler’s Roy Halladay memories and comparing Aaron Nola to Roy Halladay.