REPORT: Gabe Kapler fired as Phillies manager

After a second consecutive disappointing season, one that began with playoff aspirations, only to end in listless failure, Gabe Kapler will not return as Phillies’ manager for the 2020 season.

Finishing with a 161-163 record in his two years at the helm, Kapler’s initial hiring was met with skepticism from the traditional fan. His blog posts from the past, ones that focused on lifestyle choices that were not about baseball, were drudged up by media dinosaurs who thought asking him about it during his introductory press conference would be funny, something that helped frame the narrative around his tenure from day one. Others felt the change toward a more data driven approach would be a welcome respite from the cluelessness of the Sandberg and MacKanin regimes. Turns out, no one was right.

Kapler departs as a sort of scapegoat for some, the person whose head is wrongly placed under the guillotine while those in charge of player evaluation and development are slinking away unscathed. Others feel it is rightly justified to let go of a first time manager whose decision making, relationship building and managerial feel were all seriously lacking.

The Phillies released a number of statements regarding the firing of Kapler.