2018 Chachi #26 Gabe Kapler MG

#22
Gabriel Stefan Kapler
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  42
Born:  July 31, 1975, Hollywood, CA
Teams - As Player:  Detroit Tigers 1998-1999; Texas Rangers 2000-2002; Colorado Rockies 2003; Boston Red Sox 2003-2004, 2005-2006; Milwaukee Brewers 2008; Tampa Bay Rays 2009-2010
Teams - As Manager:  Phillies 2018

1999 Topps #205

2017 Chachi #65

2 Kapler Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  1999 Topps #205
First Phillies Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #22
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue #22
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #22

2018 Phillies Team Issue #22

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  November 3, 2017 - Kapler Named New Phillies Manager . . . On Thursday, following the conclusion of the 2017 World Series the night before, the Phillies introduced Gabe Kapler as the 54th manager in franchise history.  Kapler, along with GM Matt Klentak, will now get to work shaping the Phillies roster for 2018 and hiring a coaching staff.  He's the first manager for the Phillies to have no prior connection to the team since Terry Francona took over in 1997.

I was disappointed when Pete Mackanin was let go and I was hoping Dusty Wathan would be the team's new manager going into the 2018 season.  Wathan knows the younger players, having managed in the Phillies minor league system (and won) since 2008.  Kapler is an interesting choice, and watching his press conference on Thursday afternoon he didn't do a whole lot to convince me that he's the right person for the job.  To be fair, I remember feeling the same way prior to the 2005 season when Charlie Manuel was introduced by then GM Ed Wade as the team's next manager.

We shall see . . .

Kapler will wear #22 with the Phillies, a number previously occupied by pitching coach Bob McClure, and a number Kapler curiously did not wear at all throughout his big league playing career.  Between 1998 and 2010, Kapler appeared in 1,104 games for the Tigers (1998-1999), Rangers (2000-2002), Rockies (2002-2003), Red Sox (2003-2006), Brewers (2008) and Rays (2009-2010).  He won a World Championship with the Red Sox in 2004.

From a baseball card perspective, Kapler first started appearing on mainstream baseball cards in 1998 with the Tigers.  Oddly enough, and I'm sure others have noticed this before I did, he appeared on two different multi-player Prospects cards within the 1999 Topps flagship set.  His final card as an active player shows up in the 2010 Topps Update set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #65
2018 Chachi #26
2018 Chachi Friendly Encounters #8

Card statistics through 6/2/18.