Jim Riggleman’s reasons continue to intrigue
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, Front Office, MLB, Rumors,
A managerial change in professional sports usually grabs headlines for a day or so before things return to normal, especially in-season. But the situation developing with former Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman walking out on his team after they won a game on Thursday night has continued to pique interests nationwide. Riggleman cites a lack of respect as baseball’s lowest-paid manager as one reason why he chose to relieve himself as the skipper and leave.
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Joe Maddon and Ron Gardenhire take early showers
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, MLB, Playoffs,
The MLB playoffs have been flying over these first two days. We’ve already seen fantastic pitching performances, timely hitting, and a pair of American League managers given the boot on justifiable arguments with umpires. Tampa’s Joe Maddon and Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire took early showers on Thursday and had to watch from the clubhouse as their respective teams fell behind 0-2 in their ALDS against Texas and New York. Maddon and Gardenhire will have an extra day each to cool off, as the American League takes a break while the National League takes center stage on Friday.
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Lou Piniella retiring as manager at end of season
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, MLB,
Lou Piniella announced his retirement earlier today, effective not so immediately. The Cubs’ manager will give up the helm of a team for a final team at the end of this season, putting an end to a 23-year career that saw him captain five teams, winning one World Series and three Manager of the Year Awards. Piniella will join the likes of Atlanta’s Bobby Cox and Toronto’s Cito Gaston as members of a wiser generation to be calling it quits in 2010.
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Gabe Kapler’s Pair of Storied Careers
Posted by Adrien Griffin Categories: Athletes, MLB,
In late September, 2005, Gabe Kapler’s major league career took a turn common to many others, but in a very uncommon way. While standing on first base, with teammate Tony Graffanino at the plate, Kapler watched as Graffanino launched a fly ball to left-center field. As the ball came down over the wall to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays, Kapler came down on the other side of second base.
Having thought the ball might land for a double, Kapler was hustling around the bases and ended up rupturing his left Achilles tendon and wound up being pinch…jogged for to complete the home run. Kapler went on the disabled list and his season was over. He returned in June 2006 and went on to have another successful season, but on December 12, 2006, his career took yet another road common to all players, but again in an uncommon way. At the age of 31, right in the prime of his career, Gabe Kapler retired from playing in the majors. Gabe quit playing and was offered a managerial position with the Red Sox’s Single-A affiliate club, the Greenville Drive, where he would coach the team to a 58-81 record and finish seventh in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division.
At this time at least, a managerial career was not in Kapler’s list of duties. In December of 2007, Kapler signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a fourth outfielder. However, he played as if he were never injured, and his superior defense gave him a leg up over teammates Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gabe Gross. As the season went on, Gwynn was sent to the minors and Gross went to Tampa Bay, and Kapler became the fill-in outfielder for all positions when needed. After 2008, Kapler went to Tampa, signing a one-year contract with the team. He is currently splitting time in a platoon role with Gross, playing against lefties.
With six teams and parts of eleven seasons on his resume, Gabe Kapler has established himself as one of the best bench players in the game. While not one of the fastest guys on the base paths, his power and his defense more than makeup for his speed and his patience. Even at the age of 34, if Kapler can learn to hit righties better and show some plate discipline, he could find himself an everyday job to ride out the second leg of his already successful career.
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