i like this approach by both kap and management developing people and if you get a bad seed... buh bye there is one thing... kap apparently likes to begin statements with one thing Gabe Kapler Brings Changes To Dodgers Player Development by Vincent Samperio | Dodgers Nation -- 2 hours ago The Los Angeles Dodgers rebuilt their front office this winter with a new philosophy based on analytics. One of their new hires was former MLB player Gabe Kapler for their director of player development. Kapler finished baseball in 2011 and joined Fox Sports One as an analyst in 2013 before joining the Dodgers. He’s a proponent of health and advanced stats, fitting right in with the new direction in Los Angeles. His first big project was the Winter Development Camp that was held at Dodger Stadium and had 27 young players and prospects. It was a change from the previous camps in the fact that the players spent more time in the classroom than on the field. Kapler discussed some of his new ideas and philosophies regarding player development with Ken Gurnick of MLB.com: One thing we want to do is avoid locking ourselves into any organizational philosophy that can’t be easily altered or improved,” said Kapler. “While mining for best practices, we have overarching themes and philosophies, but we don’t want to say, ‘This is what we believe’ and get so dug in that we’re not capable of being nimble as new studies present better ways to approach problems and development. That flexibility is a thought process that we have to constantly talk about it with players and staff.” The Dodgers have had a few All-Stars come through their system in recent years (Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon, etc.), but have failed to have the type of system that continually filters to the majors. One issue was previous owner Frank McCourt, who underfunded the scouting department. Now the Dodgers are on the right track and it will be up to Kapler to make sure the plan keeps up: One thing I realized quickly is that player development is a job about human development, masquerading as a job in baseball,” he said. “It’s all about human development. So, if you work toward developing human beings, then we believe that building more confident, better adjusted men will turn into stronger teammates, will make better baseball players, will help win championships at the Major League level. If the Dodgers can combine excellent player development with their ability to spend money, there could be a new dynasty in Los Angeles.
Kapler is doing awesome things within the org. love what he brings analytically, mentally, and most importantly he played the game; he had respect from the players to listen and learn
yeah definitely no credibility problem plus he was also very well liked during his playing days when he was first hired i was kinda wtf but now that the player/human development title has been better defined, it makes perfect sense great hire, for now and the future
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/te...n-steroids-has-message-for-johnny-manziel.ece Ex-Ranger Gabe Kapler explains how he avoided PEDs, has quick message for Johnny Manziel Former Texas outfielder Gabe Kapler is still very outspoken about steroids and performance-enhancing drugs, and he also has a lesson for Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. In an article for Baseball Prospectus, Kapler discusses many topics, including his choice not to use PEDs and his warning to fans not to judge players by size When he was with the Rangers, Kapler acknowledged that he might be the player most suspected of using the drugs because he had a body-builder's frame. Kapler said at the time he would welcome steroid testing and even volunteered to take a test on TV (it was negative). Writes Kapler: "Until we have a positive test, an admission of guilt, an accepted suspension or some other unequivocally accurate anecdotal evidence, we’d be wise to assume innocence so as not to unjustly jeopardize the reputations of undeserving human beings. .... Do bodybuilders use steroids? Of course. Like the American population, users come in all shapes and sizes. Men in major league baseball who don’t use also vary greatly in body type." Kapler said his career likely suffered because he didn't take PEDs. "I was at my heaviest (around 215 pounds) and strongest, but not my leanest, during my first two seasons with the Texas Rangers at ages 24-25. (Kapler had career highs in RBIs, stolen bases and doubles in Texas.) I remember the batting practice session in which I blasted a ball into the second deck in left field at the Ballpark in Arlington, and later in the same session hit a ball onto the grassy section in center well beyond the wall that I knew instantly would go out. My power was always to the pull side, and the significance of hitting a ball right of the “400” sign with the certainty that it would leave is not to be discounted. I never again in my career felt that powerful or even close. "I never again experienced the strength or productivity that I had at 24 and 25. ... I was about to lose my role as a major league starting outfielder and slide gracefully into my role player/“good teammate” archetype. Fame and fortune were still mine for the taking if the devil on my shoulder had a loud enough voice. He did not. PEDs have been the topic of a plethora of philosophical conversations at home with my wife. She was the one person in my life with whom I could safely and whimsically fantasize about what might be if ever I were to open Pandora’s Box (600 plate appearances, 30 homers, millions of dollars?). Despite the potential fairytale, I never really got close to the decision to use PEDs. I made the choice to play clean for a myriad of reasons. Most importantly, I have an obnoxiously loud conscience. I knew I wouldn’t be able to rest while cheating." As far as making mistakes when he was younger. Kapler brought up Manziel, who has taken some controversial pictures for his Twitter account. Wrote Kapler: "My naiveté led me astray when I thought it a good idea to supplement my minor league salary with a few bucks for taking shirtless pictures. It’s entertaining to me that many years later I’m still trying to shake the image of my youth and restore credibility. (Are you listening, Johnny Manziel?)" Kapler also described his 'neurotic' and 'insanely regimented' lifestyle in having a built physique.
Good post Irish. Now...if we only knew WTF Ned does, it would be almost non-murky up there in the FO.
I was gonna make a separate thread, but I think this one will do just fine. I just want to say that I love what Kapler is bringing to this team in the health department. I don't believe we will see immediate results on the big club from this, but I think down the road, our farm players are going to start turning into the players that are closer to their ceilings than their floors. Allowing those guys the opportunity to eat healthy will improve their overall health and development to a higher level. Plus the organization buying in and feeding the kids instead of the shitty per diem's is a great precedent to set. This franchise has always been an innovator in the game of baseball, I am excited to see where this new experiment takes us.
