The San Francisco Giants recently fired manager Gabe Kapler after nearly four seasons. It doesn’t come as a shock because aside from San Francisco’s shocking 107-win season in 2021, Kapler’s Giants teams were mostly mediocre. Prior to coming to San Francisco, Kapler managed the Phillies for a mediocre two seasons. In five full seasons as a manager, including the COVID season, Kapler’s teams have finished with records of 81-81, 80-82, or 29-31 four times. Gabe Kapler is Major League Baseball’s answer to the NFL’s Jeff Fisher.
Jeff Fisher
Former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher is perhaps the most famous example of someone whose teams are known for mediocrity. In 22 seasons as an NFL head coach, Fisher’s teams finished either 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7 ten times. This includes a weird 2012 where his then St. Louis Rams team finished with a record of 7-8-1. He once hilariously went on a rant about not finishing with any of those records (NSFW please advise). While Fisher-led teams would have some successful and poor seasons sprinkled in, they’d mostly be at or below .500 most of the time.
Kapler Somehow Leading the Star Studded Phillies to Mediocrity
Embed from Getty ImagesLike Fisher, Kapler himself has had a mediocre run as an MLB manager. Kapler’s run at mediocrity began when he was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. Despite having stars Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, J.T. Realmuto, and more at his disposal, his Phillies teams went 160-163 in Kapler’s two seasons as the manager. Kapler was fired right after the 2019 season. Nobody knew it then but this would be the beginning of Gabe Kapler consistently finishing with mediocre records.
Gabe Kapler’s Mediocre Beginning
Embed from Getty ImagesKapler wouldn’t be out of a job for very long. The San Francisco Giants would hire him in November of 2019 to be their manager. However, this is where things get weird. The COVID-19 pandemic struck during spring training halting the season indefinitely. The 2020 season would be truncated into 60 games and begin that July. In Kapler’s first season, San Francisco would finish with a 29-31 record and just miss the extended postseason. Despite the pandemic intruding on the 2020 season, Kapler once again led his team to a mediocre record.
Kapler Wasn’t Mediocre in 2021
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 2021 season would see Gabe Kapler have his first experience of success. He led the Giants to a 107-win season and their first NL West title in ten seasons. San Francisco’s 107 victories season were the most amount of wins the team ever had. Up to that point, the last time the Giants won 100 games was in 2003. However, Gabe Kapler’s Giants fairy tale season would end in the NLDS where they lost in five games to the Dodgers. Kapler himself would earn NL Manager of the Year honors.
Kapler’s Unnecessary National Anthem Distraction Potentially Led To More Mediocrity
Embed from Getty ImagesComing off the high of the 2021 season, San Francisco had high expectations heading into 2022. However, the Giants would tumble back into mediocrity finishing with an 81-81 record and missing the postseason. However, this mediocre display by Kapler felt different. It’s almost as if he let outside distractions get in the way of his job. In May of that season, Kapler decided to tell the media about how he wasn’t going to be out for the national anthem indefinitely. Kapler decided to use the season to protest the direction of the country. This could easily be seen as one of the reasons why the Giants didn’t follow up their successful 2021 season. Some people believe Kapler was more focused on whether to stand for the anthem rather than the season.
Back to Mediocrity
Embed from Getty ImagesThis season, the Giants were almost as mediocre as the season before and looked unentertaining while they were at it. The team collapsed badly in September, only being able to muster eight wins. Making matters worse, 10 of the Giants’ 17 losses during the month were by four runs or more. This ended up costing the Giants a spot in the postseason for the second year in a row. Despite ownership initially saying that Kapler would be back in 2024, the team fired him. Prior to his dismissal, the Giants were 78-80, an on-brand Gabe Kapler record.
Gabe Kapler Is the Jeff Fisher of Baseball
Like Jeff Fisher, Gabe Kapler managed teams that have mostly finished their seasons with mediocre records. While Kapler was able to put together a memorable 2021 season, it only took one year for him and the Giants to fall back to mediocrity again. Unless Kapler can put together consistent success in his next managerial job, he will be MLB’s answer to Jeff Fisher when it comes to constant mediocrity on the field. I just hope in his next managerial job he goes on an “I’m not finishing 82-80, 81-81, or 80-82” rant of his own.
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