Kapler to Japan

Gabe Kapler is heading to Japan, for at least a year anyway. He loved this city and this team, which is why he stuck around this last year knowing he was only gonna be a part time player.

As I noted in an earlier post, I suspected that this time his desire for more playing time might out weigh his love for the city, and there was a good chance he would get offered that opportunity by another team and take it.

But, the Yomiuri Giants? Holy Crap! Where the hell did that come from? That took me completely by surprise. He couldn't get enough interest from a Major League team?

I read that his agent said something like, he has won a world championship in the U.S., now he wants to become a champion in Japan. I'm not buying it. Sorry. I would think that anyone who has won a world championship in the U.S. would want to stick around and win another one. I think it all comes down to playing time. The guy just wants to play, and apparently there were no suiters here in the states. Hopefully there will be some more details tomorrow.

I really like Kapler, always have, even before he played for us. He's the kind of ballplayer I like. Always plays hard, gives it everything he has on the field, never causes trouble off the field. I thought it was a great move by Theo when he picked him up off the wire. He certainly played his part in bringing this championship to this town.

I really didn't expect him to stick around this time though, with our outfield set the way it was. I also sure as hell didn't see this coming either.

Good luck Gabe. Thanks for the World Series title. You'll always have a special place in this city. Maybe we'll see you back here again sometime.