Kapler was back in the starting lineup last night, playing right field, batting eighth, and picking up a single in five trips in Boston's jarring 8-4 loss in Seattle. He had a nice weekend against the Angels, hitting two homers, making some great throws, and helping save Friday night's win with a shoetop catch of a Jeff DaVanon line drive to start the ninth.
"He impacted our two wins there," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He has such an interest in doing the right thing. Gabe's the kind of guy that when he plays, whether he hits or not, he's going to try to do everything in his power to help the team win. You root for him to get hits because he does everything else. And when he makes a mistake, he comes to you. There was one time this year when he was devastated that he might have thrown to the wrong base."
Teammate Kevin Millar, a fellow Californian, said, "When I played against him I thought he was kind of a pretty boy, but then when he's your teammate you know he'd run through a brick wall for you. You do not want to be a catcher if he's trying to score on you. He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. He's got those intangibles that help the team win."
On a Sox squad filled with wildly talented millionaire All-Stars, Kapler goes about his business quietly, noticing everything around him but saying little.
He is a most unusual big league ballplayer. First of all, he's Jewish, and has become a go-to guy for all questions about Jewish players in the major leagues. Then there's the bike. When the Sox are home, Kapler rides his bicycle to Fenway Park on most game days. It's about 5 miles, mostly on Route 9. He turns left at Brookline Ave. and pedals past the hospitals toward Fenway. It takes about 25 minutes, depending on traffic.
He wears a helmet (which challenges the universal truth that everyone looks like a geek when wearing a bicycle helmet) and said he usually gets recognized once or twice per trip.
