The Philadelphia Circus Starring the Ringmaster, Gabe Kapler

Gabe Kapler has a deer in the headlights look to him that surely isn't sitting well in Philadelphia.

Oh, Philadelphia. You had to have known that this would happen. I mean, lets be honest, did you really expect anything else?

The first three games of the 2018 season for the Philadelphia Phillies have gone about as poorly as they possibly could have. It's a sobering reality check for a city that was still flying high from their historic run to a Super Bowl Championship this past winter. Now, let me start with this, the fact that the Phillies are 1-2 isn't all that surprising. It's a widely accepted fact that the Phillies are in the midst of a organizational rebuild, starting from the top (management and coaching) and trickling down throughout the ranks. Free agent signings Carlos Santana, Jake Arrieta, and Pat Neshek were a means to perhaps speed up the process, but it was expected that the Phillies probably weren't going to be very good this year. Seventy-six wins was probably the ceiling for this squad, especially considering that they'll be matched up with the Nationals and Mets thirty-eight times over the course of the season. That being said, they do have some young talent in the form of Rhys Hoskins, Aaron Nola, and JP Crawford and you hope that you see some positive progress being made on a day-to-day basis. A good start by a pitcher. A multi-hit game by a position player. Whatever form it takes, you want to see that the organization is headed in the right direction and that they're on a clear and defined path. Baseball is a crazy sport and we've seen teams go from worst to first with a change in management or personnel time and time again (it wasn't long ago that the 2017 World Series champions Houston Astros were one of the worst teams in baseball). What we're seeing in Philadelphia, though, should give no cause for optimism given the bizarre logic and decision making of first year manager, Gabe Kapler.

I'm usually not one for hyperbole. I like to think that I have a fairly even-keeled outlook on life, particularly in regard to baseball. After all, we're only three games into the season. How bad can things really be? Well, I hate to say it, because I liked him as a player (he was just a blast to watch during his time with the Red Sox from 2004-2006), but Gabe Kapler just plain sucks as a manager. I get it, we're only one series into the season. Don't jump to conclusions based on a small sample size. Blah, blah, blah. Let me hit you with one number: 0. That is the number of warm-up pitches Phillies reliever Hoby Milner had thrown in the bullpen when Kapler called him into the series finale vs. the Atlanta Braves. Milner may have warmed up earlier in the game, but he had no idea that he was coming into the game. There is simply no excuse for this confusion, particularly at this level, particularly with a manager who prides himself on the level of communication he's fostering within the organization. What a load of crap! Hey, Kap, did you realize that you had a direct line to the bullpen just a few feet from where you were standing in the dugout? Here's a thought: how about you phone down to your 'pen and let your bullpen coach know if you're planning on making a pitching change soon. Heck, you got assistant coaches next to you in your dugout. Maybe you're not feeling the call. Then have one of them call the 'pen! The amount of ineptitude at the game's highest level is just mind boggling (or mind bottling if you prefer).

It's more than just this one decision that marks Kapler as a terrible manager. After all, maybe he got flustered in the moment (the Phillies were down 5-2 early in the game when he made the gaff). Here is the thing, Kapler had already resorted to calling down to the 'pen thirteen times in the first two games of the series. Yes, you read that right, Kapler had used every member of his bullpen at least once by the third game of the season. This season opening tailspin started with Kapler pulling ace Aaron Nola after 5.1 shutout innings (and only 68 pitches) on Opening Day with the Phillies up 5-0. As we know, the Braves banged out eight unanswered runs in their eventual 8-5 walk off victory to start the 2018 season. While there was a very flimsy argument to be made for the move (Nola struggles against lefties the third time through the order), it's Opening Day, you have your one true MLB-caliber starter on the mound, and he's dealing. Common sense says let him ride. By the end of the third game, Kapler had to resort to utility player, Pedro Florimon, to finish out the series as he had essentially depleted his 'pen by the time the bottom of the eighth rolled around in Atlanta (Florimon, for his part, put up one of the better innings by a Phillies pitcher that night). It's just irresponsible to manage like this. Kapler states that his management style prioritizes player health, but how using every pitcher seemingly everyday promotes healthy arms is beyond me. I get it, analytics and sabermetrics are the in-thing in major league baseball. Match-ups and statistical analysis can be the basis for a lot of decision making at the game's highest level. However, you can't get caught up in the numbers and ignore what is going on in front of you. Unfortunately, that seems to be the situation unfolding before us in Philadelphia.

For me, the gold standard in managerial buffoonery was the debacle that unfolded in Fenway Park during the 2012 season. A year after letting go of the man who led them to two World Series Titles in eight years, the Sox opted to lure Bobby Valentine away from his commenting gig with Sunday Night Baseball. The results were disastrous as Valentine clashed often with fans, players, management, other coaches (really, just about everybody in the city of Boston). When I think of inept managing, Valentine is what comes to my mind. Well, Bobby, looks like you got lucky 'cause you'll need to scoot over and make some room for Gabe Kapler.

Introducing: Poor Baseball Decisions, sponsored by Bobby Valentine.

Sorry Philly fans. It's going to be a long season and there ain't much to "Dilly Dilly" about anymore.

Images are courtesy of CNN.com and ESPN.com.