New Giants manager Kapler delighted to meet with Mays
Willie Mays had been well aware of past Giants managers. He batted against Roger Craig. Played against Dusty Baker. Was Felipe Alou’s teammate. Knew all about Bruce Bochy.
Conversely, Gabe Kapler had no connection with the legendary Giant before getting his gig in November.
That all changed Monday at Oracle Park when the Giants’ new manager met Mays for the first time and hit it off during a 40minute chat in clubhouse manager emeritus Mike Murphy’s office.
“Can I sit down with you?” Kapler respectfully asked, referring to him as “Mr. Mays.”
“Please do,” Mays responded.
Mays, 88, joined the Giants’ front office in 1986, when Craig,
a former Dodgers pitcher, was in his first full season managing the Giants. Baker, Craig’s successor, emerged as a star with the Braves as Mays was winding down his career. Alou played alongside Mays for six seasons. And Bochy certainly is old enough to have followed Mays in his prime.
But Kapler? He was born in 1975, two years after Mays retired, so there was a lot of catching up to do. On both sides.
When the Giants hired Kapler, 44, he communicated with outfielder Andrew McCutchen, a Giant in 2018 who played for Kapler last season in Philadelphia.
“He’s the one who told me you have the greatest handshake he ever experienced,” Kapler said.
To which Mays said, perhaps only half in jest, “I thought you’d bring him with you.”
During the conversation, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris dropped in and said there are players they’d love for Mays to meet in spring training. Mays, the game’s finest center fielder, always has interest in who’ll play center and was told Mauricio Dubon, impressive late last season at second base and shortstop, will get a look.
Mays was asked about Mike Yastzremski, who’s coming off a solid rookie season, and the subject turned to whether he catches flies with one or two hands. Mays preferred two hands because “I’ve got to get rid of the ball. If you catch it onehanded, your other hand’s down at your leg. Two hands, I’ve already got my throwing hand ready. The ball’s gone.”
Kapler had plenty of questions for Mays and was amazed to learn the Hall of Famer wouldn’t use batting gloves or pine tar when hitting. Just dirt. Mays explained that his left hand was his key hand and that it had to be quick to the ball and that his right hand was his guide hand and enabled him to take breaking pitches to right field. That was especially true at Candlestick Park, where the wind often brought down balls hit to left.
Mays quizzed Kapler on Philadelphia baseball history and said he enjoyed playing at old Shibe Park. The discussion touched on players current and past and Willie’s time in the Army and Negro Leagues. Kapler even wondered what Mays looked for in managers.
“Having the opportunity to spend some time with Mr. Mays — and I’m going to address him like that because I feel he’s one of the baseball players who really command that level of respect — it was a little bit surreal to walk into the office, spend time with him, ask him questions and have him ask me questions,” Kapler said after the meeting.
Mays seemed to enjoy the conversation and at one point said, “I’m going to have a good year this year.” He’s a constant in the clubhouse before regularseason and springtraining games, and Kapler said he’s looking forward to having his young players build relationships with the Say Hey Kid.
“I think it’s really useful for our players to sponge up Willie’s knowledge,” Kapler said. “On the flip side, Willie would get some inspiration out of having players mind the knowledge that he has as a hitter, as an outfielder and of the history of the San Francisco Giants.”
As always, Mays will make himself available.
“If I know what you’re looking for, I can converse,” he told Kapler. “If they want something, they come in that door. I sit down with them. There’s a chair right here. I talk to them about different things. I don’t push myself on them.”
At an early age, Kapler loved Pete Rose, who was winding down his career, and called Fred McGriff his alltime favorite. Kapler liked the Blue Jays not only because they were so good in the early ’90s but because he wore the uniform as a kid.
“I was on a Tball team with the powder blue jersey and the bird on the chest,” Kapler said. “My dad would take me to Anaheim Stadium to watch the Blue Jays come in. I didn’t spend as much time at Dodger Stadium even though it was closer to my house.”
As for Mays, Kapler knew of the man through baseball cards — he was a collector from 1985, when he was 10 — and old film including the famous World Series catch of Vic Wertz’s majestic blast at the Polo Grounds.
“My visual, of course, is of the catch. I can play that in my mind right now,” Kapler said. “I see his face on that old baseball card. Legend. That’s what comes to mind when I think of Willie Mays.”