Phils dump overmatched pitching coach Young
PHILADELPHIA >> The Phillies’ season was over, and there was a decision that had to be made. Debate was not an option. There was no whatif. There was no room for compassion, or long-term views, or excuses, or second thoughts or warped rationalizations.
There was one move, one, one of them, that was mandatory. And so, according to reports, it was made Friday.
Chris Young will not be back as pitching coach.
That he had been insufficiently groomed for such an important position at the age of 38 was not as much his fault as it was that of his employers. Whether he sold them a line of analytics nonsense or had them believing that he was in demand around baseball, he was not ready for the position. And if a ridiculous 81-81 season were to be reduced to one explanation, it was that the starting pitchers rarely could provide length and the bullpen was an eternal mess of misunderstood roles. Young. Out. Had to happen. Did. Next?
Not so fast.
While the Phillies would be justified in changing managers, given that Gabe Kapler had been unable to spread urgency in his clubhouse while the customer base was being insulted by his bottomless barrage of rhetoric, there was also the obligation to be careful. Only around for two years, and only one of those seasons with a roster that should have contended, Kapler had not had a full opportunity to show what he could achieve.
The big leagues being called big for a reason, no one owed him the chance at a third season or beyond. In that sport, pinch-hitters and bullpen calls never end. So changing a manger is part of how it works. But if the Phillies truly believe they have the right manager in Kapler, and every indication from Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak has been that they do, then they must trust that instinct.
At some point, and that point is roughly three years, their decision will have to be scored a hit or an error. And so far, Kapler is playing from way behind. But the Phillies see something in the way he analyzes a day-to-day situation. For that, they must live with their own convictions.
That Kapler soon will go into his second week on an expiring contract is an indication that John Middleton is not yet convinced he has to make a change. By next week, the owner, president and general manager owe the public answers for how such a promising season yielded such torment. But they were not obligated to sacrifice Kapler just because they needed someone to blame or a headline to win.
Kapler was not an exquisite gamenight manager. He never seemed to have a commanding presence in the locker room. He likes to remind that his players worked hard and remained at the top step of the dugout late into games. But that’s not a bonus. That should be a requirement.
If Kapler is to win a pass, it will be because the team he was given at the start was not the one that was there at the finish. If it were known beforehand that Andrew McCutchen, Odubel Herrera, David Robertson, Pat Neshek, Seranthony Dominguez, Tommy Hunter and Jake Arrieta would barely be available all season, that would have dulled expectations.
For some reason, society has put a prohibition on sports figures citing injuries as they relate to results. But the Phillies had more than their share this season. That was not Kapler’s fault. And if Middleton, after a week of thought, realizes that was not his fault, then he will return.
If that happens, though, the Phillies must know: The blow-back from the fan base will be severe. For that, Middleton must have the one ally that will provide calm at his right hand should he announce that Kapler is staying: Bryce Harper.
Though Harper has not screamed out any demands that Kapler return, he has not sold him out, either. But he is a $330,000,000 asset whose season of relentless hustle and production has won him status in the eyes of the fans. And if Harper is seated next to Middleton, or if he is at least in the back of the room during any upcoming Kapler rally, it will matter.
“It hasn’t been his fault,” said Harper of his manager, at season’s end. “He’s had some tough decisions he had to make, bullpen wise, lineup wise, not having your leadoff guy, not having your setup guy, things like that. A lot of guys have been thrown into the fire this year from Double A and Triple A. It’s just how the season goes. It’s part of it. We’re going to build on that next year, hopefully. I love our staff. I enjoy our staff, I enjoy playing for our staff. They’ve made me better each day and I appreciate that.”
When it leaked Friday that Kapler’s coaching staff would return, although with openings for a pitching coach and a hitting coach, it indicated some executive-level support for Kapler. Already, it is clear that there is support for Klentak and MacPhail.
Klentak has been publicly blasted, for cause, for his inability to provide reasonable starting pitching in his four years as general manager. That’s a problem. A big one. But he showed guts making the trade for MVP candidate J.T. Realmuto, stole Corey Dickerson from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, found Jay Bruce and has overseen slow but definite improvement.
Just as Klentak must support Kapler if that is his honest decision, Middleton must back Klentak if he has the requisite faith.
As for MacPhail, there is no reasonable justification for keeping him around, other than that he barely gets in anybody’s way.
By next week, there will be clarity. It remains possible that Middleton will demand a new manager. And there are people on his payroll who would recommend that, and in an animated fashion. But even if Kapler is to remain, some of the most important work already has begun.
Chris Young has followed John Mallee through the outfield door. That was mandatory.
Everything else has been, and remains, negotiable.
Contact Jack McCaffery at jmccaffery@21st-centurymedia.com and follow him on Twitter @JackMcCaffery