Gabe Kapler was one of nine players on the field when the Boston Red Sox won their monumental 2004 World Series championship. Naturally, the former outfielder’s bond with Boston remains strong.
In a recent FOXSports.com article, Kapler described his connection to the city, writing, “There is nowhere on Earth like Boston for a player.”
“I learned after spending 2003 (to 2007) experiencing the ins and outs of the Boston Red Sox organization and its hometown, how uniquely spectacular the people, the fans and the baseball are,” Kapler wrote. “More than anything else, I saw a reflection of my underdog mentality in the community and its inhabitants.”
Before coming to Boston, Kapler was dropped from the Colorado Rockies’ roster in 2003. One year later, Kapler played a career-high 136 games for the Red Sox. He later served as manager of the Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, for their 2007 season before riding out the rest of his career (as a player) with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.
Even now, Kapler says there is no line in Boston between players who wear and who have worn a Red Sox uniform.
“We stand united as members of an exclusive crew,” Kapler wrote. “I wear it like a proud badge of honor wherever I go now.”
He warmly recalls speaking with WEEI and The Sports Hub, eating at Zaftig’s Deli and riding the T to connect with the residents of what he calls “the East Coast’s greatest city.” It’s evident that Boston was so much more than a place of employment for Kapler.
Anyone with ties to the Boston area is affected by the Boston Marathon bombing, and Kapler is no different. Kapler knew from firsthand experience, though, that Boston was resilient and tough enough to overcome whatever adversity came its way.
“From South Boston to Brookline, from Worcester to Quincy, you’ll find fighters,” he wrote. “You might land a right cross, but this city won’t stay licked. It’s gonna rise, and no matter how many rounds it takes, it’s gonna whoop your ass, metaphorically, of course.
“The city mirrors the ballpark. Want to experience the Boston CliffNotes? Go to Fenway and take in a baseball game. It’s blue collar, no frills, all substance, pure unfiltered, unrefined devotion and loyalty.”
Photo via Twitter/@MLBONFOX
