Jul 31, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO -- It's too soon to know how long Giants fans will hold Gabe Kapler's 10th-inning gaffe against the team's first-year manager.
If history is any indication, Kapler's self-proclaimed "screw-up" will be difficult to live down.
In his seventh game as the Giants' manager, Kapler went to the mound in a disastrous 10th inning in an attempt to remove reliever Tyler Rogers. It took a few seconds, but umpires finally informed Kapler he was unable to do so because pitching coach Andrew Bailey had also made a mound visit during Padres catcher Austin Hedges' at-bat.
After returning to the dugout, Rogers was summoned back to the mound to finish his at-bat against Hedges. The Padres catcher ended up reaching on a fielder's choice on a play that took place when the game had already been decided, but Giants fans won't forget Kapler's early mix-up, particularly because he's succeeding a managerial legend in Bruce Bochy.
Following a quick discussion of the mistake, our SF Giants Gameday podcast welcomes in its first-ever guest.
In this episode of the podcast, Bay Area News Group Giants beat reporter Kerry Crowley chats with longtime San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat writer Henry Schulman who shares stories from his 30-plus seasons covering baseball.
Schulman explains why he thinks MLB has already lost the integrity of the 2020 season and also shares stories from covering other famous stoppages in the game's history. Some of the best untold stories in baseball take place on the road and Schulman details his experiences driving across the United States and covering unique stories.
From interviewing local residents during New York City's 2003 blackouts following a Giants-Mets series to racing to a Chicago airport to escape Hurricane Sandy in Detroit following the 2012 World Series, Schulman describes the thrills and challenges that come with navigating around unexpected obstacles on the road.
Schulman and Crowley also discuss their early impressions of Giants manager Gabe Kapler, comparing him to the four other managers Schulman has covered during his time on the beat. Kapler's desire to advocate for his players through the media differs from the way legendary manager Felipe Alou handled his interviews with beat reporters and Schulman shared some of his favorite memories of covering the Giants during the Alou era.