Google + hangout with former MLB player and World Series Champion Gabe Kapler, talking about his professional career and experience with CoachUp.
Victoria: Hey CoachUper’s, we’re hanging out with MLB vet, and World Series Champ, Gabe Kapler. Ask Gabe your questions using the hashtag #CUChat, and tune into our live broadcast, this Wednesday. Alright, we are live, hey there CoachUper’s. What sort of career options are there for athletes. Gabe: I’m actually working in a variety of different fashions right now. First and foremost, I work in sort of a baseball operations mode with the Rays. I do scouting and player development. On top of that I’m doing some writing, which I absolutely love, it’s my favorite part of the whole media game. A little bit of TV, a little bit of radio and I’m sort of sprinkling them all together and making a nice comfortable mix for myself. A lot of exciting stuff going on here in Los Angeles. Most important thing for me is always to be near my boys and my family in Southern California. Victoria: How has the World Series changed your life? Gabe: So game 4 versus the Yankees was one where it’s actually been publicized in different fashions. Some people say we had a really good feeling that we could come back in that series and beat the Yankees, but I’m gonna tell you the truth now. This is the real deal, I think the mood around the clubhouse, prior to game 4, is “guys we gave it everything we had, we put all of our effort and energy in, we’re gonna go out there and fight one last time”, but, we didn’t feel like there was a real chance we were gonna come back and win that series. And then, sort of cosmically, or spiritually all of a sudden everything sort of came together for us. Victoria: How do you stay grounded from media pressured fans? What do you think your role is in social media? Gabe: I’m not scared to show my opinions. People may like what I have to say, they may not, but at the end of the day I’m gonna be able to lay my head on the pillow feeling proud of the fact that I sort of spoke what was going on in my heart. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t take into consideration the possibility that I could offend somebody. So, I try to balance that fine line. Victoria: With recent MLB controversies over PEDs, in your opinion, how big of problem is this, and should there be stricter rules? Gabe: I think the rule’s can’t be strict enough at this point. It’s a pretty significant problem, but what we’re seeing right now is guys standing shoulder to shoulder, and for the first time opening up and talking about this publicly. Where in the past, you’d see guys sort of in their corners, quietly whispering. Now, you’re seeing guys like Aaron Rodgers of the Packers talking about it publicly. Matt Kemp, Skip Schumaker, guys all across baseball, standing up saying “look, we want this game to be clean, we don’t want to have to look across the field and wonder if I’m on an even playing field as that guy.” So, for the first time in as long as I can remember, in fact in the entire time that I played baseball. Guys are bonding together, and saying “we want this sport clean.” So I think that’s the most positive element that’s come out of the recent BioGenesis, and PED scandals. Victoria: What role did video play in your daily preparation for your at-bats? Gabe: If you had an at-bat and you wanted to see what the pitcher was doing to you, you’d walk back into the tunnel and analyze pitch for pitch. Was that pitch really as inside as I thought it was, or was I maybe too far away from the plate? Every player is a little bit different. Wil Myers recently said that he doesn’t look at any video because it just confuses him. So there is that section of players that likes to keep video separate, but I would say on average guys use video more than you’d think. Victoria: Explain your relationship with CoachUp Gabe: I find myself wondering who the best coach might be for my kids, and I know it’s not me, because I didn’t play football at a high level and sometimes finding just the right guy, it takes a little bit of homework. Well CoachUp makes it very easy for me to find just the right coach for my son.
