In one of his biggest decisions while running the Red Sox, Theo Epstein hired a young, recycled manager who got fired by the Phillies, picking Terry Francona over an obscure Angels bench coach named Joe Maddon.
Epstein believed that Francona had grown from his four losing seasons in Philadelphia (1997-2000) and would apply those big-market lessons to a Red Sox team that lost the Aaron Bleeping Boone Game at Yankee Stadium in a heartbreaking 2003 American League Championship Series.
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It’s too simplistic to think that history will repeat itself, but that’s the place to start with the Cubs and Gabe Kapler, a role player Epstein acquired for the 2004 Red Sox team that Francona guided to the franchise’s first World Series title in 86 years.
As part of a huge decision that will shape the next era of Cubs baseball, Epstein will interview Kapler this week, continuing the search process to replace Maddon, who is now viewed as a Hall of Fame manager and an in-demand free agent.
The Phillies let Kapler twist in the wind until Oct. 10, or 11 days after a disappointing 81-81 season ended. Phillies owner John Middleton made the decision to fire Kapler, overruling team president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak.
Epstein and Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer will have their own questions about Kapler’s turbulent two seasons in Philadelphia, where Middleton spent big money on free agents like Bryce Harper and Jake Arrieta only to watch the Phillies fade from the playoff picture.
The Cubs will also have an interest in Kapler’s time overseeing the Dodgers’ robust farm system, which happened in the middle (2015, 2016, 2017) of seven consecutive National League West titles.
Given Epstein’s mandate to overhaul the Cubs’ player development department — and a focus on candidates with no managing experience — it’s worth listening to Kapler’s philosophies. It’s possible that the Cubs could use these interviews for more than just hiring their next manager. A good meeting could lead to ideas about next year’s coaching staff or how to restructure the front office.
To gain insight into another cutting-edge organization, the Cubs were also expected to interview Houston bench coach Joe Espada on Monday, an off day before the Astros play Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium.
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Epstein helped give Kapler a head start on his next career, allowing him to manage Boston’s Class-A Greenville affiliate in 2007. But Kapler felt the urge to play again and wound up returning to the majors for three more seasons with the Brewers and Maddon’s Rays.
As a polarizing new manager, Kapler’s learning curve with running a bullpen, handling the media and connecting to Philly fans highlighted some of Maddon’s strengths and the issues his replacement could face at Wrigley Field. The loose clubhouse environment Kapler encouraged around the Phillies sounds more like the Maddon era than the change Epstein is seeking right now.
Even Kapler’s connection to Francona and time with the Dodgers comes with an asterisk: Kapler fired Francona’s son, Nick, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan and became a kind of whistleblower in the baseball industry. Kapler denied reports that he mishandled sexual assault allegations leveled against players in the Dodgers’ minor-league system.
Epstein said the Cubs are keeping an open mind during a managerial search that has already featured interviews with in-house candidates David Ross, Mark Loretta and Will Venable.
Joe Girardi — a World Series-winning manager for the Yankees who now works as a broadcaster for Fox Sports and MLB Network — interviewed last week at the Wrigley Field office building.
Boone’s success in replacing Girardi — going from ESPN to the manager’s office without any formal coaching experience and posting back-to-back 100-win seasons for the Yankees — has created a template for Ross and other recently retired players.
Some of those names can be crossed off the list: Ex-Cub Sam Fuld, a player information coordinator on Kapler’s staff in Philadelphia, has declined to interview for manager openings with the Cubs, Mets and Pirates, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Carlos Beltran reportedly turned down interview opportunities with the Cubs and Padres to focus on the Mets. Raul Ibanez told the Los Angeles Times that he is content as a Dodgers special assistant.
(Top photo: David Kohl / USA Today)
Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney
