Gabe Kapler needs to heed the words of a man who led a team in Philadelphia a generation ago instead of the noise coming from the stands at Citizens Bank Park.
Kapler, the Phillies' first-year manager, admitted to Jayson Stark of The Athletic that booing by the home fans has led him to adjust his thinking.
"If they're booing, then I'm not doing my job well," Kapler told Stark.
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First, he's wrong about that. Second, those are not the words of a man who wants his organization to #BeBold.
Kapler is a former player and executive. He has been around long enough to know that fan reactions don't necessarily equal accurate feedback.
People will be angry when good and bad moves alike backfire; that doesn't mean they always know the difference.
Kapler was booed before the Phillies' home opener (an eventual win over the Marlins) for four main reasons:
— He had a quick hook for Opening Day starter Aaron Nola, a move the bullpen made a lot worse by coughing up a five-run lead.
— He brought in reliever Hoby Milner even though Milner had not been told to warm up.
— He used utilityman Pedro Florimon as a mopup reliever, something Kapler plans to do on occasion this season to reduce wear on his 'pen.
— He benched center fielder Odubel Herrera for the opener because Kapler believed it was the right move based on data.
The Milner blunder is the only one that should have landed squarely on Kapler.
"It's my job to never reject any source of information that can lead to my getting better, no matter who is giving me that information or what form it comes in," Kapler told Stark.
Kapler gets abundant information from the front office, the data team, the coaching staff and the players. He needs to just let the spectators vent.
If he keeps listening to those who are venting, he will, to paraphrase former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, be sitting with them before too long.
