Kapler rethinking how he manages Phillies after being booed

Philadelphia Phillies fans aren't giving their rookie manager a warm welcome, but Gabe Kapler is trying to make the most of the reception.

"If they're booing," Kapler told Jayson Stark of The Athletic, "then I'm not doing my job well."

"I won't dig in and become stubborn," he added. "Rather, it gave me the opportunity to challenge my own assumptions and, more specifically, the moves I make on behalf of our club. I examine why people are disappointed and whether it makes sense to alter course or stay with the current game plan. At the end of the day, our goals are the same: to win a lot of baseball games."

Kapler was booed during the Phillies' home opener after starting on the road with a 1-4 record. During the first pair of series against the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, the Phillies coughed up a 5-0 lead in one game, and Kapler called upon a reliever who hadn't warmed up at all in another.

"The booing that day was the worst I've ever seen," one scout told Stark. "On opening day? For a manager? For a first-year guy? Oh my gosh. I felt bad for that guy."

"I am very committed to learning and getting better every way I can," Kapler said. "Fans don't boo for no reason. They're attempting to communicate with me. 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."