Gabe Kapler

“Culturally Jewish, I was - and am - proud of my heritage, but don't practice religion.”

“When scouts evaluate players for power, they are not simply watching to see if the ball clears the wall. They're laser focused on the flight of the ball, its trajectory and the speed with which it leaves the bat.”

“I won't step foot inside a new eatery without some strong recommendations or after consulting a site like Yelp or Urban Spoon.”

“Short pitchers often have compact, repeatable mechanics that can lead to good control and command.”

“I was stronger than Robinson Cano is, but he consistently strikes the baseball with substantially more force than I did.”

“I never experienced the joy of being on the good guy's side of the perfect game or no-hitter. Karma.”

“Oft-injured MLB players should consider taking a full year off near the middle of their careers.”

“Wrigley, beyond its status as a baseball icon, has an undeniable positive energy all its own, which penetrates all who enter its gates.”

“If you ask me what my hobby is, I don't have a traditional hobby.”

“I knew after being drafted in the 57th round that I would be swiftly replaced if I wasn't able to play through a considerable amount of pain in the minor leagues, and ultimately until I established myself as a productive, stable member of MLB.”

“The Rays organization pays close attention to what's going on mentally and emotionally for its players.”

“If I'm going to hand over my classic Italian sports car, and you're going to be driving it down Pacific Coast Highway with the top down, while I watch, I want to be certain that I'm adequately compensated for the pain of that vision.”

“Athletic toughness is extraordinarily difficult to quantify.”

“Elite baseball mechanics feel different in the bodies of MLB players than they appear on film.”

“Watching Clayton Kershaw in the very first game of the 2014 season, I realized that he's not overpowering; he's deceptive. It's the sum of his parts that makes the Los Angeles Dodgers ace baseball's most successful pitcher.”

“We know that we can't make contact with the baseball with our front foot not firmly planted in the ground. So, in our cage drills we work on being on time and not rushing this action.”

“Teammates in all sports love to be acknowledged.”

“Part of the beauty of playing with seven teams across MLB is that I got to know hundreds of men intimately.”

“I think the players set the tone right away in spring training.”

“Pete Rose inspired my style of play, but should not be in the Hall of Fame.”