Philadelphia Phillies: If Gabe Kapler is Chip Kelly, who’s Doug Pederson?
Nihilistic Philadelphia sports fans believe new Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is their version of ex-Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly. If this is the case, who will become their Doug Pederson?
The city of Philadelphia is riding high after the Super Bowl victory earlier this month. When the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots, the city transformed. Even before this, many in Philadelphia were drawing a comparison between Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler and a former Eagles coach, Chip Kelly.
Both known for their analytical approach, Phillies fans are hopeful Kapler’s stint ends differently. Kelly was a bust in Philadelphia whereas his replacement, Doug Pederson, did what no other coach in the team’s history has done: win a Super Bowl.
If Kapler is indeed the Phillies’ version of Kelly, then who is their Pederson?
To guess this, we need to know a little bit more about Pederson.
During his playing days, Pederson spent a year as the Eagles quarterback back in 1999. This was the period right before Donovan McNabb took over and helped turn the franchise’s fortunes around.
Pederson didn’t perform well in his nine starts for the Eagles. The next year, he joined the Cleveland Browns. Overall, he’d finish his career with a 3-14 record.
Fortunately, Pederson got along well with longtime Eagles head coach Andy Reid. Reid even gave Pederson a job with the Kansas City Chiefs prior to his current stint with the Eagles. If not for Reid’s trust in Pederson, he never would have come to back to Philadelphia.
Knowing the tale of Pederson, it’s clear we also need Phillies version of Reid.
Hello, Charlie!
Charlie Manuel looks like the most appropriate man to pick for the role of Andy Reid. His tenure in Philadelphia was the longest stretch of success, thus making him the closest match. Evidently, his run as Phillies manager resulted in far better results than Terry Francona, Larry Bowa, and Pete Mackanin.
Now that we have found our Andy Reid, we can start digging into which players are the Doug Pederson.
We need someone with a good relationship with Manuel. A real player’s coach, Manuel had many players who enjoyed working for him.
Long-time Phillies like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Carlos Ruiz are three guys I see coaching in Philadelphia someday. Unfortunately, none of them match Pederson perfectly. They were true Phillies. Pederson’s Philadelphia stint was far shorter.
Aaron Rowand looks like one outside candidate, but is he really manager material? He did spend one year in Philadelphia just like Pederson. He fits that qualification.
Instead of focusing on that one factor, I want to instead rely more heavily on the relationship with the manager. When we do this, the answer is clear. The Phillies’ version of Doug Pederson is none other than Jim Thome.
Thome had a much different career than Pederson. This summer, he’ll go into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He also spent a little more time playing in Philadelphia than Pederson did during his NFL career. When we look at these factors, Thome is far from Pederson.
The Counterargument
When we examine the close relationship between Andy Reid and Doug Pederson, the best equivalent is the one between Charlie Manuel and Jim Thome. The two spent time together with the Cleveland Indians before joining forces in Philadelphia. If Manuel was a little younger, it’s possible he’d recruit Thome to his coaching staff.
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Reid and Pederson first met each other when the former was coaching for the Green Bay Packers, and the latter was second-string to Brett Favre. The pair represented three franchises together. Though Manuel and Thome stalled at two, there is a connection.
As an added-bonus, Thome also paved the way for a franchise-changing player. Just like Pederson played quarterback before McNabb, Thome was the Phillies first baseman before Ryan Howard.
Plus, there’s that whole Cleveland thing. Though Thome went from Cleveland to Philadelphia and Pederson did the opposite, there is no denying the coincidence.
Would Thome ever manage the Phillies?
Considering the Indians are the ones who built a statue of him, odds are he would work there first. Maybe he’ll even replace ex-Phillies manager Terry Francona.
Likely, there’s no perfect match for the Phillies to find their Doug Pederson. Formulas don’t work that perfectly. There are just too many considerations.
Jim Thome does, however, seem to meet most of them. He played in Philadelphia for a short time, had a great relationship with the longtime successful manager in more than one city, and was replaced by another star player among other things discussed.
Next: Kapler slammed again by Francona for “anti-military” remarks
Hopefully, Gabe Kapler is more than the Phillies version of Chip Kelly. If doubters are right, get ready for a few grueling years.