Neither Joe Girardi nor Gabe Kapler had quite the debut season that they wanted with their new teams in 2020. Girardi's Phillies, despite lofty preseason expectations, finished with a 28-32 record, while Kapler's Giants similarly hovered around the middle of the pack with a 29-31 record. One difference, however, was that only one of these managers had to play against his former team during the shortened 60-game season, due to travel restrictions and the specific divisional alignment of the league.
In Girardi's return to Yankee Stadium, he had quite a warm reception from the team, despite the absence of any fans.
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The same can't quite be said for Kapler. Though he was unable to coach against the Phils in 2020, he made his way to Citizens Bank Park early in the 2021 season, with the two teams facing off on Monday night. His reception did include fans, did not include a poignant video tribute and was met with a whole lot of those classic, Philly boos.
Before the game, Kapler discussed the reaction that he was expecting, and it's safe to say that nothing would have caught him by surprise.
And the boos are what he got. Surprising? Not really. Deserved? That's up for discussion. Kapler finished his brief stay in Philly with a 161-163 record and no postseason appearances.
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