Welcome back to The K Zone. Today we dive into the life of the Nationals First Round Pick of 2019! Jackson Rutledge went 17th overall in 2019 and is looking forward to being a major arm in an organization that excels in developing Ace Pitchers. Get to know Jackson Rutledge before you see him on TV by reading the interview!
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?
Jackson Rutledge: My favorite player was Adam Wainwright. He was the ace for the Cardinals growing up in St. Louis and he’s a great role model.
Mike Duffy: What was the atmosphere in studio 42 like on draft day?
Jackson Rutledge: The atmosphere was exciting but somehow relaxed. There was obviously a lot going on but everyone there seemed to be having a good time and enjoying all of it.
Mike Duffy: How did getting drafted feel for you? Was it extra special getting your name called by the commissioner?
Jackson Rutledge: It was an incredible feeling. I finally felt like all that I and my family had done paid off. Having the commissioner call my name was something you dream of but never think it would be you, so having him call me was awesome.
Mike Duffy: What are you most excited about joining the nationals?
Jackson Rutledge: The Nationals have a history of developing high-level pitching and getting them to the majors at a young age, so I’m excited to get a chance to be one of those players.
Mike Duffy: When did you first know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Jackson Rutledge: That had been my dream since I can remember. It only became somewhat realistic once I got to high school.
Mike Duffy: Have you always been a pitcher or did you use to play other positions?
Jackson Rutledge: I played some first base in high school but I was mostly a pitcher.
Mike Duffy: Do you have any dream purchases with some of your first bit of pro ball money?
Jackson Rutledge: Nothing special other than a car. Most likely going to save as much of that as I can for now.
Mike Duffy: Have you spoken to any of the guys playing in Washington? Who are you most excited to play with?
Jackson Rutledge: I got the chance to meet a few players when I went to DC to sign which was a very cool experience. I’m most excited to play with and learn from Max Scherzer.
Mike Duffy: Besides your hard work, is there anyone else you would like to thank who attributed to your success?
Jackson Rutledge: My family has definitely helped a lot to get me where I am. Also, all of the coaches I’ve had over the years from high school, travel ball, and everyone at San Jac.
Mike Duffy: What is your all-time favorite movie?
Jackson Rutledge: My favorite movie is either Anchorman or Shawshank Redemption.
Mike Duffy: What have been some of your favorite tv shows?
Jackson Rutledge: My favorite TV shows are the Office, Parks and Rec, and Brooklyn 99.
Mike Duffy: Any musicians that stick out to you?
Jackson Rutledge: My favorite musicians are Nas, Vince Staples, and Kendrick Lamar.
Mike Duffy: What song is currently stuck in your head?
Jackson Rutledge: I’ve had Fireball by Pitbull stuck in my head all week because that’s all we listen to in the GCL.
Mike Duffy: When did you know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Gavin Garay: It was always a dream of mine but it became real around my junior year of high school when I committed to college.
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite player growing up?
Gavin Garay: Derek Jeter.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest fan of growing up?
Gavin Garay: The New York Yankees.
Mike Duffy: What is it like being apart of the Mets Organization?
Gavin Garay: It’s awesome. A dream come true being from New York and play by for a NY team.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite baseball memory?
Gavin Garay: My favorite baseball memory is either being drafted or high School baseball playoffs.
Mike Duffy: Do you have a motto or a thing to do to get you out of a rough time?
Gavin Garay: Just try to stay positive and reach out to the people closest to me for advice!
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite book?
Gavin Garay: My favorite book is either Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk or The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite movie?
Gavin Garay: Favorite movie is probably 12 Strong.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite Tv show?
Gavin Garay: Game Of Thrones no doubt.
Mike Duffy: Who is your favorite Musician and what’s your favorite song?
Gavin Garay: Eminem and don’t really have a favorite maybe 20/20 by logic.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite hobby besides baseball?
Gavin Garay: I love to hunt and fish as well as self educating, working out, and building my business Elevate which is a clothing brand.
Mike Duffy: What inspired you to create Elevate clothing?
Gavin Garay: It’s always been a vision of mine and always something I wanted to do. When I got drafted I was able to put it into motion and start building it. Always have wanted to help motivate people and empower people to chase there dreams.
Mike Duffy: What were some of your favorite parts about the Rays Organization?
Jim Haley: Some of my favorite parts about the Rays organization are their willingness to help players reach their full potential.
Mike Duffy: What are some of your favorite memories playing at Penn State?
Jim Haley: Some of my favorite memories playing at Penn State revolve mostly around my teammates, obviously! We had a blast away on and off the field but I think road trips were some of my favorite memories from my Penn State days.
Mike Duffy: When did you know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Jim Haley: All of my life, I had that childhood dream of playing in the Big Leagues. It wasn’t until high school that I realized that I actually had a chance to pursue that dream.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest fan of growing up?
Jim Haley: Phillies, no doubt about it!
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite player growing up?
Jim Haley: I grew up a huge Philly sports fan so I idolized Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins growing. I loved the way Chase played (still plays) the game and I always kept that with me throughout my playing career.
Mike Duffy: You are in the midst of a breakout year, what do you attribute this to?
Jim Haley: I made a lot of adjustments to my swing in the offseason so I think that’s the biggest thing that helped me. Being comfortable with my swing played a huge part. Also, I played a lot of positions this year which were new to me but I really embraced it and I think that also helped to spur the year I had.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite stadium?
Jim Haley: Wrigley!
Mike Duffy: Do you have a motto or a thing to do to get you out of a rough time?
Jim Haley: One thing that I learned from my coaching staff while at Penn State was to always have a routine to help you to “check back in” to the game when you felt you were hitting a rough patch and I still have my routine to this day. Baseball is a tough game but the beauty of it is if you go 0-3 one day, you have a chance to go 3-3 the very next day. It’s all about finding balance and not getting to high or low.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite movie?
Jim Haley: Good Will Hunting.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite Tv show?
Jim Haley: I’ve watched just about every Netflix series you can think of! Love The Office though!
Mike Duffy: Who is your favorite Musician and what’s your favorite song?
Jim Haley: I am a huge fan is music so it’s hard for me to pick one song/artist. I listen to all types from country to rap to oldies and anything in between!
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite hobby besides baseball?
Jim Haley: Anything outdoors and love trying new things. I’m always trying to expand my view and experience as many different things as I can.
Chase De Jong, Greg Venger, John Stolnis, & Chase Kaper
Last offseason, one of the biggest surprises was the hire of Gabe Kapler to be the new manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a move on the bolder side, for general manager Matt Klentak, who was given the green light to make his first managerial hire. Kapler was the runner-up for the Dodger gig two seasons before in 2016, having been their Director of Player development.
Kapler has a more bold and analytical approach to the game. This, on top of a few more characteristics, made him a unique choice for a Phillies organization that is familiar to more of a traditional approach to baseball. He has had a rollercoaster first year as manager, and a very interesting journey into baseball which I was just excited to find more about.
August 7: Nick Williams celebrates with manager Gabe Kapler after homering in the third inning. Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images
So one Thursday during lunch I swung by the main office at my school (Cleveland High School) to speak to the Athletic Director, Greg Venger. He noticed that I had a Phillies shirt on and mentioned that he had gone to Taft High School with Gabe Kapler. In ‘93 while Greg was the JV shortstop his sophomore year, Kapler was the varsity shortstop. During the playoffs Greg was brought up to Varsity, allowing for some memorable moments for Greg, where he was able to watch and model after someone who was soon to become a major leaguer.
“Gabe was a great teammate great guy. Well liked by everybody very popular in high school,” said Greg. “He was a gym rat always working hard to stay in shape. His group friends were a nice good circle of friends, they are lawyers or stockbrokers, they’re all doing successful so yeah you know they all figured out their niche in life.”
Photo: 1993 Taft Yearbook / Gabriel Kapler (left) in his Senior year. (photo found by Mike Duffy)
Greg was telling me about how “people liked to be around him,” and the positive bolt of energy people would get when he walked into a room. He also recalled some memories from their times on the field:
“We won the game against Kennedy High School, but ended playing in the semifinals against Chatsworth and we got blown out like 17 to 1. His leadership with that group of guys pretty special group he had his senior year. Gabe was definitely the catalyst to my team. ”
Also, we talked about how currently while managing he stresses the idea of drawing a lot of walks and telling them to take pitches. I asked Greg if Gabe took a lot of pitches, and Greg laughed and said:
“He was an aggressive guy. He never saw more than a few pitches when he was hitting. He was always up there to hit he did not wanna walk, he had a lot of pop. Back in the day, Taft high school fence in left field was like 330ft and like 408ft to straightaway center. Now they have a different fence up there. If Gabe played there right now, he would’ve broke the state record for home run, guaranteed.”
After graduating from Taft High School he attended a Division 1 school, Cal State Fullerton. It didn’t work out there for Gabe, so he ended up going back to Moorpark College. He got noticed there and he got drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 57th round in the 1995 Draft.
“He just peaked at the right time,” Venger said. “And that was the big thing.”
Gabe played fifteen seasons of professional baseball and has the highest career WAR of anyone drafted in the 57th round. During the twelve seasons in the MLB, he played for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays in. In 2004 he won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox.
After winning the World Series with Boston, he went to Japan to play some baseball where he ruptured his Achilles. The Red Sox organization offered him his first and only managerial job before coming to the Phillies with the Sox Low-A team, the Greenville Drive. The team had a record of 58 – 81 in his two seasons with them before returning to playing baseball for three more years.
Gabe Kapler accepting the job with the Greenville Drive
While he was working hard on his career, he always made time for his two sons. I spoke with his son Chase Kapler. Here’s what Chase had to say about his father:
“I have to credit him for how independent and self-starting I am, from a very young age he trusted me to make my own decisions and face my own consequences for those decisions. He also never pressured me to be anybody that he wanted me to be. He was very supportive of what I wanted and what I needed.”
Gabe Kapler (right) with his two sons Chase (center) and Dane (left).
When officially hanging up his glove he dabbled around in different forms of media. In 2013 he was an analyst for Fox Sports 1. Then using his love for “the importance of training outdoors and clean eating. To that end, he took to sharing information in 2013 and started a health and well-being blog at Kaplifestyle.com. ”
He used his knowledge of fitness and health to land him the job of Director of Player Development with the Los Angeles Dodgers in November of 2014. The press told two stories of how he was doing at that post, one that we see now, with all the amazing prospects that have come through that system like Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Austin Barnes, and so many more. This shows that Gabe was doing something right with that system. The other narrative was one that talked about how he just came into the system and took out all the unhealthy food in all the clubhouses of the system and made them follow strict diets. We never really heard what the players thought of that, but obviously Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman liked what he was doing and made him a frontrunner for the manager position. Gabe lost it to Dave Roberts in the end.
Gabe Kapler, seen here during spring training in 2015 with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.Photo credit: Jon SooHoo | LA Dodgers
I was curious to hear what some of the players thought about Gabe when he was Director of Player development. I followed up with, Major League pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, Chase De Jong, who I originally interviewed back in 2017.
De Jong, who was originally a Dodger prospect, said he “enjoyed being under his leadership. Our minor league organization thrived under it.”
I asked him if he mentioned any of his goals for his future in baseball, and if he was preaching about being bold in Los Angeles like he is now doing in Philadelphia:
“Yes Gabe was always clear about being bold. We all knew that he had aspirations to be a major league manager. He’s a leader in whatever he does. He was very passionate about what he believed in he always entertained other points of view and I think that’s an incredible quality to have. Gabe I believe desires knowledge and wisdom above everything else. He’s a learner.”
This passion of learning and determination to be as knowledgeable about every player and the game is what caught the eye of GM Matt Klentak. Before the 2018 season, Kapler was signed to a 3 year managerial deal.
“They needed a new culture,” suggest Greg Venger on why Klentak hired Kapler. “But some of the old school Phillies fans might not like that so much. I think that his young energy and his intensity is what that organization needed. It’s maybe for some of them an acquired taste. But as a coach winning cures everything. You win everyone’s gonna love you.”
AP Images
For Kapler, his first week was really rough. He pulled Aaron Nola early on Opening Day, and then the bullpen blew the game that was filled with miscommunications. He was also greeted with boos at the home opener. During all of this, Kapler stayed positive and said they would definitely go to the playoffs. Most people thought he was on something but Greg Venger suggested that “there is a little bit of arrogance about him, because he is confident. So the players, they like the confidence, they relate to that because that’s how the players are too.”
Sept. 25: The skipper! Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
I reached out to Writer & Podcaster for SB Nation’s The Good Phight, John Stolnis, where he focuses on covering the current Phillies. He falls in the middle on the Kapler spectrum like most other writers but I challenged him to put away the criticism and just focus on the positives of his rookie season.
“I think my favorite thing about Kapler this year was how he was at least willing to try things that were different. I didn’t agree with all of what he did, and late in the season I thought he tried to do too much. But I liked that he wasn’t afraid, and I think he has shown a willingness to take criticism and to learn,” Stolnis said.
Greg Venger agreed with Stolnis and had this to say about Gabe’s first year of managing:
“I’m sure he would be the first to tell you the game part he’s still learning it. The game is different from it used to be. And it’s evolved. So when he came up as a player it was more of a small ball steal bases and now it’s more of strikeouts and guys hitting home runs.” – Greg Venger
April 5: The Phillies line the base path for pre-game festivities at the Phillies Home Opener. Philadelphia Phillies
After that first rough week, the Phillies turned it all around. They were in first place for over a month. At one point they even were 63- 48! It looked like Kapler would win Manager of the Year. The Phillies were in first place, had a really good division lead, and the Nationals were falling off a cliff. Gabe’s son, Chase said his favorite moments of this successful part of the season were “either the Maikel Franco walk off or Nola out-dueling Scherzer twice.”
July 31: Maikel Franco returns to the dugout after scoring in the fourth inning. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
But then the bad skid happened, the really bad skid. The Phillies went 8-20 for the rest of the season in September and they were not able to get that postseason chance they were hoping for. The pitching staff looked tired and bats were not coming alive.
August 19: The Phillies line up for the national anthem before the MLB Little League Classic game. Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos
Although the Phillies finished 2 wins below .500, they showed improvement from the year before. The ride has just begun for Gabe Kapler and he is ready to get back out there next season with something to prove to the city of brotherly love. Gabe wants to make sure he can be the manager of the next Phillies World Series team rather than finding himself on the hot seat.
2018 Photo Review #3 – What an awesome display of sportsmanship! Both the Phillies and Mets lined up for handshakes after the 2018 MLB Little League Classic. Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos. “If you get those guys to believe that they can do it. Then they can do it, and they’re young and they’re talented and they’re going to go through their ups and downs during a 162 games and you’re going to have your slumps you’re going to go through your hot streak. Everything is fantastic at that time. But when things aren’t going well. It’s about how you respond to that.” – Greg Venger
Mike Duffy: Growing up in Canada, was Brampton a hockey or baseball town?
Zach Pop: Brampton was definitely a hockey town.
Mike Duffy: What are most looking forward to with the Orioles Organization after being traded from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado Trade?
Zach Pop: Looking forward to the opportunity this presents for my career.
Mike Duffy: What has been your favorite team to play for so far like Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Great Lakes Loons, or your new team the Bowie Baysox?
Zach Pop:I my favorite team this year would be the quakes because of the culture that we created there. Along with the winnings atmosphere and the teammates and friends I had there.
Mike Duffy: What are some of your favorite memories as apart of the Dodgers organization?
Zach Pop: One of my favorite memories was being able to come back from 7 games back, win the first half and pop bottles. Being able to experience something new with the quakes was really a great experience.
Mike Duffy: When did you know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Zach Pop: I’ve always wanted to play professional baseball I think it was just a matter of getting my education and maturing as a person and player.
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite player growing up?
Zach Pop: My favorite player growing up was the Mariano Rivera.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest fan of growing up?
Zach Pop: I was actually a Yankees fan growing up because of Rivera.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite movie?
Zach Pop: I like the other guys.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite Tv show?
Zach Pop: Suits.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite hobby besides baseball?
Zach Pop: I like playing golf, swimming, going to the cottage, relaxing, sharing a couple drinks with some friends, playing video games, and traveling.
This Article has been translated from Spanish to English. Original Version at the bottom.
Mike Duffy: Do you have a motto or something to do to get you out of a bad time?
Luis Perez: My motto when I’m going through a bad time, Always hold things calmly. I always say that if God wanted it that way, that’s why it’s good.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite book?
Luis Perez: My favorite book is: Do not let anyone steal your dream (author DEXTER .R YAGER SR.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite movie?
Luis Perez: My favorite movie: It’s The scary movie 4.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite TV series?
Luis Perez: My favorite series: It’s The paper house.
Mike Duffy: Who is your favorite musician and what is your favorite song?
Luis Perez: My favorite musician: it’s José José and my favorite music (we’ll give ourselves time).
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite hobby besides baseball?
Luis Perez: My favorite hobby: share with my family and my friends.
Mike Duffy: When did you know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Luis Perez: I knew I wanted to play professional baseball: when I saw the ones who filmed in my neighborhood and formed their home with their mother.
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite player while you grew up?
Luis Perez: My favorite player: it was (Manny Ramirez) why he was a hitter back then.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest follower of your growth?
Luis Perez: The team that was most fanatical: (Boston).
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite stadium?
Luis Perez: My favorite stadium: it is the one of the (ORIOLES).
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite baseball memory?
Luis Perez: And my favorite moments: when I started watching a game winning by 1 or 2 I got 0. Or that they put me to pitcher with complete base without leaving and I took the three.
Mike Duffy: What was it like to play in the Dominican Republic? What are some of your favorite moments there?
Luis Perez: Playing in the Dominican Republic: for me it was something that motivated me to work harder, because I said I did not want it to happen to me as someone who does not work hard to give everything they do not go through to play in the summer league.
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Mike Duffy: ¿Tienes un lema o algo que hacer para sacarte de un mal momento?
Luis Pérez: Mi lema cuando estoy pasando por un mal momento, siempre sostengo las cosas con calma. Siempre digo que si Dios lo quería así, es por eso que es bueno.
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu libro favorito?
Luis Pérez: Mi libro favorito es: No dejes que nadie te robe tu sueño (autor DEXTER .R YAGER SR.
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu película favorita?
Luis Pérez: Mi película favorita: Es la película de miedo 4.
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu serie de televisión favorita?
Luis Pérez: Mi serie favorita: Es la casa de papel.
Mike Duffy: ¿Quién es tu músico favorito y cuál es tu canción favorita?
Luis Pérez: Mi músico favorito: es José José y mi música favorita (nos daremos tiempo).
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu pasatiempo favorito además del béisbol?
Luis Pérez: Mi pasatiempo favorito: compartir con mi familia y mis amigos.
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuándo sabías que querías jugar al béisbol profesional?
Luis Pérez: Sabía que quería jugar béisbol profesional: cuando vi a los que filmaron en mi barrio y formaron su hogar con su madre.
Mike Duffy: ¿Quién era tu jugador favorito mientras crecías?
Luis Pérez: Mi jugador favorito: fue (Manny Ramírez) por qué fue un bateador en ese entonces.
Mike Duffy: ¿En qué equipo fuiste el mayor seguidor de tu crecimiento?
Luis Pérez: El equipo que fue más fanático: (Boston).
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu estadio favorito?
Luis Pérez: Mi estadio favorito: es el de los (ORIOLES).
Mike Duffy: ¿Cuál es tu memoria de béisbol favorita?
Luis Pérez: Y mis momentos favoritos: cuando comencé a ver un juego ganando por 1 o 2 obtuve 0. O que me pusieron al lanzador con base completa sin salir y tomé los tres.
Mike Duffy: ¿Cómo fue jugar en República Dominicana? ¿Cuáles son algunos de tus momentos favoritos allí?
Luis Pérez: Jugar en la República Dominicana: para mí fue algo que me motivó a trabajar más duro, porque dije que no quería que me pasara a mí como alguien que no trabaja duro para dar todo lo que no tienen para jugar en la liga de verano.
Mike Duffy: What were some of your favorite parts about the Mariners Organization?
Sam Carlson: My favorite part about the Mariners Organization is the people. Everyone from the front office to the trainers to my teammates. Everybody is great and it is a lot of fun.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite Minor League team name?
Sam Carlson: Personally I think that we have one of the best minor league team names in the Modesto Nuts. It is just a funny name for a team that everyone gets a good laugh at.
Mike Duffy: When did you know you wanted to play professional baseball?
Sam Carlson: I have always wanted to play professional baseball since I was a kid but not until my senior year did I know that there was a realistic chance.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest fan of growing up?
Sam Carlson: My favorite team growing up was the Twins. I was born and raised in Minnesota so it was only right.
Mike Duffy: Who was your favorite player growing up?
Sam Carlson: My favorite player growing up was Joe Mauer. Being a Twins fan I had always loved to watch him play.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite stadium?
Sam Carlson: My favorite big league stadium is probably Safeco Field because of the memories I have from there. I have only seen a few fields so it might change when I see more.
Mike Duffy: What will you be doing this offseason?
Sam Carlson: I am currently doing TJ rehab while taking classes for school.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite baseball memory?
Sam Carlson: I honestly have so many unbelievable memories that I can’t pick one out. Maybe one day I’ll make a memory that really stands out more than the others.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite book?
Sam Carlson: I don’t have a favorite book at the moment as I prefer podcasts over a book.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite movie?
Sam Carlson: One of my all time favorite movies is The Longest Yard.
Photo Credit: USA Today
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite Tv show?
Sam Carlson: My favorite TV Show all time is Prison Break.
Mike Duffy: Who is your favorite Musician?
Sam Carlson: The Weeknd.
Mike Duffy: What is your favorite hobby besides baseball?
Sam Carlson: I enjoy traveling and adventuring with my friends and family.
Mike Duffy: What team were you the biggest follower of your growth?
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