Kapler, Weaver ended up worlds apart
DETROIT--They were both Valley guys who broke into the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers.
Gabe Kapler graduated from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., in 1993. Jeff Weaver graduated a year later from Simi Valley High.
Kapler had a scholarship to Cal-State Fullerton, blew off class, and wound up going to a two-year college (Moorpark). He was drafted on the 57th round by the Tigers in 1995. Weaver played for Fresno State as a walk-on, set an NCAA postseason record by striking out 21 batters against Texas A&M in 1997, and was drafted on the first round by the Tigers in 1998.
Kapler was Minor League Player of the Year in 1998, and made the Tigers out of camp the following season. Weaver made just six minor league starts, and was promoted to the big leagues a week into the '99 season. To make room for him on the roster, the Tigers sent Kapler down to the minors.
Seventeen days later, Kapler was recalled to the big leagues. In his first game back, Kapler hit his first major league home run. The Tigers' winning pitcher: Weaver.
That November, Kapler was traded to the Texas Rangers, as part of the nine- player deal in which two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez went to the Tigers.
On July 5, 2002, Weaver was traded for the first time, going to the Yankees in a three-way deal in which the Tigers wound up with Jeremy Bonderman, a mainstay of their rotation.
Kapler, playing for his fourth team, the Red Sox, won a World Series ring in 2004. Weaver, playing for his fifth team, the Cardinals, will be pitching Game 2 in the World Series tonight against the Tigers.
"I am still friends with Jeff," Kapler wrote yesterday in an e-mail, "although I haven't spoken to him since last offseason. I don't have any great stories for you, but I do think highly of the person that Jeff is. I also have always thought that he would be one of the top pitchers in the league. Although it hasn't happened yet, I believe and hope it will. I remember thinking of him when I faced him, [that he was] awfully uncomfortable to compete against."
Weaver has been one of the better stories of this postseason, a player who was designated for assignment by the Angels to make room for his brother, Jered, was acquired by the Cardinals who saw enough there to make him a reclamation project, and have been rewarded for their faith with two wins and a 2.16 ERA from Weaver in three postseason starts.
Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty, recalling negotiations with the Angels, said he was concerned about two other clubs that were in the bidding for Weaver. One was the Red Sox. The Sox did, indeed, scout Weaver extensively throughout the year and had some discussions with the Angels, but never got close to making a deal.
"I just knew when I came to St. Louis it was a fresh start," Weaver said yesterday in a pregame media session. "I was going to be out there every five days. They were going to let me work through whatever troubles I had. And [manager Tony ] La Russa and [pitching coach Dave ] Duncan have been great about being big supporters and they told me from the get-go they loved the way I competed, and they didn't want to change a thing. When you have that support behind you, it's much easier not to be looking over your shoulder when you make mistakes.
"Baseball season, you just never know. Some people have slow starts and finish up strong, and some people start out fast and finish slow. It was just one of those years and I'm just fortunate it ended up the way it has."
Todd Jones, a member of Boston's ill-fated bullpen by committee in 2003, has a chance to become the oldest primary closer on a World Series winner since the advent of division play in 1969, according to research by Mike Berardino of the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale. Jones is 38 years 10 months old . . . La Russa's choice to be the designated hitter last night was Chris Duncan, who hit a pinch home run in Game 5. Duncan, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the Cardinals' 7-2 victory, is the son of the Cardinals' pitching coach. La Russa was feisty in suggesting that the author of a newspaper scouting report disparaging Duncan the Younger stay away from Duncan the Elder. "I would suggest [the reporter] stay away from Dunc, because they called Chris brutal, and I would fear for their safety, whoever is associated with that scouting report, because he would hurt them." La Russa also elected to go with So Taguchi, who is 4 for 4 with two home runs in the postseason, in left field. His perfect streak ended last night, going 1 for 4 in the win . . . Tigers manager Jim Leyland felt Sean Casey's calf muscle had healed sufficiently to use him at DH last night. Casey should be healthy enough to play first base when the series shifts to St. Louis for Game 3 . . . Negotiators for players and owners bargained again yesterday in New York as they intensified efforts to reach a labor contract before the end of the Series. The Friday session didn't end until 3 a.m. yesterday. Several people on both sides with knowledge of the talks said it was possible an agreement could be reached next week.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Gordon Edes can be reached at edes@globe.com. 
