Gabe Kapler would have loved to play for Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He has not played in the major leagues for seven years, but that would not have been a problem. Eric Gagne is playing for Canada, and he hasn’t played in the majors for nine years.
But Kapler has a full-time job, as the Dodgers’ director of player development. The Dodgers had minor league staffers to hire, spring training arrangements to make, inquiries from players to answer.
Kapler coached for Israel in its 2012 WBC qualifying round, the first time the country entered the tournament.