Outfield shifts aren't going to be the only thing unique about the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018.
That much should've been clear when Gabe Kapler, a man who looks like a muscular monster next to his own players, was introduced as the 54th manager in team history in October. Or when Kapler, who wakes up thinking about winning the World Series, brought in the Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Kelce for spring-training motivation. Or when he challenged his lineup to build a Twitter #fam as much as up Philly's spot in the NL East entering the new year.
And yet, amid all that, we're still not sure anyone saw the "Sensitive Bus" coming.
That's the name, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury, that's been given to a toy school bus in the Phillies clubhouse. The little yellow symbol has actually been around since 2017, courtesy of assistant pitching coach Rick Kranitz, but it's apparently taken on new life under Kapler.
Reportedly placed in the locker of any pitcher who gets "sensitive" about anything from their performance on the mound to their teammates in the clubhouse, the bus was recently upgraded thanks to a $20 Amazon purchase by assistant athletic trainer Shawn Fcasni -- they went all out with this one! -- and even features a handful of "whiny" emoji stickers.
Kranitz, per Salisbury, equated the "Sensitive Bus" to a "kangaroo court" for the Phillies locker room. (Because this year's Phillies team needed any more reason to utilize the phrase "kangaroo court.")
No one has faced the wrath of the toy school bus in the early goings of 2018 spring training, according to the report, although it was last seen resting atop the stall of Opening Day starter Aaron Nola.
Stay tuned in-season for Kapler's analytics regarding the impact of the "Sensitive Bus" on the effectiveness of his rotation.
