Quotes from Kapler in early June
''Jason Varitek left me a message in which he played a song we'd sung a lot on the plane, and it literally had me in tears," Kapler said. ''I spend time learning about what is happening [with the Sox]. I knew Kevin [Millar] was struggling, [i wanted] to give him a hug to help him through the situation. Varitek, Johnny [Damon], I wanted to tell them how happy I am for them, the way they're playing. [Doug] Mirabelli, Trot [Nixon], [Curt] Schilling, all those guys, I miss them a lot."
Kapler has heard about Nixon's knee injury, and his declaration that he will need surgery after the season. Could Kapler possibly make his way back to Boston?
He's not thinking in those terms, he said.
''I don't doubt for one second that Trot will be on the field for the entire season," he said. ''What Trot plays through would be other players' nightmares. He's one of the toughest players I've ever met in my life."
But of this, you can be sure: ''I'm coming back [to the big leagues] next season," Kapler said.