By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Gabe Kapler has a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving: his two sons and ex-wife Lisa, his role as Philadelphia Phillies manager, and just life as a whole.
Thanksgiving is a time to invite those you love most to your home, and appreciate the things that mean the most to you in life. Unfortunately, for Kapler, he no longer has a home in his native state of California to go back to and do just that.
According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, Kapler lost his Malibu home near Zuma Beach over the weekend due to the tragic Woolsey Fire, which has affected approximately 85,000 acres and caused more than 250,000 people to evacuate their homes in Southern California.
Gabe Kapler, mánager de los Phillies, fue uno de los que perdieron su casa en Malibú por los incendios. Esto fue lo único que sobrevivió (foto via @TheAthleticMLB) pic.twitter.com/v0F1QxwVB9
— Luis Hernández (@LAHGGrandPa) November 13, 2018
Kapler has been living in Philadelphia and reporting to work at Citizens Bank Park this offseason, however Lisa and two sons remained at his other home in Malibu, California. They were told to evacuate on Friday due to the nearby wildfire, and were unaware of the home's fate, except that the fire was coming in its direction at the time of their departure.
The following day, Kapler received a five-word text from his friend in the area that confirmed what they feared most: "I'm sorry, Gabe. It's gone." Only smoldered grounds, scorched trees and a steel staircase "that now led to nowhere," as Gelb put, now remains at the Kapler household.
While the Phillies manager called the tragedy "crazy," he said his family is "going to be fine" and the "love and support" they have received is "incredible." Kapler added, however, that the most important thing those can do to support his family's loss is to "keep talking."
Many have lost everything in these fires, and even basic needs are going to be hard to meet. https://t.co/6wbdbClneI
— gabe kapler (@gabekapler) November 11, 2018
“When you’re out in your community, talk about it with other people. Use it as a way to come together. I sent this text message back to people: Talk about it. Shine light on it. Raise awareness. Feel it," Kapler told Gelb.
“That’s my main point for other people. We’re good. Our family is good. There are a lot of other families who are not.”
Kapler stressed that talking about the wildfires "nonstop," and making sure it's "on the minds of the United States" is important to stress responsibility and raise awareness for those not as financially fortunate as he to make a fast recovery. “We have a responsibility in these times to shed light on the people who are in really, really dire straits,” Kapler told Gelb.
“And there are plenty of them.”
