On the eve of the Phillies’ first full-squad workout, new manager Gabe Kapler had a simple, but stern message for his team: Be Bold.

NBCSPhilly’s John Clark:

What? No video of Kapler’s speech? I would pay good money to see that speech split-screened with the players’ reactions. It’s the first time that Kapler, who’s shown a propensity to speak openly and with great energy, had the attention of his entire team. I can’t imagine the twists and turns that speech took. The possibilities are endless.

Clark, in a separate tweet, notes the team also watched a recorded message from Justin Timberlake. Well then. Highlights, t-shirts, JT, and messages of support from the city’s other teams? Pinch me. I love it. The teams in this city have collectively turned a corner and are kicking ass. They are feeding off one another. Supporting one another. It’s a beautiful thing. Remember the early 2000s when the Eagles and Phillies would fight behind scenes for sports page supremacy? Those days are long, long gone.

As for the party, in many cases, a new manager gathering the team to show some videos and hand out a t-shirt with a catchy slogan could come across as corny or disingenuous. With Kapler, I think the guy so deeply believes in what he’s selling that the sincerity of his message will have an infectious impact on a young and eager clubhouse. I love the message, and I think it’s the right one for this group of players.

Be bold. Don’t settle for 73 wins. Don’t settle for third place. We’re not going to be a dial tone of a baseball team this summer. Let’s make shit weird.

I dig that, but I can only hope Matt Klentak stopped by and got the message, because you know what would be REALLY BOLD? Signing Jake Arrieta.

That’s how you get the players to fully buy in. That’s how you show a budding team a belief from up top that they are about to arrive. It’s not dissimilar from Theo Epstein’s acquisition of Jon Lester that propelled a young Cubs team prior to the 2015 season. How did that work out? For Klentak, he can ignite the be bold movement, and quite literally, put his money where Kapler’s mouth is. We’ll see if he got the message.

Be bold!