He wore eye black, had sweatbands on both of his wrists and wore chains around his neck. Before games, he’d borrow his dad’s sunglasses to put on top of his hat. He dreamed of one day being a professional player, so from a young age, he wanted to look the part. These other kids, they couldn’t keep up.”īaseball was the game he loved most and on the field, he said, he could always find his focus. “He would have a fit if he wasn’t winning,” Jim said. “We used to always say he’s not sleeping, he’s recharging,” his dad, Jim, said.īaseball, hockey, lacrosse, whatever game he was playing, Chapman was intent on winning, even when he was with friends and his mom, Lisa, tried to explain that these games were just for fun. And, inevitably, after every intense round of outdoor play, the energetic Chapman would come back into the house sweaty and exhausted. You never know what he’s going to say but he just keeps it fun, keeps it light - and, at the same time, he’s a hell of a player.”Īll Chapman ever wanted to do as a kid was play under the sun in the cul-de-sac he grew up on in Lake Forest, Calif. “He’s not like any other teammate I’ve ever had,” said Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield. It’s been an inconsistent season, but with the club still in the mix for a wild-card spot nearing the season’s halfway mark, they’ll be looking at Chapman to help lead them through a playoff push with his leadership both on and off the field. “There had to be some times where I had to pull the reins on Chappy,” said Olson, now with the Braves, “and he had to fire me up, but it was a good little combo we had.”Īs Chapman’s former team visits Toronto this weekend, the Blue Jays are entering a crucial time to try to gain ground in the standings. He was part of a successful core, which included the ultra-serious Marcus Semien and the laid-back Matt Olson. Once an energetic kid from Southern California, “Chappy”- a nickname he’s had since college - found his place on a baseball field early and grew from an undersized, undrafted high schooler to one of the game’s premier third basemen, all while accumulating praise for being the teammate everyone wants beside them.Ĭhapman spent five seasons with the Oakland A’s, transitioning from a talented rookie to an All-Star. “He’s night-and-day different once the game starts,” said Toronto starter Kevin Gausman. His one-liners keep the clubhouse loose, but games are no joke. “He knows how to lighten up the mood,” Varsho said, “and have a good time.”Ĭhapman is the team DJ, hype-man and comedian rolled into a 6-foot, 215-pound package. It was no surprise that Chapman was at the center of it all. Instead, the Blue Jays ended up having a blast. “We could have totally all just been super pissed off,” Chapman said of the travel mishap. The karaoke party continued onto the bus until the team finally reached the hotel in the middle of the night. (Chapman’s mom, Lisa, and sister, Haley, are singers, so carrying a tune is in his DNA.) After Chapman’s performance, the microphone was passed to center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and pretty soon the entire team - and even, at one point, an airport security guard - was involved. The reviews? “He can sing pretty well,” said outfielder Daulton Varsho. The Blue Jays third baseman belted out a few songs. He turned on the team’s stereo and kicked off a karaoke show right then and there. The whole team cheered, all relieved, happy and ready to get to their hotel. Thankfully, on the third try, the plane landed safely.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |