April 7, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

There is a moment very early in the career of any major leaguer when a coach, an evaluator, a minor-league executive or a manager has the light go on and the reaction happens.

The reaction could be any of those below:

“Did you see that, wow!”

“This guy really has a chance.”

“As sure as I am standing here, this guy has a future.”

Or ... in the case of special players, all of the above.

In the case of Blue Jays’ new third baseman Matt Chapman, we looked at some people who saw him in his formative years.

Chapman is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time Platinum Glove winner (the best of the best). Chapman is not the only newcomer to the Jays when the 2022 campaign begins so much full of promise.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman, the free agent sign (a five-year $110-million deal) from the San Francisco Giants pitches Saturday afternoon. The other newcomers include fifth starter Yusei Kikuchi, reliever Yimi Garcia and outfielder Raimel Tapia, who scouts say has never met a relay or cut-off man he could not overthrow.

* * *

Rick Magnante knew when he saw Chapman play as a high schooler for the Oakland A’s Scout Team in 2011.

Chapman played 321 games in the minors, 133 times manager Rick Magnate wrote his name down on the lineup card at class-A Beloit and class-A Stockton.

“I saw him on our Oakland A’s scout team (as a high schooler) when he was slender and wiry, but he was a sinewy kid, long before he had the athletic physique,” said Magnate from Los Angeles, who first saw Chapman playing for coach Eric Martins, current A’s first base coach.

“He could move and had instincts, but he was not the guy you projected as a major leaguer,” said Magnate, who again saw Chapman with the Cal-State Fullerton Titans before the A’s made Chapman a first rounder (25th overall in North America) in the 2014 draft.

Magnate realized that the A’s “had a special player with a great skill set and mind set.”

“I had him during his formative stages so I knew a little bit about him,” Magnate understated. “The arm on a 2-to-8 scale he was an eight. He had the tools: he was a plus defender, a plus arm and a plus power.”

“Watching him play, he was a professional.”

Who was the best defensive third baseman Magnate ever saw before Chapman?

“Nolan Arenado ... and before that it was Brooks Robinson or Graig Nettles” he said of the duo who have combined for 25 gold gloves. “Ron Cey was great, too with the Dodgers. He did not have the greatest range, but did not make errors. Hit the ball to him with a man on first and it was a 5-4-3. I grew up a Los Angeles Dodger fan.”

That all changed in 1961 when the expansion Los Angeles Angels took the field for the first time.

“Jim Fregosi was my idol, I grew up loving Jim Fregosi ... my mum too,” Magnante. “Later in life I had the chance to advance scout with Jim and I knew Jim Jr. too, God rest his soul.”

Chapman went in the first round (25th overall), one pick after Cole Tucker (136 games in the majors) was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates and one ahead of Michael Chavis (180 games) who went to the Boston Red Sox.

The other first rounders include Carlos Rodon (121 games) drafted by the Chicago White Sox, Kyle Schwarber (684) Chicago Cubs, Nick Gordon (73) Minnesota Twins, Alex Jackson (61) Seattle Mariners, Aaron Nola (171) Philadelphia Phillies, Kyle Freeland (124) Colorado Rockies, Jeff Hoffman (99) Blue Jays, Michael Conforto (757) New York Mets, Trea Turner (689) San Diego Padres, Tyler Beede (27) San Francisco Giants, Sean Newcomb (147) Los Angeles Angels, Touki Toussaint (49) Arizona Diamondbacks, Brandon Finnegan (67) Kansas City Royals, Erick Fedde (75) Washington Nationals, Bradley Zimmer (263) Cleveland Guardians and Derek Hill (64) Detroit Tigers.

* * *

Ed Sprague knew when he saw him from his University of The Pacific Tigers dugout in 2013.

In the midst of a beating admonished by the Cal-State Fullerton Titans, who had a third baseman named Matt Chapman.

“But then Fullerton beat us up every year,” Sprague said from Phoenix. “You knew he was going to be a big leaguer.”

In July of 2015, Sprague, the former Blue Jays third baseman and 1992 World Series pinch-hit hero, left the university and was hired by A’s general manager Billy Beane as a special assistant. As he roved the minor leagues, Sprague saw Chapman that summer playing third at Stockton.

“The next year I got to meet him at Midland, his defence is unbelievable,” Sprague said. “He’s a shortstop with light-tower power on most teams. We had discussions whether to move him to short because he has a cannon of an arm.”

The best play Sprague saw Chapman make was last year when Chapman went from playing with the infield in to ranging deep down the left field to make a diving over-the-shoulder grab on a Texas Leaguer lobbed to left by Brock Holt.

“It was,” said Sprague, “the infield equivalent of the Willie Mays over the shoulder catch in the World Series.”

Sprague, who knows a thing or two about playing third, says Chapman will retire as the best third baseman in franchise history.

“He is better than Kelly Gruber, Chapman has better range, Kelly was more athletic,” said Sprague now the A’s director of player development “half of his games he is basically playing short due to the shift.

“He’s the best I’ve ever seen with the glove -- and nothing against Scott Rolen -- Chapman’s similar. Playing in the American League East, I think that division plays into his hand, hitting into in those ball parks.”

Sprague conceded some might say that Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals is the best defensive third baseman in the game.

“I’ve seen Chapman more than Arenado, “Sprague said. “If I’m not at the game, I’m watching. He’s going to be the best.”

* * *

Ryan Christenson knew the first time he saw him with the double-A Midland RockHounds in 2014.

Chapman played 321 games in the minors, 153 times manager Christenson wrote Chapman’s name in the lineup at Midland and Nashville.

“Immediately I knew he was going to be a major leaguer, he had been drafted in 2014, played a full season at class-A and went to triple-A Nashville for the playoffs,” said Christenson, now the bench coach with manager Bob Melvin’s San Diego Padres.

The former Oakland minor-league manager would often play first base during batting practice as his coach hit ground balls to third.

“Matt’s arm always stood out,” Christenson said. “He’d throw the ball with that quick flip release. I would expect I was going to have to scoop one -- and many days the ball would skip and I’d be wearing it on the back of my wrist.”

For four seasons Christenson was a bench coach under Melvin. And for four seasons he had one of the best seats in the house to watch third baseman Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson take turns doing acrobatics in foul ground.

“The two of them have the best lateral movement I’ve ever seen and are two of the best corner defenders,” said Christenson. “Matt Chapman is an elite defender and he also has some of the best raw power I’ve seen.”

Christenson was asked what his answer would be if he’d been asked more than five years ago who the best defensive third baseman ever was?

“I never saw him live, but from watching video it would have to be Brooks Robinson. And of the guys I saw it would be Scott Rolen,” Christenson said.

“Matt’s a human highlight, he owned foul territory in Oakland,” Christenson said. “There were those plays against Toronto. The one people still talk about was in Oakland with the shift on and he ran about a mile to track down a ground ball.

“Chapman and Olson were masters of tracking pop ups down their respective lines.”

Chapman stole a hit from Yangervis Solarte of the Blue Jays on June 15, 2018, at Oakland. Two hits. Pitching behind Sean Manaea, Chapman charged a ball bunted past the mound and threw on the run for the out in the fourth. Four innings later, playing off the line in the famed Solarte shift, he backhanded the bouncer -- which was now behind him -- on the run threw a strike to first.

Christenson told of Chapman’s days with Team USA (“he was the USA closer.”).

Asked how many plus tools had Christenson listed off Chapman’s “arm, power and defence ... he has some swing and miss in him.” The former A’s coach said that a hip injury bothered Chapman in 2021 and caused him to “collapse on the back side.”

Like most coaches, Christenson calls his ex-player a “good clubhouse leader.”

“When Mike Fiers threw a no-hitter (May 7, 2019), Matt Chapman had four strikeouts in four at-bats. Yet, who was leading the celebrations? Matt Chapman.”

The A’s always had a free throw contest after games with the night’s best players having turns.

“Matt was the vocal leader of that,” said Christenson. “Matt never brought his performance into the clubhouse.”

Since we were talking third basemen and had mentioned A’s executive Ed Sprague, we told Christenson a story. In late July last year, I went to see my son in Dieppe, N.B. He was coaching and wearing No. 33.

I said, “Oh, that’s a nice tribute to Larry Walker for his September induction at Cooperstown.”

My son looked at me the way children do when parents say dumb things.

“Pops, it’s for Ed Sprague ... my favorite Blue Jay next to George Bell.”

Said Christenson after my long story: “You might have to buy your son another jersey before Matt Chapman is done.”

Chapman will wear No. 26.

One rainy day at Yankee Stadium, Cito Gaston picked his all-time Jays team and he had Sprague at third -- this was years before Josh Donaldson arrived.

* * *

Steve Vucinich knew that the A’s had something special in the spring of 2017.

Now, you might not know the name Vucinich, but you have probably seen him if you ever looked inside the Oakland dugout ... he was usually the tallest man in there. He was a high schooler in 1968 when the A’s moved to Oakland with names like Reggie Jackson, Rick Monday, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter and John (Blue Moon) Odom.

Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio helped get him a job as a ball boy that season.

“We’ve had some outstanding third basemen in Oakland,” said Vucinich. “Sal Bando ... what an arm. Carney Lansford ... better than average. Eric Chavez ... six gold gloves. Josh Donaldson ... also not bad. An MVP winner.

“Chapman is the best I’ve seen, Better than Brooks Robinson and I saw him.”

The veteran will retire Saturday after 54 seasons with the A’s as a clubhouse manager, equipment guy and all-around good guy.

“Some of Chapman’s behind the back, over the top catches while running full speed in our spacious foul territory stand out to me,” said Vucinich. “His strong arm might be the best I’ve seen.”

* * *

Mickey Morabito knew as soon as he saw the rookie in 2017.

“I could tell he was going to be special defensively just watching his reactions his first season,” said Morabito, the A’s travelling secretary.

This is a man who started in the game in 1976 and worked for owners George Steinbrenner of the Yankees and Charlie Finley of the A’s, either as the team publicist or travelling secretary. He has met the Queen of England, President George H. W. Bush and Frank Sinatra.

“I watched Clete Boyer play third when I was with the Yankees,” Morabito said. “I would say him Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles were the best I ever saw ... Chapman is in the conversation.”

* * *

Some Chapman highlights over the past few years ...

_ He backhanded a ball off Houston Astros’ Yuli Gurriel near where the white chalk and the green grass intersect. He made the play and threw to first for the out.

_ With the shift deployed he dove about where the shortstop used to play, fielded the ball and threw out Seattle Mariners’ Jean Segura.

_ He raced into foul ground at Rickey Henderson park and made a sliding catch at the edge of the bullpen -- the home plate end.

And in 2019 ...

_ Chapman raced into foul ground and made a diving catch on a soft blooper by Houston’s Michael Brantley.

_ Back-handing a ball down the line, he threw from foul ground to erase Mariners’ Mitch Haniger.

_ He reached around the pole at the home plate screen into the second row to turn a souvenir into an out.

_ Dove across the line to steal a double from Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels.

_ Again roaming where the shortstops call home he dove to stab a grounder and righted himself to throw out Trent Grisham of the San Diego Padres at first.

And last year ...

_ He sprinted into the spacious foul ground in Oakland catching Rangers’ David Dahl pop up as he crossed the bullpen mound. Most guys break stride and some go down when suddenly come across an elevated surface.

_ Racing into foul ground, he hit the five-foot fence as he caught Angels’ Adam Eaton for an out.

_ From foul ground he bounced a throw to Olson to retire Angels’ Philip Gosselin.

_ Ranging deep down the left field line he made a diving over-the-shoulder grab on a Texas Leaguer lobbed to left by Texas’ Brock Holt.

On opening night ... Chapman will draw the most eyes from Toronto fans.