A’s Chapman takes his craft to playoff stage

Matt Chapman’s defensive artistry traces to the street outside his childhood home in Orange County. That’s where his dad, Jim, a onetime second baseman at Cal Poly Pomona, often hit a yellow rubber ball to his young son, grounders skidding along the asphalt.

The family has since moved, but Jim Chapman occasionally sees his former neighbors. Now they follow Matt’s career with the A’s, all the while recalling those long-ago nights when the Chapmans stayed on the street until dark, playing catch and fielding grounders.

“They remember the glove popping,” Jim said.

Matt Chapman still makes gloves pop, but the stage is slightly bigger.