Schlepping gear is a rookie’s responsibility, passed down draft class to draft class. Carrying the music, though, became the privilege of one special rookie.
Midway through the 2017 season, after hearing Matt Chapman’s all-encompassing musical selections blaring over the weight room speakers, veteran outfielder Matt Joyce knighted Chapman “DJ Rookie.”
“But I didn’t mind it,” Chapman said. “Now it’s a blessing and a curse, because I’m still carrying the music.”
Step into the A’s clubhouse on any given day and Chapman’s carefully selected Spotify playlists are likely booming from the speakers above. After a win, on the bus after a loss, during meals, as batting practice background and at off-day golf excursions, the mood is always up, and the musical taste eclectic.