LA CROSSE, WI – Another former La Crosse Loggers player is winning awards in the big leagues, this time it’s slick-fielding third baseman Matt Chapman (Oakland Athletics) who reeled in his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his defensive prowess during this past 2018 season.

This year, Chapman, 25, led all American League third basemen — and in fact, all major leaguers — with 29 defensive runs saved (eight more than second-place Andrelton Simmons) and sported a 19.5 SABR Defensive Index rating as of the final, pre-Gold Glove report. That number was the highest in the major leagues, ahead of shortstop Marcus Semien’s 11.6.

The award, voted on by manager and coaches, also incorporates SABR-developed defensive metrics, which make up 25 percent of the criteria. Managers and coaches can vote on players in their own league, but n0t on their own team.

Chapman was a member of the 2012 Loggers team that won the Northwoods League Championship that season.  He hit .279 with 7 home runs, 30 RBI’s and collected 13 stolen bases while playing shortstop for the Lumbermen.