Sportman Getting Noticed By Athletics

OAKLAND—Some guys just seem to have that knack for getting noticed. For the Athletics, the last two years, it has been a budding outfielder named J.P. Sportman.

Whenever Sportman came over to major league camp this spring to help fill a roster, he seemingly did something big, whether it was make a play in the field or get a hit.

---

“He’s not afraid of these type of situations,” big league manager Bob Melvin said. “When you tell him he’s going into the games, he’s excited about it and not nervous. He’s really done a great job for us.”

This spring, Sportman, 24, appeared in 10 games and went 3-for-6. He even made the traveling roster to the final spring games against the Giants, where he hit a double.

He even hit a home run for the big club during 2015 spring training.

So how does Sportman stay calm while knowing that big leaguers and top executives surround him?

“I try not to focus on it,” he said. “I play it like any other game. I just battle like any other game, whether it’s in the minor leagues or the major leagues. I just go out there and play the same game I’ve always been playing.”

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound Sportman came to Oakland in the 27th round in 2014, a product of Central Connecticut State, where he played for four years.

Sportman started hot in 2015 when he hit .292 with three homers in 38 games at high Class A Stockton. Then a broken hamate bone knocked him out for most of the season. “I’ve been hitting, and it’s fine now,” he said.

Despite his truncated 2015, Sportman kicked off 2016 at Double-A Midland, where he will work on even more versatility. The A’s plan for him to develop as a second baseman, with an eye toward making him a multi-positional player in the future.

“He’s a nice combo player who fits into what we do,” farm director Keith Lieppman said. “He’s a blue-collar guy who just keeps finding a way to get the job done.”

A’s ACORNS

• The A’s plan to give third baseman Matt Chapman time at shortstop at Midland. Part of the reason is to familiarize him with the position for times when he will be used there during shifts.

• Shortstop Richie Martin, the 2015 first-rounder, will miss about six weeks after meniscus surgery on his right knee.