Playing In The Shadows - A Dick Windbag Interview

[indiansfan]

Playing In The Shadows: An interview with Dick Windbag

We know their names. Bo Jordan. Hector Cano. Ricardo Diaz. They are the stars of the MBWBA, the players who are swamped by fans for autographs and every kid wants their trading card. Then there are the others, that play in the shadows. The guys that show up every night ready to play or ride the bench and never know when the next call to the manager’s office might be a plane ticket to another city. They do their job, cash their checks and get ready for the next game.

One of these players is in his 13th season in the MBWBA and is on his 5th team. He has had teams trade him and let his contract expire. He doesn’t have a contract for next year and he doesn’t even know if there will be a 14th season for him. He has played in 1 all star game. He is a career .296 hitter, currently 15th among active players in hits, 4th in triples and 3rd in steals. Let’s meet Calgary’s Phil Chapman.


Dick Windbag: “So what’s it like to play in the shadows Phil?”

Phil Chapman: “Pretty lucrative actually.”

DW: “Can you explain?”

PC: “Well as you have said, I’m not the most famous guy in the league, but I have been able to play for 13 years and by my count have made over $25 million dollars during that time. True, I don’t make what some guys do, but when I was a kid sweating at the ballfields in Glendale, AZ, I never thought I’d make enough playing a game to never have to work again. Just think of it. I have made more money than all of my grands and parents and aunts and uncles combined made during their whole lives.”

DW: “I can see your point, but didn’t you want to be a star? You had that great year in 2020?”

PC: “Well of course everyone likes to be in the spotlight, but it’s a lot hotter in the spotlight too. In 2020 I was on my last year of my cheapo contract with Marquette. That was just when they changed it to Indy and I was thrilled to get dealt to Halifax. I mean one team was rebuilding and the other was competing. Funny thing is I don’t think the guy Indy got in the deal ever even made it to the majors and I had the best year of my career!”

DW: “So tell us about that year.”

PC: “ Well that was a great team. I hit .335 and had the 3rd best average on the TEAM! We had Juan Garcia and Bernardo Becerra that had higher averages than me. With Beccera at 1B they had me playing 2B and we had Jonathan Archer at SS. That was some fine fielding there. We had a good mix of average guys and power guys, cause we had Bo Jordan and Lewis Stephens too. I still don’t know how Carolina beat us in the Landis, we definitely had the better team.”

DW: “And you made the All Star Team that year.”

PC: “Yeah that was a lot of fun. It was a great time with the family and just getting to meet and talk to some of the greats that I’d grown up watching.”

DW: “So what happened after that season?”

PC: “Well I got a big contract after that year and then I spent another season and a half there in Halifax and they dealt me to the other end of Canada, Vancouver. I thought that was going to be a good fit for me. They moved me to 1B and I was having another great year in 2023 when they dealt me to Birmingham, but that worked out okay. I had a couple good years there and got back to the Landis again in 2025. Won the Zimmer that year too, but no ring.”

DW: “And now you are on team number 5, Calgary.”

PC: “Yeah, but this team is great. It reminds me a bit of that team in Halifax. We have a great mix of guys, some hit for average and we have some boomers like Hector Cano and Bernardo Perez. Plus I think we have a better pitching staff.”

DW: “But you aren’t playing much.”

PC: “Yeah, but we’re winning. Funny thing, normally I am competing against the home run types for playing time, but on this team it’s Dan Leonard who I’m sitting behind. He’s a similar player to me, except younger and better.”

DW: “When he got hurt last year you saw a lot of action.”

PC: “Well that’s my role now. I’m there to pinch hit or pinch run or fill in when Dan needs a day off. I won’t kid you, it was alot of fun playing as much as I did last year, but we are a better team with Dan out there.”

DW: “So what does the future hold for Phil Chapman. As of today you are a free agent after the season ends, any talk of an extension with Calgary?”

PC: “I’ll be honest no. They haven’t approached me and I haven’t asked. At some point we will bring up the subject, but right now I am enjoying the ride. I’m 33 years old. I figure I still have another 3 or 4 seasons left in me, but right now I’m just taking it one game at a time and doing what I can to help the younger guys play better.”

DW: “Ok Lighting Round Question Time! #1 Toughest pitcher you ever faced?”

PC: “Mike Swanson. In his prime that guy was a killer.”

DW: “#2 Best Teammate?”

PC: “Tough one, there have been too many. You know one guy that never gets enough credit is Diego Moreno. I’d say he is one of my best friends in the game, probably because we got traded twice together.”

DW: “#3 Worst Place To Play?”

PC: “Greenville. Hands down that place was a dump. I can’t believe that team even survived there. When I was a free agent I told my agent when they called to tell them I was going to retire. Horrible place.”

DW: “#4 What is your #1 Baseball Goal?”

PC: “I want that ring. Of course that’s what everyone says, but I got close and maybe this year will be the year. The older you get you start to realize that you only get so many chances. I’d like to get 2000 hits too, that’s a personal thing.”

DW: “#5 What is your #1 Life Goal?”

PC: “Wow, deep question there. I don’t know, I’ve been so lucky. I have a great wife, two kids and I get paid to play a game. I guess once I can’t perform on the field I’d like to give back. Maybe coach or work with a youth program full time to help some other kids get the chance that I got.”

[bschr682]

good read

[RonCo]

Yep. Nice stuff.

[Ted]

Nice to hear about Phil.

[udlb58]

DW: “#3 Worst Place To Play?”

PC: “Greenville. Hands down that place was a dump. I can’t believe that team even survived there. When I was a free agent I told my agent when they called to tell them I was going to retire. Horrible place.”

[Orator]

Love this! Well done!