MESA, Ariz. — Trevor Plouffe is very much a product of his environment.
The A’s new third baseman had no choice but to become proficient at baseball as a child growing up in Castaic (Los Angeles County), because he played up three years to be on a team with his older brother, Marshall.
“When I was 9, I played on my brother’s 12 year-old team because it was easier for my dad: ‘I’m not going to go to two different practices! Why not have both kids on the same team?’” Plouffe said. “So you have to learn and get better or you’re seen as just a little 9-year-old.