Fred Chapman, baseball player, 1939-1941

Fred Chapman

Born: 7/17/1916 in Liberty, SC, USA

Died: 3/27/1997 in Kannapolis, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-09-15 | Final Game: 1941-09-23

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: William Fred Chapman

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Biography

Fred Chapman was a professional baseball player born in 1916, who played as a position player in Major League Baseball during the early 1940s. His career spanned from 1939 to September 15, 1941, during a time when the game was deeply affected by the onset of World War II and the accompanying draft that would soon take many players away from the diamond. Chapman appeared in a total of 76 games, where he accumulated 36 hits and recorded a batting average of .193. Although he did not hit any home runs, he contributed 9 RBIs and displayed his speed on the bases with 3 stolen bases. Chapman's playing style was characterized by his versatility and determination, qualities that were vital during a period when teams were frequently adjusting lineups due to the war. While his offensive numbers may not have stood out, his contributions to the teams he played for were significant during a challenging era for the sport. Though he may not be remembered among the game's greats, Fred Chapman was a part of the fabric of baseball during a transformative time in American history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
76 187 12 36 3 1 0 9 3 11 28 0.193 0.237 0.219 0.457 -1151.5

Career AVG .193 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — 28.1% below league average.

Career OBP .237 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 29.5% below league average.

Career SLG .219 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 43.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.457 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 36.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1939 PHA AL 15 49 5 14 1 1 0 1 1 1 3 0.286 — — — — -109.4
1940 PHA AL 26 69 6 11 1 0 0 4 1 6 10 0.159 .267 (-40%) .335 (-32%) .387 (-55%) .722 (-45%) -509.4
1941 PHA AL 35 69 1 11 1 0 0 4 1 4 15 0.159 .262 (-39%) .332 (-38%) .373 (-53%) .705 (-46%) -532.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 1 0 0 1 1 0
3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
SS 68 0 86 147 29 24

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 PHA SS 15 0 24 38 7 5
1940 PHA SS 25 0 40 54 15 12
1941 PHA 2B 1 0 0 1 1 0
1941 PHA 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1941 PHA SS 28 0 22 55 7 7

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 1
Third Base 2
Shortstop 68