Sam Chapman

Born: 4/11/1916 in Tiburon, CA, USA

Died: 12/22/2006 in Kentfield, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-05-16 | Final Game: 1951-09-22

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Samuel Blake Chapman

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Biography

Sam Chapman, born in 1916, was a prominent position player whose career spanned from 1938 to 1951. Over the course of 1,368 games, he established himself as a reliable hitter, accumulating 1,329 hits and achieving a batting average of .266. Known for his power at the plate, Chapman hit 180 home runs and drove in 773 runs throughout his career. He also exhibited speed on the base paths, recording 41 stolen bases. His contributions to the game earned him an All-Star selection, highlighting his standing among his peers. Chapman's career unfolded during a dynamic period in Major League Baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively oriented game. His ability to combine power and speed made him a valuable asset to his teams, and he played a key role in the competitive landscape of the late 1930s and 1940s. As a player who experienced the challenges of World War II, which interrupted many players' careers, Chapman's resilience and dedication to the sport solidified his legacy in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
70.0	65.0	7.0	16.0	0	1.0	0	6.0	3.0	4.0	1.0	0.246	0.290	0.277	0.567

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1946	70.0	65.0	7.0	16.0	0	1.0	0	6.0	3.0	4.0	1.0	0.246	0.290	0.277	0.567

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1368	4988	754	1329	210	52	180	773	41	562	682	0.266	0.342	0.438	0.780	8021.2

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .342 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .438 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.780 vs. league average 0.718 across their career seasons — +8.7% above 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
1938	PHA	AL	114	406	60	105	17	7	17	63	3	55	94	0.259	.272 (-5%)	.341 (+3%)	.392 (+17%)	.734 (+11%)	867.1
1939	PHA	AL	140	498	74	134	24	6	15	64	11	51	62	0.269	.274 (-2%)	.342 (-1%)	.393 (+10%)	.735 (+5%)	420.8
1940	PHA	AL	134	508	88	140	26	3	23	75	2	46	96	0.276	.267 (+3%)	.335 (avg)	.387 (+22%)	.722 (+12%)	1133.6
1941	PHA	AL	143	552	97	178	29	9	25	106	6	47	49	0.322	.262 (+23%)	.332 (+14%)	.373 (+46%)	.705 (+31%)	3168.6
1945	PHA	AL	9	30	3	6	2	0	0	1	0	2	4	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	PHA	AL	146	545	77	142	22	5	20	67	1	54	66	0.261	.256 (+1%)	.328 (-1%)	.358 (+20%)	.687 (+10%)	941.0
1947	PHA	AL	149	551	84	139	18	5	14	83	3	65	70	0.252	.262 (-4%)	.336 (-2%)	.376 (+1%)	.712 (avg)	-35.7
1948	PHA	AL	123	445	58	115	18	6	13	70	6	55	50	0.258	.263 (-2%)	.340 (avg)	.379 (+9%)	.719 (+5%)	402.9
1949	PHA	AL	154	589	89	164	24	4	24	108	3	80	68	0.278	.262 (+6%)	.343 (+7%)	.384 (+18%)	.727 (+13%)	1612.4
1950	PHA	AL	144	553	93	139	20	6	23	95	3	68	79	0.251	.265 (-5%)	.346 (-2%)	.401 (+8%)	.747 (+3%)	313.4
1951	PHA	AL	18	65	7	11	1	0	0	5	0	12	12	0.169	.260 (-35%)	.336 (-11%)	.385 (-52%)	.721 (-33%)	-323.7
1951	CLE	AL	94	246	24	56	9	1	6	36	3	27	32	0.228	.260 (-13%)	.336 (-10%)	.385 (-10%)	.721 (-10%)	-323.7

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	20	0	148	5	4	7
OF	1309	0	3579	115	107	25

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1938	PHA	OF	110	229	8	12	0
1939	PHA	1B	19	147	5	4	6
1939	PHA	OF	117	350	11	17	2
1940	PHA	OF	129	348	13	14	2
1941	PHA	OF	141	416	21	15	5
1945	PHA	OF	8	18	0	0	0
1946	PHA	OF	145	369	13	12	4
1947	PHA	OF	146	428	16	6	2
1948	PHA	OF	118	368	8	7	2
1949	PHA	OF	154	450	11	10	3
1950	PHA	OF	140	428	11	10	4
1951	PHA	OF	17	43	1	2	0
1951	CLE	1B	1	1	0	0	1
1951	CLE	OF	84	132	2	2	1