Samuel Blake Chapman

Samuel Blake Chapman. Genuine Hometown Hero. , Samuel was born to Catherine and Charles Chapman of Mar West Street in Tiburon on April 11, 1916. He worked in his father’s merchandise store on Main Street and delivered mail for his father who also served as Tiburon’s Postmaster from 1915 to 1941. Sam attended Tiburon’s one-room schoolhouse and played baseball on a Main Street lot where he earned his nickname “The Tiburon Terror”. Later, at Tamalpais High School, he excelled in athletics and earned letters in five different sports. , Sam went on to the University of California at Berkeley and after building up his body as a welder helper on the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, he became an All American in both Football and Baseball. Before graduating in 1938, he helped lead the Cal Bears “Thunder Team” to a Rose Bowl victory over the University of Alabama. , Upon graduation in 1938, Sam signed on to play for the legendary Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics for ten seasons. Like many others from his generation, Sam served his country from 1942 to 1945 as a navy pilot and flight instructor. He returned to the 1946 All-Star Game and completed his pro career with the Cleveland Indians in 1951 then played for the Oakland Oaks before hanging up his cleats in 1954 with career statistics of .266 batting average in 1363 games including 180 home runs and 773 runs batted in. , He has been inducted into the Marin Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, The UC Berkeley Hall of Fame, Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, The Phillies Wall of Fame and the National Collegiate Hall of Fame. He is still considered by many to be the best all around athlete to ever come out of Marin County.