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Jeffrey Alan Samardzija (; born January 23, 1985), nicknamed "Shark", is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
for the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
, and was recognized as a two-time football All-American playing
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
. He was selected by the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
in the fifth round of the 2006
Major League Baseball Draft The Major League Baseball draft (officially the Rule 4 Draft; also known as the first-year player draft or amateur draft) is the primary mechanism by which Major League Baseball (MLB) assigns amateur baseball players from high schools, colleg ...
, and made his major-league (MLB) debut in 2008. He played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs from 2008 to 2014, the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
in 2014, the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in 2015, and the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
from 2016 to 2020. He was an
all-star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
in 2014.


Early life

Samardzija's father, Sam Samardzija, was a
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
player, and his older brother, Sam Samardzija Jr., Samardzija's current agent, was an All State football and baseball player who graduated from
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
and is now the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Baseball. His paternal grandparents emigrated from
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. When Samardzija was in high school his mother, Debora Samardzija, died from a rare respiratory disease. Samardzija grew up in
Valparaiso, Indiana Valparaiso ( ), colloquially Valpo, is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. History The site of present-day Valparaiso ...
, where he attended
Valparaiso High School Valparaiso High School is a Public school (government funded), public high school in Valparaiso, Indiana, Valparaiso, Indiana. History Valparaiso High School opened in 1871 as Valparaiso City Public Graded School in a facility that had been bui ...
, and was a
letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time first team All-State honoree, and was twice named the team's Most Valuable Player. After his junior year, he was invited to participate in the Indiana football All-Star game. In baseball, he was a first team All-State honoree. He graduated from Valparaiso High School in 2003.


College career

Samardzija accepted an
athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private school, private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on their ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the U ...
to attend the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
, where he played for the Fighting Irish football team from 2003 to 2006, and
baseball team Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play beginning when a player on the fielding team, called ...
from 2004 to 2006. He made his first impact at Notre Dame as a right-handed pitcher for the baseball team, finishing second in the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
in both
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) (2.95) and opponents'
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(.209), and being named a Freshman All-American by ''Collegiate Baseball Magazine.'' He continued to play baseball at Notre Dame until he was selected by the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2006
Major League Baseball Draft The Major League Baseball draft (officially the Rule 4 Draft; also known as the first-year player draft or amateur draft) is the primary mechanism by which Major League Baseball (MLB) assigns amateur baseball players from high schools, colleg ...
. In football, he was a reserve for his first two seasons, catching a total of 24 passes. He first started at the 2004
Insight Bowl The Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989, under several different names. Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 ...
at the end of his sophomore season. He emerged as a star in the 2005 season, ending the regular season with 77 catches – 15 of them for touchdowns – for 1,215 yards and making numerous All-America Teams. Samardzija set single-season school records in both receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. He caught a touchdown pass in each of Notre Dame's first eight games in 2006, giving him the school record for consecutive games with a touchdown reception. He made 78 catches for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games in the 2006 season to finish as the all-time Fighting Irish leader in reception yards with 2,593. He made the
Football Writers Association of America The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...
All-America Team following the 2006 season. Samardzija was twice selected as one of the three finalists for the
Fred Biletnikoff Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
, for the season's outstanding college football receiver in both 2005 and 2006. Although initially planning to play both in the NFL and MLB, Samardzija announced after being selected in the Major League Draft that he would take his name out of the
NFL Draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
and play baseball.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

On January 19, 2007, Samardzija announced he would forgo the NFL Draft and commit to a baseball career. Samardzija signed a five-year deal to play baseball with the Chicago Cubs after he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft. The deal had both a no-trade clause and a club option for a sixth and seventh year. If the club option was exercised, the total value of the deal would have been $16.5 million. The deal included a $1 million
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. On June 23, 2008, Samardzija was promoted to Triple-A
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
after posting a 3–5 record in Tennessee with a 4.86 ERA. In his career in Triple-A Iowa, he posted a 4–1 record and a 3.13 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks.


Chicago Cubs (2008–2014)

On July 25, 2008, Samardzija was called up to join the
bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
of the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
to replace
Kerry Wood Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rookie, ...
, who was placed on the DL. He made his MLB debut the same day against the
Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...
,
striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...
the first batter he faced in the 7th inning.
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
Manager
Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals a ...
was impressed with Samardzija's major league debut, saying he may never see the minors again. On July 27, 2008, Samardzija recorded his first career major league save against the Florida Marlins. In 2009, Samardzija was optioned to the Triple-A
Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
after failing to make the team out of
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
. However, he was quickly called back up only a few games into the season. He quickly returned to Des Moines to pitch for the Iowa Cubs, after posting an 8.10 ERA in 5 appearances. He made his first major league start on August 12 against Pedro Martínez of the Philadelphia Phillies, a 12–5 loss. In March 2010, Samardzija returned to the Cubs and pitched his first game in exhibition on March 13, 2010. He pitched in four regular season games in April and compiled an 18.90 ERA before being sent back down to the Triple-A
Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
in order to make space for
Ted Lilly Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III (born January 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 t ...
on the Cubs roster. In 2011, Samardzija made the opening day roster as a reliever. During the 2011 season Samardzija, statistically had one of his best seasons posting an 8–4 record with an ERA of 2.97 In 2012, Samardzija was named a starter in the Cubs rotation and was solid going 9–13 with a 3.81 ERA and 180 strikeouts. On March 3, 2013, Samardzija was named the opening day starter. He threw his first major league shutout on May 27, 2013, against the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, allowing two hits and two walks. He was named National League Co-Player of the Week for August 19–25, 2013, after recording a 2–0 record and 1.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched. He began 2014 as a hardluck pitcher. He set a major league record for lowest ERA (1.46) by a winless pitcher through his first 10 starts. The 1.46 ERA was the latest league-leading ERA by a winless pitcher since
Bruce Sutter Howard Bruce Sutter (; January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988. He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970 ...
's 0.89 ERA on June 7, 1977. Samardzija won his eleventh start of the season by striking out a season-high 10
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. On June 18, 2014, the Cubs offered Samardzija a five-year, club friendly deal that included multiple option years, which he rejected. On July 6, 2014, he was selected as a National League All-Star but was not eligible to play because he was traded to an American League team.


Oakland Athletics (2014)

On July 5, 2014, Samardzija, along with Jason Hammel, was traded to the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
in exchange for top
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
Addison Russell Addison Wayne Russell (born January 23, 1994) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. Russell was drafted 11th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. ...
, pitcher
Dan Straily Daniel Steven Straily (born December 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. The Oakland Athletics selected Straily in the 24th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, and he made his Ma ...
, outfielder Billy McKinney, and cash. In his debut on July 6, he went seven innings with five strikeouts, allowing one run and four hits.


Chicago White Sox (2015)

On December 9, 2014, the Athletics traded Samardzija along with Michael Ynoa to the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in exchange for
Marcus Semien Marcus Andrew Semien (born September 17, 1990) is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox ...
,
Chris Bassitt Christopher Michael Bassitt (born February 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2014 and has also played for the Oakl ...
, Rangel Ravelo and Josh Phegley. Samardzija and the White Sox avoided
arbitration Arbitration is a formal method of dispute resolution involving a third party neutral who makes a binding decision. The third party neutral (the 'arbitrator', 'arbiter' or 'arbitral tribunal') renders the decision in the form of an 'arbitrati ...
by agreeing to a one-year deal for $9.8 million on January 16, 2015. Samardzija made his first start for the White Sox on April 6, 2015, during opening day against the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. He allowed 5 runs including a home run by
Alex Ríos Alexis Israel Ríos (born February 18, 1981) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and Kansas City Royals. A World Serie ...
in 6 innings as the White Sox lost to the Royals, 10–1. During another game against the Royals on April 23, Samardzija was one of five players to be ejected for his role in a bench-clearing brawl. On April 25, Samardzija was suspended 5 games. On July 9, he pitched a complete-game shutout and allowed only four hits in a 2–0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at US Cellular Field. This was his first complete-game shutout victory for the White Sox and the second of his major league career. On September 21, Samardzija pitched a complete-game one-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers on only 88 pitches; the only baserunner was Victor Martinez, who singled to lead off the fifth inning, and no batter's count went to three balls. Despite the strong finish, Samardzija tied for the American League lead in home runs allowed (29) and led the league in earned runs allowed (118). Overall, Samardzija finished 11–13 with a 4.96 ERA. After the season, Samardzija revealed that he had been inadvertently tipping his pitches, leading to his poor performance.


San Francisco Giants (2016–2020)

On December 9, 2015, Samardzija signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. He was selected as an alternate for
2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts wer ...
, although he would not be included on the final rosters. He earned his first win as a Giant on April 13, 2016, yielding only two earned runs and six hits in 8 innings pitched at
Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995 Major League Baseball season, 1995, the park is located in Denver's LoDo, Lower Downtown neighborhood, ...
. Samardzija earned his first home win as a Giant on April 22, pitching 7 innings while giving up only one earned run against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. Samardzija also matched his career-high for a season of 3 RBIs in the game. In his first season as a Giant, Samardzija was fifth in the National League with 203.1 innings pitched and finished 2016 with a 12–11 record and a 3.81 ERA. The 12 wins were a career high and it was his first winning season since he became a full-time starter in 2012. Samardzija pitched his first shutout as a Giant and third of his career on August 28, 2017, blanking the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
3–0. He was named National League Player of the Week for August 28 – September 3, 2017, after recording a 1–0 record, including the shutout, and 0.56 ERA in 16 innings pitched. Samardzija finished the 2017 season with a National League leading 207.2 innings pitched, finished sixth in the National League in strikeouts with 205 and led the major leagues with the lowest
bases on balls per 9 innings pitched Bases may refer to: *Bases (fashion) Bases are the cloth military skirts (often part of a doublet or a jerkin), generally richly embroidered, worn over the armour of later men-at-arms such as French gendarmes in the late 15th to early 16th c ...
(1.387). However, he finished with a 9–15 record and a 4.43 ERA. The 15 losses tied for the National League lead. At the start of the 2018 season, he was placed on the disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle. He was placed on the disabled list for a third time on July 15 with shoulder inflammation. He finished the season 1–5 in 10 starts. In 2019 he was 11–12 with 3.52 ERA, as he started 32 games (8th in the NL) and pitched 181.2 innings. He was 10th in the National League in
WHIP A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
(1.108) and in hits per 9 innings pitched (7.544). On September 26, 2020, Samardzija was designated for assignment by the Giants and placed on release waivers. In 2020 for the Giants, Samardzija pitched to an 0–2 record with a 9.72 ERA, allowing 18 earned runs over 16.2 innings pitched.


Pitching style

Samardzija has thrown as many as seven types of pitches in his career, but as of 2016, he used six. They are as follows: a
four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...
(93–97 mph),
two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
(94–99), cutter (91–93), slider (84–86), splitter (85–87) and a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
(79–82). He is comfortable throwing all of his pitches for strikes. Against right-handed and left-handed hitters, the splitter is by a wide margin his most commonly thrown pitch in 2-strike counts. As of August 2016, Samardzija re-inserted the curveball into his repertoire, a pitch he had not used in almost 4 years.


Personal life

Samardzija is of
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
descent; his grandparents emigrated to the United States in the 1940s. He was nicknamed "Shark" by teammates during his career at Notre Dame.


References


External links


Notre Dame football profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samardzija, Jeff 1985 births Living people Chicago Cubs players Oakland Athletics players Chicago White Sox players San Francisco Giants players Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball players Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Peoria Chiefs players Boise Hawks players Tennessee Smokies players Daytona Cubs players Iowa Cubs players Águilas de Mexicali players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico All-American college football players American football wide receivers American people of Serbian descent Baseball players from Lake County, Indiana Major League Baseball pitchers Sportspeople from Valparaiso, Indiana National League All-Stars People from Merrillville, Indiana