Ed Chaplin

Bert Edgar Chaplin
born Bert Edgar Chapman

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 158 lb.
• School University of South Carolina
• Debut September 4, 1920
• Final Game September 30, 1922
• Born September 25, 1893 in Pelzer, SC USA
• Died August 15, 1978 in Sanford, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Ed Chaplin played three years in the majors. He was not a big backstop, at 5' 7" and 158 lbs.

Ed attended the University of South Carolina at the same time as Fritz Von Kolnitz. Later, he served in the U.S. Army during World War I from 1918 to 1919. It is possible that he was already a ball player before the war, as a catcher named B.E. Chapman with Eufaula of the Dixie League in 1916 was most likely him. Chaplin was player-manager for the Sanford Celeryfeds of the Florida State League in 1919 under his birth name, Bert Chapman. The team won the league championship, but it was later discovered that they used an ineligible player, so two of its wins in the finals were thrown out and the series with the Orlando Caps was declared a tie. Chapman was fined $500 and suspended from organized baseball for his role in the affair, but went around the suspension by changing his name when he joined Carrollton of the Georgia State League in 1920. The new name stuck and it was the one he used when he reached the majors with the Boston Red Sox late in 1920. In 35 games over three seasons, he hit .184.

He is one of two players with the last name Chaplin through 2020, with the other being Tiny Chaplin. He is mentioned in the book Pickle It!: Minor League Baseball of Carrollton, Georgia.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Playoffs	Notes
1919	Sanford Celeryfeds	Florida State League	46-30	1st	Co-Champs

Related Sites

• Ed Chaplin at the SABR Bio Project