Jeffrey Alan Samardzija (/səˈmɑːrdʒə/; born January 23, 1985), nicknamed Shark, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball and football for the University of Notre Dame, and was recognized as a two-time All-American wide receiver. Previously, he played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs from 2008 to 2014, the Oakland Athletics in 2014, and the Chicago White Sox in 2015. He was an MLB All-Star in 2014.\n', '

Jeff\'s father, Sam Samardzija, was a professional hockey player, and his older brother, Sam Samardzija Jr., Jeff\'s current agent, was an All State football and baseball player who graduated from Indiana University and is now the Vice President of Wasserman Baseball. When Samardzija was in high school his mother, Debora Samardzija, died from a rare respiratory disease.\n', '

Samardzija grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he attended Valparaiso High School, and was a letterman 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.\n', '

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