John Edward "Nap" Shea (May 23, 1874 – July 8, 1968), nicknamed "Napoleon", was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1902. He stood at 5' 5", weighed 155 lbs., and batted and threw right-handed.[1]
Nap Shea | |
---|---|
Catcher | |
Born: Ware, Massachusetts | May 23, 1874|
Died: July 8, 1968 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | (aged 94)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 11, 1902, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 15, 1902, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics | |
Games played | 3 |
At bats | 8 |
Hits | 1 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career
editShea was born in Ware, Massachusetts.[1] He started his professional baseball career in 1894 and played for the New England League's Brockton Shoemakers for four seasons. In 1896, he batted a career-high .344 and slugged .452.[2] Shea then played in the New York State League from 1899 to 1902. He hit .323 in 1901. Early in the following season, he was sidelined by appendicitis[3] but then recovered and hit .300 for the Ilion Typewriters.[2]
Shea was acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies and played three games for them in September. In 10 plate appearances, he went 1 for 8 with a walk and a hit by pitch.[1] The next season, he caught for the Eastern League's Newark Sailors and stayed on that team for a few years.[2] He batted under .200 during most of his time at Newark, but the Sporting Life wrote that he was "one of the best backstops" in the league.[4]
Shea was sold to the Syracuse Stars in March 1908,[5] and he played one season there before retiring from professional baseball.[2] He died in 1968 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Nap Shea Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
- ^ a b c d "Nap Shea Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
- ^ "State League Gossip". Amsterdam Evening Recorder, May 17, 1902, p. 5.
- ^ "Nap Shea a 'Copper King'". Sporting Life, May 18, 1907.
- ^ "Syracuse Buys Nap Shea". The Montreal Gazette, March 20, 1908, p. 5.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference