Spec Shea

Infobox MLB retired
name=Spec Shea
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=October 2, 1920
deathdate=death date and age|2002|7|19|1920|10|2
debutdate=April 19
debutyear=1947
debutteam=New York Yankees
finaldate=August 27
finalyear=1955
finalteam=Washington Senators
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=56-46
stat2label=Earned Run Average
stat2value=3.80
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=361
teams=
*New York Yankees (by|1947-by|1951)
*Washington Senators (by|1952-by|1955)
highlights=
*All star - by|1947

Francis Joseph "Spec" Shea (October 2, 1920 - July 19, 2002) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1947-1955. He played for the New York Yankees from 1947-1951 and the Washington Senators from 1952-1955. He was known as "The Naugatuck Nugget" as a result of him being from Naugatuck, Connecticut, and was named as such by Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen, and was nicknamed "Spec" because of his freckles.cite web|url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Spec_Shea_1920|title=The Ballplayers - Spec Shea|publisher=Baseball Library|accessdate=2008-07-30]

Shea originally signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1940.cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sheasp01.shtml|title=Spec Shea Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-30] He spent the 1940 season playing in Amsterdam, winning 11 and losing four while pitching 137 innings.cite news|first=J. G. Taylor|last=Spink|title=Looping the Loops|publisher=The Sporting News|page=1-2|date=21 May 1947] In 1941, he was promoted to Norfolk, where he struck out 154 in 199 innings, and in 1942 he played in Kansas City, where he improved upon his earned run average. He was a member of the United States Military, serving in World War II. [cite web|first=Gary|last=Bedingfield|url=http://garybed.co.uk/those_who_served/those_who_served_atoz.htm|title=Baseball in Wartime - Those Who Served A to Z|accessdate=2008-07-30] He joined in 1943 and served for three years, where he served solely as a soldier and did not play baseball.

He was promoted to the Yankees' major league roster at the start of the 1947 New York Yankees season, and made his debut on April 19, 1947. He made his debut against the Boston Red Sox, which was so looked forward to that Naugatuck High School, his alma mater, that the school suspended operations for the day because most of the student body went to New York to root for Spec. As a rookie, Shea played in his first and only All-Star Game, playing in the 1947 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the game, Shea pitched the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, relieving for Hal Newhouser. He allowed one earned run, and was declared the winning pitcher of the All-Star Game. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS194707080.shtml|title=July 8, 1947, All-Star Game Play by Play and Box Score|publisher=Baseball-Reference|accessdate=2008-07-31] The same year MLB instated the Rookie of the Year Award. In the middle of the season, however, Shea was sidelined for seven weeks due to a pulled neck muscle. Shea finished the season with a 14–5 record in 27 appearances, had the lowest hits allowed per nine innings pitched in the majors with 6.4, had the best win-loss record in the American League with .737%, threw 13 complete games, three shutouts, and had an ERA of 3.07. Shea was in the running for the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, which went to Jackie Robinson. Shea finished third in voting behind Robinson and Larry Jansen, but would have won the award had the American and National Leagues had separate Rookie of the Year winners. In the 1947 World Series, Shea pitched in games one, four, and seven, winning the first two en route to the Yankees' World Series victory. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1947_WS.shtml|title=1947 World Series - NYY vs. BRO|publisher=Baseball-Reference|accessdate=2008-07-31]

From 1948 to 1951, however, Shea had a combined 15-16 record, continuing to pitch in pain due to a nagging neck injury suffered in 1947. Instead of it being arm trouble as the Yankees believed, it was an issue that was solved by Shea visiting a chiropractor during the winter before the 1951 New York Yankees season. On May 3, 1952, Shea was traded by the Yankees with Jackie Jensen, Jerry Snyder, and Archie Wilson to the Washington Senators for Irv Noren and Tom Upton. In 1952 he had an 11–7 record with a 2.93 ERA, and in 1953 he had a 12–7 record with a 3.94 ERA. He was used in his final two seasons primarily as a relief pitcher, and pitched his final major league game on August 27, 1955.

Robert Redford called Shea during production of the film "The Natural" for pitching consultation, where he taught Redford how to pitch in an old-time style.cite news|title=Ex-Yankee Frank 'Spec' Shea Dies|url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Shea.Frank.Obit.html|publisher=Associated Press|date=2002-07-20|accessdate=2008-07-30] Shea died in New Haven, Connecticut on July 19, 2002 at the age of 81 after having heart valve replacement surgery.

References

External links

*Baseballstats|br=s/sheasp01|fangraphs=1011841|cube=S/Spec-Shea