David Shafer (baseball player)

David Shafer (born March 7, 1982 in Flagstaff, Arizona) is a right-handed pitcher in the Oakland Athletics' farm system. He was drafted out of Central Arizona College in the 32nd round of the June 2001 draft, by the Cincinnati Reds. He relies mainly on a fastball that is typically between 88 and 92 miles per hour and a slider, though he has also started to use a changeup more often in his recent career."Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2007", Ed. Jim Callis, Will Lingo, and John Manuel. Simon & Schuster, 2007, p.121. ISBN 1932391142]

Professional career

Shafer pitched at Central Arizona Junior College, where he was drafted by the Reds in the 32nd round. They elected to treat him as a draft and follow, and scout Mark Corey signed him after they were pleased by his next college season.

In 2004, Shafer split the season between two Reds Class-A teams, the Dayton Dragons and the Potomac Cannons. At Dayton, he pitched in 31 games, working 77 innings and posting a 2.92 ERA. With Potomac, he appeared in just three games, tossing 4⅓ scoreless innings.

Shafer started the 2005 season with the Sarasota Reds (Class-A). He appeared in 10 games without allowing a run to score and was then promoted to the class Double-A Chattanooga. He then pitched the rest of the season with the Lookouts, registering a 1-6 record, six saves, and 4.19 ERA.

In 2006, Shafer returned to Chattanooga and established himself as a true major league prospect. Shafer was one of five Lookouts chosen for the Southern League All-Star team.Paschall, David. " [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-147563158.html Five Lookouts picked to go to all-star game.] ", The Chattanooga Times Free Press, published June 28, 2006.] He had 25 saves by the end of June, leaving him on pace to break the league record, and had been nearly unhittable when used in one inning per game. The Reds chose to start using him in two-inning stints at that point, however, in the view that it would be good for his development as a prospect, and his numbers slumped in the second half. For the year as a whole, he recorded 26 saves, tied for the second highest total in the league, [http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2006&t=l_pit&lid=111&sid=l111] while compiling a 2.36 ERA in 44 games (49⅔ innings). He also missed a week of action with biceps tendinitis.

On January 23, 2007, Shafer was traded to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Kirk Saarloos, with both sides also receiving a player to be named later in the deal. After the trade, Shafer was placed on Oakland's 40-man roster.Shea, John and Susan Slusser. " [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2007%2F01%2F24%2FSPGL7NNQG812.DTL&type=printable A's ship Saarloos to Reds for closer] ", The San Francisco Chronicle, published January 24, 2007, accessed August 21, 2007.]

External links

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/S/David-Shafer.shtml The Baseball Cube: David Shafer]
* [http://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.htm?id=8244 RotoWire.com]

References