Nap Shea
Encyclopedia
John Edward "Nap" Shea 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.
. 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. 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
but then recovered and hit .300 for the Ilion Typewriters.
Shea was acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies and played three games for them in September. In 10 plate appearance
s, he went 1 for 8 with a walk
and a hit by pitch
. The next season, he caught for the Eastern League
's Newark Sailors
and stayed on that team for a few years. 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.
Shea was sold to the Syracuse Stars in March 1908, and he played one season there before retiring from professional baseball. He died in 1968 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in 1902. He stood at 5' 5", weighed 155 lbs., and batted and threw right-handed.
Career
Shea was born in Ware, MassachusettsWare, Massachusetts
Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,707 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Ware....
. He started his professional baseball career in 1894 and played for the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
's Brockton Shoemakers for four seasons. In 1896, he batted a career-high .344 and slugged .452. 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
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
but then recovered and hit .300 for the Ilion Typewriters.
Shea was acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies and played three games for them in September. In 10 plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s, he went 1 for 8 with a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and a hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
. The next season, he caught for the Eastern League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
's Newark Sailors
Newark Indians
*Location: Newark, NJ*League: Eastern League 1908-1911; International League 1912-1916*Affiliation:*Ballpark: Wiedenmayer's ParkIn 1908, the Newark Sailors changed their name to the Newark Indians...
and stayed on that team for a few years. 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.
Shea was sold to the Syracuse Stars in March 1908, and he played one season there before retiring from professional baseball. He died in 1968 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
.