Ben Shields, baseball player, 1924-1931

Ben Shields

Born: 6/17/1903 in Huntersville, NC, USA

Died: 1/24/1982 in Woodruff, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1924-04-17 | Final Game: 1931-05-23

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Benjamin Cowan Shields

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Biography

Ben Shields, born in 1903, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the Major Leagues from 1924 until 1931. He began his career during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven style of play. Shields made a modest impact on the mound, finishing his career with a win-loss record of 4-0 and an earned run average (ERA) of 8.27. Over the course of his career, he recorded a total of 9 strikeouts, showcasing a pitching style that, while not dominant, contributed to his teams in crucial moments. Despite not being a household name, Shields was part of a generation of players who helped shape the game during the early years of the league's expansion and the evolution of pitching strategies. His career, which spanned through the late 1920s, coincided with significant changes in baseball, including the rise of more powerful hitters and the increasing popularity of the sport. While his statistics may not reflect a lengthy or extraordinary career, Shields remains a noteworthy figure for those studying the history of the game and its development during a transformative period.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
4 0 13 2 2 0 0 41.3 55 38 3 27 9 8.27 0

Career ERA 8.27 vs. league average 4.40 across their career seasons — 88.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1924 NYY AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 6 6 2 3 27.00 — -
1925 NYY AL 3 0 4 2 2 0 0 24.0 24 13 12 5 4.88 4.55 (-7%) -
1930 BOS AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 10.0 16 10 6 1 9.00 4.80 (-88%) -102.1
1931 PHI NL 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 5.3 9 9 7 0 15.19 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
13 13 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.077 0.077 0.077 0.154 0.0

Career AVG .077 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — 73.1% below league average.

Career OBP .077 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 77.8% below league average.

Career SLG .077 vs. league average .404 across their career seasons — 81.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.154 vs. league average 0.751 across their career seasons — 79.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1924 NYY AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1925 NYY AL 4 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1930 BOS AL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1931 PHI NL 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 13 0 2 7 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1924 NYA P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1925 NYA P 4 0 2 3 0 0
1930 BOS P 3 0 0 3 0 0
1931 PHI P 4 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 13