Art Shires
Encyclopedia
Charles Arthur Shires was an American
professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a first baseman
for the Chicago White Sox
, Washington Senators
and Boston Braves
. Shires was a colorful personality with a penchant for self-praise, earning himself the nickname, Arthur The Great Shires.
of the Texas League
. In 1928 he had a .387 batting average
with 11 home run
s in 108 games for Waco and, on July 31, his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox. Shires made his major league debut with the White Sox on August 20, 1928
at the age of 21, delivering four hits in five at bats off of future Hall of Fame pitcher, Red Ruffing
. He replaced Bud Clancy
as the starting first baseman and ended the season with a .341 average in 33 games that year.
On December 28, 1928 a 53-year-old man from Shreveport, Louisiana man died from head injuries after being hit by a baseball thrown by Shires on May 20, 1928 in a game between Waco and Shreveport. Shires had allegedly thrown the baseball in anger at a group of disapproving Shreveport fans. On March 27, 1929, Shires was sued by the dead man's wife for $25,411. One day after the lawsuit was reported in the papers, Shires was exonerated by a grand jury on March 29, 1929. The suit was dropped after an agreed judgment for $500 on January 11, 1930.
White Sox manager Lena Blackburne
named Shires to be the team captain before the 1929
season, succeeding third baseman Willie Kamm
who asked to step down from the role to concentrate on his hitting. Only two weeks later, Blackburne stripped him of his captain's role and sent him home from spring training
, due to his being out of shape as well as keeping late hours and breaking training rules.
Shires made national news in May 1929
when he gave Blackburne a black eye during a fist fight and was suspended from the team. One week later, a contrite Shires apologized to Blackburne and was reinstated. Shires' troubles with Blackburne had him reduced to a part-time role with an occasional pinch hitting assignment. He eventually regained his role as a starting player when Clancy was injured in late June. On September 14, the two men fought again when Blackburne tried to reprimand Shires for breaking team rules, resulting in Shires' third suspension of the season. Although it was thought that Shires might lose his job over the altercation, it was Blackburne who would lose his job at the end of the season. Shires ended the season with a .312 batting average along with 3 home runs and 41 runs batted in.
In December 1929, Shires tried his hand at boxing
, taking 21 seconds to knockout an unknown fighter named Dan Daly. Shires entered the arena wearing a robe with the words "Arthur The Great Shires" printed on back. It was reported on December 14 that Chicago Cubs
player Hack Wilson
signed a contract to meet Shires in the ring in January. On December 18, Shires' boxing career suffered a setback when he lost a bout to Chicago Bears
football player George Trafton
. Seeing no benefit in fighting a defeated boxer, Wilson backed out of his proposed bout with Shires. In late December, Shires was suspended by the Michigan State Boxing Commission and the National Boxing Association after his boxing manager was alleged to have offered money to a future Shires opponent to lose a fight on purpose. Soon after that revelation, Dan Daly admitted to the Illinois State Boxing Commission that he too had lost his fight to Shires on purpose. Shires was eventually cleared from any wrongdoing by the boxing commissions after no evidence was found that he had fixed the fights.
In January , Shires defeated Boston Braves
player Al Spohrer
in four rounds by technical knockout at the Boston Garden
. There was a move made to have Shires fight Boston Bruins
hockey player, Eddie Shore
, who was well known for his fighting skills, having set a single-season record for penalty minutes in 1928, however, in the wake of his previous bouts, Baseball Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis ruled that any baseball player engaging in boxing matches could consider himself retired from baseball, thus putting a stop to Shires' fighting career.
Although Shires was still suspended from the White Sox after his altercation with Blackburne, he had the audacity to demand a contract for $25,000. When White Sox owner Charles Comiskey
failed to meet this demand, an angered Shires threatened to quit baseball. Eventually, he relented and signed a contract for $7,500 and rejoined the team. Having worn out his welcome with the White Sox, Shires was hitting for a .258 average in June 1930
when he was traded to the Washington Senators
.
After the trade, Shires hit for a .369 average in 38 games for the Senators. The Senators already had two first basemen in Joe Judge
and Joe Kuhel
and, when reports surfaced that Shires was complaining about being a reserve player and that his work ethic was lacking, Senators owner Clark Griffith
sold Shires to the minor league Milwaukee Brewers
for a reported $10,000 in November 1930. With typical bombast, Shires claimed that he was too good a player to be sitting on a major league bench and predicted that he would hit, "around .350" for Milwaukee. In December 1930, Shires was arrested in Hollywood, California on charges of drunkenness and carrying concealed weapons. The arrest was accompanied by Shires bragging that he had succumbed to movie offers.
Shires proceeded to back up his claims with the Brewers in , posting a .384 average with 11 home runs in 157 games, winning the American Association
batting championship. His performance earned him a return to the major leagues when the Brewers traded him to the Boston Braves for Al Bool
and $10,000 on November 9, 1931.
Ironically, Shires' roommate with the Braves was his former boxing foe, Al Spohrer. On April 22, 1932
, Shires suffered a torn ligament in a collision with baserunner Joe Stripp
. When he returned from the injury, he failed to live up to expectations, producing just a .238 batting average. In August , Shires was fired by Braves manager Bill McKechnie
after he objected to plans to be sent back to the minor leagues
.
Shires eventually returned to the minor leagues and played for the Rochester Red Wings
and the Columbus Red Birds
in . In , Shires played for the Fort Worth Cats
in the Texas League and, in he served as a player-manager for the Harrisburg Senators
in the New York-Pennsylvania League
.
, accumulating 71 hits
in 298 at bats for a .291 career batting average along with 11 home runs, 119 runs batted in and an on base percentage of .347. He retired with a .988 fielding percentage
.
Shires was charged with murder following the beating death of a man in December 1948. The two men had fought after drinking together. The charge was later reduced to aggravated assault. A jury later found him guilty of aggravated assault and fined him $25.
Shires died on July 13, at the age of 60.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played 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...
as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Shires was a colorful personality with a penchant for self-praise, earning himself the nickname, Arthur The Great Shires.
Baseball career
Shires began his professional baseball career in at the age of 19 with the Waco CubsWaco Cubs
The Waco Cubs were a minor league baseball team based in Waco, Texas for six years . The Cubs were members of the Texas League from 1925 to 1930 and the Dixie League in 1933. They played at Katy Park for their entire six year existence. After the 1930 season, the Cubs were moved from Waco to...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. In 1928 he had a .387 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 11 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 108 games for Waco and, on July 31, his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox. Shires made his major league debut with the White Sox on August 20, 1928
1928 Chicago White Sox season
The Chicago White Sox season was a season in Major League Baseball. The team finished fifth in the American League, 29 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees.- Notable transactions :...
at the age of 21, delivering four hits in five at bats off of future Hall of Fame pitcher, Red Ruffing
Red Ruffing
Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered for his time with the highly successful New York Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s...
. He replaced Bud Clancy
Bud Clancy
John William Clancy was a first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1924-1934.-External links:...
as the starting first baseman and ended the season with a .341 average in 33 games that year.
On December 28, 1928 a 53-year-old man from Shreveport, Louisiana man died from head injuries after being hit by a baseball thrown by Shires on May 20, 1928 in a game between Waco and Shreveport. Shires had allegedly thrown the baseball in anger at a group of disapproving Shreveport fans. On March 27, 1929, Shires was sued by the dead man's wife for $25,411. One day after the lawsuit was reported in the papers, Shires was exonerated by a grand jury on March 29, 1929. The suit was dropped after an agreed judgment for $500 on January 11, 1930.
White Sox manager Lena Blackburne
Lena Blackburne
Russell Aubrey "Lena" Blackburne was an American baseball infielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
named Shires to be the team captain before the 1929
1929 Chicago White Sox season
The 1929 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 29th season in the major leagues and its 30th season overall. They finished with a record 59–93, good enough for seventh place in the American League, 46 games behind the first place Philadelphia Athletics....
season, succeeding third baseman Willie Kamm
Willie Kamm
William Edward Kamm was an American professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from to . Kamm played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox before finishing his playing days with the Cleveland Indians...
who asked to step down from the role to concentrate on his hitting. Only two weeks later, Blackburne stripped him of his captain's role and sent him home from spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, due to his being out of shape as well as keeping late hours and breaking training rules.
Shires made national news in May 1929
1929 Chicago White Sox season
The 1929 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 29th season in the major leagues and its 30th season overall. They finished with a record 59–93, good enough for seventh place in the American League, 46 games behind the first place Philadelphia Athletics....
when he gave Blackburne a black eye during a fist fight and was suspended from the team. One week later, a contrite Shires apologized to Blackburne and was reinstated. Shires' troubles with Blackburne had him reduced to a part-time role with an occasional pinch hitting assignment. He eventually regained his role as a starting player when Clancy was injured in late June. On September 14, the two men fought again when Blackburne tried to reprimand Shires for breaking team rules, resulting in Shires' third suspension of the season. Although it was thought that Shires might lose his job over the altercation, it was Blackburne who would lose his job at the end of the season. Shires ended the season with a .312 batting average along with 3 home runs and 41 runs batted in.
In December 1929, Shires tried his hand at boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, taking 21 seconds to knockout an unknown fighter named Dan Daly. Shires entered the arena wearing a robe with the words "Arthur The Great Shires" printed on back. It was reported on December 14 that Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
player Hack Wilson
Hack Wilson
Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson was an American professional baseball player who played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies...
signed a contract to meet Shires in the ring in January. On December 18, Shires' boxing career suffered a setback when he lost a bout to Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football player George Trafton
George Trafton
George Edward Trafton , was an American football player. He played as a center for the Decatur Staleys of the National Football League from 1920 to 1921 and 1923–1932. He is credited as being the first center to snap the ball with one hand...
. Seeing no benefit in fighting a defeated boxer, Wilson backed out of his proposed bout with Shires. In late December, Shires was suspended by the Michigan State Boxing Commission and the National Boxing Association after his boxing manager was alleged to have offered money to a future Shires opponent to lose a fight on purpose. Soon after that revelation, Dan Daly admitted to the Illinois State Boxing Commission that he too had lost his fight to Shires on purpose. Shires was eventually cleared from any wrongdoing by the boxing commissions after no evidence was found that he had fixed the fights.
In January , Shires defeated Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
player Al Spohrer
Al Spohrer
Alfred Ray Spohrer , was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Giants and Boston Braves....
in four rounds by technical knockout at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
. There was a move made to have Shires fight Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
hockey player, Eddie Shore
Eddie Shore
Edward William Shore was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, principally for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, and the longtime owner of the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, iconic for his toughness and defensive skill.Shore won the Hart Trophy as the...
, who was well known for his fighting skills, having set a single-season record for penalty minutes in 1928, however, in the wake of his previous bouts, Baseball Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis ruled that any baseball player engaging in boxing matches could consider himself retired from baseball, thus putting a stop to Shires' fighting career.
Although Shires was still suspended from the White Sox after his altercation with Blackburne, he had the audacity to demand a contract for $25,000. When White Sox owner Charles Comiskey
Charles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
failed to meet this demand, an angered Shires threatened to quit baseball. Eventually, he relented and signed a contract for $7,500 and rejoined the team. Having worn out his welcome with the White Sox, Shires was hitting for a .258 average in June 1930
1930 Chicago White Sox season
The 1930 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 30th season in the major leagues, and its 31st season overall. They finished with a record 62-92, good enough for 6th place in the American League, 40 games behind the 1st place Philadelphia Athletics....
when he was traded to the Washington Senators
1930 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 94 games, lost 60, and finished in second place in the American League. They were managed by Walter Johnson and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
.
After the trade, Shires hit for a .369 average in 38 games for the Senators. The Senators already had two first basemen in Joe Judge
Joe Judge
Joseph Ignatius Judge was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Washington Senators...
and Joe Kuhel
Joe Kuhel
Joseph Anthony Kuhel was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. From 1930 through 1946, Kuhel played for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox . He batted and threw left-handed. Following his playing career, Kuhel managed the Washington Senators...
and, when reports surfaced that Shires was complaining about being a reserve player and that his work ethic was lacking, Senators owner Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.-Biography:...
sold Shires to the minor league Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
for a reported $10,000 in November 1930. With typical bombast, Shires claimed that he was too good a player to be sitting on a major league bench and predicted that he would hit, "around .350" for Milwaukee. In December 1930, Shires was arrested in Hollywood, California on charges of drunkenness and carrying concealed weapons. The arrest was accompanied by Shires bragging that he had succumbed to movie offers.
Shires proceeded to back up his claims with the Brewers in , posting a .384 average with 11 home runs in 157 games, winning the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
batting championship. His performance earned him a return to the major leagues when the Brewers traded him to the Boston Braves for Al Bool
Al Bool
Albert Bool is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played three seasons with the Washington Senators , Pittsburgh Pirates , and the Boston Braves .-External links:...
and $10,000 on November 9, 1931.
Ironically, Shires' roommate with the Braves was his former boxing foe, Al Spohrer. On April 22, 1932
1932 Boston Braves season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
, Shires suffered a torn ligament in a collision with baserunner Joe Stripp
Joe Stripp
Joseph Valentine Stripp , is a former professional baseball player who played third base in the Major Leagues from 1928-1938. He would play for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, and St...
. When he returned from the injury, he failed to live up to expectations, producing just a .238 batting average. In August , Shires was fired by Braves manager Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
after he objected to plans to be sent back to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
.
Shires eventually returned to the minor leagues and played for the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
and the Columbus Red Birds
Columbus Red Birds
The Columbus Red Birds was the name of a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as the Columbus Senators — a typical...
in . In , Shires played for the Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
in the Texas League and, in he served as a player-manager for the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
in the New York-Pennsylvania League
New York-Pennsylvania League (early 20th century)
The New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
.
Career statistics
In a 4 year major league career, Shires played in 290 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 71 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 298 at bats for a .291 career batting average along with 11 home runs, 119 runs batted in and an on base percentage of .347. He retired with a .988 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.
Post-baseball career
Shires announced plans to fight Max Baer for the World Heavyweight Boxing title and returned to the boxing ring in January 1935 but, was out of shape and was knocked out in the second round of a scheduled six round fight against Sid Hunter.Shires was charged with murder following the beating death of a man in December 1948. The two men had fought after drinking together. The charge was later reduced to aggravated assault. A jury later found him guilty of aggravated assault and fined him $25.
Shires died on July 13, at the age of 60.