Bob Shirley
Encyclopedia
Robert Charles Shirley is a former professional baseball
pitcher
. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball
, from 1977 to 1987, for the San Diego Padres
, St. Louis Cardinals
, Cincinnati Reds
, New York Yankees
and Kansas City Royals
. Shirley was a southpaw pitcher who worked both as a starter and in relief.
, but chose to attend the University of Oklahoma
. While there, he was a member of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the 1974 Amateur World Series, the predecessor to today's Baseball World Cup. He was drafted again in 1975 by the San Francisco Giants
, but did not sign, instead waiting until the following January, when he was drafted in the secondary phase by the Padres.
, being assigned directly to the Double-A Amarillo Gold Sox
to start the 1976 season. After posting a Win-loss record of 9-5 with a 3.32 ERA
in 16 starts, he was promoted to the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders
, finishing the season there. It would be the last time Shirley played in the minors until 1987.
Shirley was named to the Padres' starting rotation to open the 1977 season. He posted what turned out to be one of his best seasons in his rookie year, setting what would be career highs in wins (12), games started (35), innings pitched
(214) and strikeout
s (146). It was also his only year as a full-time starter, as he never started more than 25 games in a season after 1977.
Shirley started the 1978 season in the Padres' rotation as their number two starter after future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry
. Although he pitched occasionally in relief, he remained in the rotation until July, when he was moved to the bullpen after a start in which he gave up six runs on seven hits and five walks in six innings. He made only one start the rest of the year.
After spending two more seasons as a swingman for the Padres, Shirley was part of an eleven-player trade which sent him to the Cardinals along with ace reliever Rollie Fingers
, veteran catcher Gene Tenace
and minor league catcher Bob Geren
for a package of prospects and role players.
1982 to the Reds for a pair of prospects, one of whom was reliever Jeff Lahti
. He became a free agent after the season, and was signed by the Yankees.
's Opening Day start, but after giving up 4 runs in 2.2 innings, he did not pitch again for nearly two weeks. In his next start, which came on April 27, he pitched his first shutout
in nearly four years. Despite this, he finished the year with an ERA above 5 (5.08) for the first time in his career, and also pitched the fewest innings of his career (108) outside the strike-shortened 1981 season.
Through the remainder of Shirley's career with the Yankees, he was primarily used as a long reliever
, starting just 22 out of the 140 games in which he appeared from 1984-87. His Yankee career came to an abrupt end in June 1987, when Shirley was involved in an incident of clubhouse roughhousing with Don Mattingly
that resulted in Mattingly ending up on the disabled list. He was released shortly thereafter.
. After playing in the Toronto Blue Jays
farm system in 1988, Shirley retired.
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....
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He played all or part of eleven seasons 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...
, from 1977 to 1987, for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. Shirley was a southpaw pitcher who worked both as a starter and in relief.
Amateur career
Shirley was originally drafted out of Putnam City High School in 1972 by the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, but chose to attend the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. While there, he was a member of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the 1974 Amateur World Series, the predecessor to today's Baseball World Cup. He was drafted again in 1975 by the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, but did not sign, instead waiting until the following January, when he was drafted in the secondary phase by the Padres.
Padres
Shirley skipped several levels of minor league baseballMinor 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...
, being assigned directly to the Double-A Amarillo Gold Sox
Amarillo Gold Sox
The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of a minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas-New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Class AA Texas League at various times between 1939 and 1982....
to start the 1976 season. After posting a Win-loss record of 9-5 with a 3.32 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 16 starts, he was promoted to the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders
Hawaii Islanders
The Hawaii Islanders were a AAA minor league baseball team, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1961 through 1987. The Islanders were originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics. They played their home games at Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu's Aloha Stadium...
, finishing the season there. It would be the last time Shirley played in the minors until 1987.
Shirley was named to the Padres' starting rotation to open the 1977 season. He posted what turned out to be one of his best seasons in his rookie year, setting what would be career highs in wins (12), games started (35), innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(214) and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (146). It was also his only year as a full-time starter, as he never started more than 25 games in a season after 1977.
Shirley started the 1978 season in the Padres' rotation as their number two starter after future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
. Although he pitched occasionally in relief, he remained in the rotation until July, when he was moved to the bullpen after a start in which he gave up six runs on seven hits and five walks in six innings. He made only one start the rest of the year.
After spending two more seasons as a swingman for the Padres, Shirley was part of an eleven-player trade which sent him to the Cardinals along with ace reliever Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, veteran catcher Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
and minor league catcher Bob Geren
Bob Geren
Robert Peter Geren is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager. During a 5-year playing career, he played for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres . He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2007 through 2011...
for a package of prospects and role players.
Cardinals and Reds
Over the course of the next two seasons, Shirley's role remained the same. After spending one season in St. Louis, he was traded during spring trainingSpring 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...
1982 to the Reds for a pair of prospects, one of whom was reliever Jeff Lahti
Jeff Lahti
Jeffrey Allen Lahti was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an alumnus of Portland State University....
. He became a free agent after the season, and was signed by the Yankees.
Yankees
During Shirley's first season with the Yanks, he was used mostly as a starter for the first time since 1979. He started the second game of the season on April 6 after Ron GuidryRon Guidry
Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
's Opening Day start, but after giving up 4 runs in 2.2 innings, he did not pitch again for nearly two weeks. In his next start, which came on April 27, he pitched his first shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
in nearly four years. Despite this, he finished the year with an ERA above 5 (5.08) for the first time in his career, and also pitched the fewest innings of his career (108) outside the strike-shortened 1981 season.
Through the remainder of Shirley's career with the Yankees, he was primarily used as a long reliever
Long reliever
A Long reliever is a type of relief pitcher in baseball.Long relievers traditionally enter early in a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delays, injury, or ejection...
, starting just 22 out of the 140 games in which he appeared from 1984-87. His Yankee career came to an abrupt end in June 1987, when Shirley was involved in an incident of clubhouse roughhousing with Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
that resulted in Mattingly ending up on the disabled list. He was released shortly thereafter.
Later career
After his release on June, Shirley signed with the Royals eight days later. His tenure with Kansas City was disastrous, as he appeared in just three games, pitching 7.1 innings and giving up 12 runs, including five home runs, for an ERA of 12.73. The Yankees re-signed him to a minor league contract, and he finished the season with their Triple-A farm club, the Columbus ClippersColumbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
. After playing in the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
farm system in 1988, Shirley retired.