Shags Horan
Encyclopedia
Joseph Patrick "Shags" Horan (September 6, 1895 – February 13, 1969) was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
. Horan played for the New York Yankees
in 1924, and he also spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues, winning two batting titles. He was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds.
, in 1895. He started his professional baseball career in 1914 in the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League
. That season, he played 124 games and had a batting average
of .272. From 1915 to 1921, Horan had stints in several minor leagues but did not play more than 87 games during any of those years.
Horan then joined the Western League
's Des Moines Boosters
in 1922, batted over .300 for the first time, and hit 16 home run
s. The following season, he batted .411 with 23 homers to set career-highs in both categories. He also led the Western League in batting average and hits
(256).
In 1924, Horan started off with the Reading Keystones of the class AA International League
. He batted .376 to lead the league before his contract was sold to the New York Yankees in mid-season. Horan appeared in 22 games for the Yankees in July, August, and September of that year. He hit .290 with seven runs batted in
and no home runs. New York waived him after the season ended, and about his time in the majors, Horan later said:
Horan played in the Western League and Pacific Coast League
for the next two seasons before his professional baseball career ended. He then settled in Los Angeles
and worked as a guard for the L.A. Department of Water and Power. Horan died in Torrance, California
, in 1969.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
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...
. Horan played for the 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...
in 1924, and he also spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues, winning two batting titles. He was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds.
Career
Horan was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, in 1895. He started his professional baseball career in 1914 in the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League
Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League
The Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League was a Class D minor league baseball circuit that went through six different lives. The first KITTY League played from 1903 through 1906. The next one ran from 1910 through 1914. The third try played a single season . The circuit was revived in 1922 and lasted...
. That season, he played 124 games and had a 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 :...
of .272. From 1915 to 1921, Horan had stints in several minor leagues but did not play more than 87 games during any of those years.
Horan then joined the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
's Des Moines Boosters
Des Moines Boosters
The Des Moines Boosters were a Western League minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA that existed from 1908 to 1924. They won two league championships - their first in 1915 under manager Frank Isbell and their second in 1917 under Jack Coffey....
in 1922, batted over .300 for the first time, and hit 16 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. The following season, he batted .411 with 23 homers to set career-highs in both categories. He also led the Western League in batting average and 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....
(256).
In 1924, Horan started off with the Reading Keystones of the class AA International 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...
. He batted .376 to lead the league before his contract was sold to the New York Yankees in mid-season. Horan appeared in 22 games for the Yankees in July, August, and September of that year. He hit .290 with seven runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and no home runs. New York waived him after the season ended, and about his time in the majors, Horan later said:
"I don't care for those concrete fences. The ball hits them and you don't hear anything. In the minors you rattle 'em off those wooden fences and you stir up quite a racket."
Horan played in the Western League and Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
for the next two seasons before his professional baseball career ended. He then settled in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and worked as a guard for the L.A. Department of Water and Power. Horan died in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, in 1969.