Howard Samuel Shanks (July 21, 1890 – July 30, 1941) was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) from 1912 to 1925 for the Washington Senators,

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. Shanks made his professional baseball debut in 1909, and was drafted by the Senators after the 1911 season. Shanks made his MLB debut with the Senators in 1912, and played for them until they traded him to the Red Sox after the 1922 season. After two seasons with Boston, he was traded to the Yankees for his final MLB season. Regarded as one of the better defensive players in baseball, Shanks began his MLB career as an outfielder, but he also played as

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

for Washington and as a utility infielder for Boston and New York. He was considered an "ordinary hitter". After his playing career, Shanks served as a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

and coached and managed in the

minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

Early life

Shanks was born on July 21, 1890, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois. His father, Samuel Shanks, immigrated to the United States from Ireland and lived in

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

, before moving to Chicago, and then Monaca, Pennsylvania. He was the second oldest of five children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Oatey) Shanks. Shanks attended public schools in Monaca, including Monaca High School. In 1907, he began playing

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

baseball in Monaca. Shanks played for a semi-professional team in

Rochester, Pennsylvania Rochester is a borough in central Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 3,480 at the 2020 census. Like many places around Pittsburgh, ...

, in 1908 that was run by former

player

Tom McCreery Thomas Livingston McCreery (October 19, 1874 – July 3, 1941) was an outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Louisville Colonels (1895–1897), New York Giants (1897–1898), Pittsburgh Pirates (1898–1900), Brooklyn ...

Career

Early career

The

East Liverpool Potters The East Liverpool Potters were an American basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of ...

of the Class C

Ohio–Pennsylvania League The Ohio–Pennsylvania League (1905–1912) was a Class C (baseball), Class C and Class D (baseball), Class D level minor league baseball league that featured franchises based in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The league was founded b ...

signed Shanks as a

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

for the 1909 season on the recommendation of McCreery, and Shanks made his

debut that year, finishing the season with a .240 batting average. In 1910, he returned to East Liverpool, where he batted .223. After the 1910 season, East Liverpool sold the rights to Shanks and seven other players to the

Youngstown Steelmen The Youngstown Steelmen was a minor league baseball franchise that competed in three different leagues between 1910 and 1915. The club, based in Youngstown, Ohio, participated at various times in the Ohio–Pennsylvania League, the Tri-State League ...

of the Ohio–Pennsylvania League for the 1911 season. After the 1910 season, Shanks was diagnosed with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

and given "a couple of weeks to live." The

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

expressed interest in selecting him in the upcoming Rule 5 draft, but after seeing his medical report, they opted not to. Shanks returned to Monaca, where he recovered. He reported to Youngstown in 1911 and regained of lost weight before the end of the season. He batted .291 for Youngstown in the 1911 season. He also had a .990

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. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

and committed only three errors.

Major league career

Jimmy McAleer James Robert "Loafer" McAleer (July 10, 1864April 29, 1931) was an American center fielder, manager, and stockholder in Major League Baseball who assisted in establishing the American League. He spent most of his 13-season playing career with t ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

of the Washington Senators of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

, scouted Shanks during the 1911 season. On September 1, 1911, Washington selected Shanks from Youngstown in the Rule 5 draft. He competed for a role with the Senators in

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

in 1912 and made their roster as a backup outfielder. Shanks made his major league debut on May 9, 1912. After left fielder

Danny Moeller Daniel Edward Moeller (March 23, 1885 – April 14, 1951) was an American professional baseball player. Moeller was an outfielder in the Major Leagues from – and from –. During his career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Se ...

injured his shoulder in a game on May 25, Shanks took over as the regular left fielder. When Moeller returned to the Senators, he played as a

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

, with

Tilly Walker Clarence William "Tilly" Walker (September 4, 1887 – September 21, 1959) was an American professional baseball player. After growing up in Limestone, Tennessee, and attending college locally at Washington College, he entered Major League Baseba ...

becoming a

bench player In team sports, substitution (or interchange) is replacing one player with another during a match. Substitute players that are not in the starting lineup (also known as bench players, backups, interchange, or reserves) reside on the bench and ar ...

. Shanks played in 116 games in his first season with the Senators. He led all left fielders in the American League with a .962 fielding percentage. On May 31, 1913, Shanks sprained his right ankle

sliding Sliding may refer to: *Sliding (dance), also floating or gliding, a group of footwork-oriented dance techniques *Slide (baseball), an attempt by a baseball runner to avoid getting tagged out *Sliding (motion) See also *Slide (disambiguation) *Sli ...

into home plate during a game, and was taken to

Georgetown Hospital The Georgetown Hospital is a community hospital located in the Georgetown area of Halton Hills, Ontario. It is part of the Halton Healthcare Services group of hospitals. Built on of land, it opened in 1961 to serve the Halton Region, but tod ...

for treatment. The injury lingered for the remainder of the year. Shanks went to

Bonesetter Reese John D. "Bonesetter" Reese (May 6, 1855 – November 29, 1931) was a Welsh-born American athletic trainer in early 20th-century Major League Baseball who was known for his ability to get injured athletes "back in the game". Although he gained wide ...

after the season, who fixed Shanks's ankle by resetting a tendon. Howie Shanks, Washington AL (baseball) LCCN2014698865

By the 1914 season, Senators manager Clark Griffith said "Howard Shanks is, in my mind, the greatest fielding outfielder in baseball". He was also considered an "ordinary hitter". In 1915, Griffith brought in

Henri Rondeau Henri Joseph Rondeau (May 5, 1887 – May 28, 1943) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball as an outfielder and a catcher for 17 years from 1909 to 1925, including parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball for the ...

, Bill Brown, and Red Massey to compete with Shanks for playing time in an attempt to improve the team's offensive output. Rondeau made the Senators roster for the 1915 season and was given a trial in left field, but was sent to the minor leagues in May. By the end of the 1916 season, Griffith experimented with Shanks as a

. Griffith made Shanks his regular shortstop in June 1917. He returned to playing as a

in 1918, and Griffith had him play shortstop again in the 1919 season. In 1920, Shanks set a career high with a .264 average and tied a career high with four

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. In , Shanks hit .302 and led the American League in

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

with 18. He also led all American League

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

with a .960 fielding percentage. On April 30, 1922, a line drive hit by Walker, Shanks' former teammate, now playing for the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

, broke Shanks' index finger. It was estimated that he would require three weeks to recover. He returned as the starting shortstop, but broke a bone in his left hand. In his time with Washington, Shanks played every outfield and infield position, but did not play as a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

or a

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

. The Senators traded Shanks, Ed Goebel, and

Val Picinich Valentine John Picinich (September 8, 1896 – December 5, 1942) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1916 to 1933 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Cinc ...

to the

for Muddy Ruel and

Allen Russell Allan E. "Rubberarm" Russell (July 31, 1893 – October 20, 1972) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of 11 seasons (1915–1925) with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. For h ...

on February 10, 1923. Shanks opened the 1923 season as an outfielder for the Red Sox, but he played 37 games as a second baseman and 83 games as a third baseman in the 1923 season. In April 1924, the Red Sox dealt third baseman

Norm McMillan Norman Alexis "Bub" McMillan (October 5, 1895 – September 28, 1969) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, third baseman and second baseman with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and the Chicago Cubs between 1922 ...

and played Shanks at third base. He also played second base in the 1924 season. On December 10, 1924, the Red Sox traded Shanks to the

for

Mike McNally Michael Joseph McNally (September 13, 1893 – May 29, 1965), nicknamed Minooka Mike, was an American professional baseball player, Scout (sport), scout, Manager (baseball), manager and General manager (baseball), general manager. He played in Ma ...

. He succeeded McNally as the utility infielder for the Yankees during the 1925 season. After the 1925 season, the Yankees released Shanks.

Later career

Shanks signed a contract with the

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as ...

of the Class AA

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

for the 1926 season as their regular third baseman. He returned to Louisville for the 1927 season, but he struggled and was released in June when Louisville signed

Ed Sicking Edward Joseph Sicking (March 30, 1897 – August 30, 1978) was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for five teams from to . He appeared at second base, third base, and shortstop. External links Interview with baseball player Eddie S ...

. He signed with the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

of the Class AA

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

in July 1927. Before the 1928 season, Shanks became a

for the

of the American League under manager

Roger Peckinpaugh Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh (February 5, 1891 – November 17, 1977) was an American professional baseball player shortstop and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 through 1927, during which he played for the Cleveland Naps ...

. He was charged with coaching the team's infielders and outfielders. Shanks coached for Cleveland until July 1932, when the team transitioned him into their scouting department. Shanks managed the

Beaver Falls Browns Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are ...

of the Class D Pennsylvania State Association in 1938. In 1939, he became a coach and scout for the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

of the Class A1 Southern Association, which were managed by Peckinpaugh.

Personal life

Shanks married Wilhelmina (née Wagner), a resident of Monaca, on February 24, 1915. Shanks died of a

coronary occlusion A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack. In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored ...

at his home in Monaca on July 30, 1941.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shanks, Howie 1890 births 1941 deaths Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball third basemen Baseball players from Chicago Washington Senators (1901–1960) players New York Yankees players Boston Red Sox players Cleveland Indians coaches Minor league baseball managers East Liverpool Potters (baseball) players Youngstown Steelmen players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Rochester Tribe players People from Monaca, Pennsylvania American people of Irish descent