John Shelby III
From BR Bullpen
John T. Shelby III
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 185 lb.
- School University of Kentucky
- High School Tates Creek High School
- Born August 6, 1985 in Baltimore, MD USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
The son of big leaguer John Shelby, infielder John Shelby is in A ball to open 2008.
[edit] Amateur Career
Shelby was a high school star, winning the Gatorade Player of the State Award for Kentucky as a senior in 2003. Undrafted, he went on to college, hitting .271/.364/.464 as a freshman. In 2005, he batted .344/.373/.558 as Kentucky's top threat. He stole 23 bases in 29 tries, four behind Southeastern Conference leader Eli Iorg, another son of a major leaguer. Shelby was named as a second-team All-SEC player by the conference's coaches and was invited to Team USA tryouts. As a junior, he produced at a .291/.388/.629 clip with 18 home runs, 56 runs and 56 RBI in 59 games. Kentucky finished 17th in NCAA Division I. He again made second team All-SEC. Shelby finished 6th on UK's career home runs list (36) and seventh on the all-time steal leaders (42), the only player in school history to top 35 in both departments.
[edit] Professional Career
Shelby was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2006 amateur draft. He made his pro debut that season and hit .272/.332/.440 with 8 homers with the Great Falls White Sox. Baseball America named him the best athlete in the White Sox 2006 draft class. Shelby hit .301/.352/.508, smacked 16 home runs, and swiped 19 bases (in 27 tries) for the Kannapolis Intimidators in 2007. Of his 147 hits, 35 were doubles and nine were triples. He scored 83 runs and drove in 79. He led White Sox farmhands in triples, 3 behind Anthony Jackson for the South Atlantic League lead; he was second in the SAL. He ranked among White Sox minor league leaders in almost every department, including second to Jason Bourgeois in hits. Baseball America rated him as the #8 prospect in the Chicago system.
Shelby missed the early part of 2008 due to hamstring problems. On May 3, he tied the Carolina League record with three home runs in a game, accomplishing the feat in a 8-5 Winston-Salem Warthogs win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Shelby's father had never hit three homers in a professional game despite his long career.
[edit] Sources
- 2007-2008 Baseball Almanacs
- University of Kentucky bio
- The Baseball Cube
- 2008 White Sox Media Guide
