Photo of Ben Shields


Ben Shields

Benjamin Cowan Shields (Lefty or Big Ben)

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 1", Weight: 195 lb.

Born: June 17, 1903 in Huntersville, NC (All Transactions)
Debut: April 17, 1924
Teams (by GP): Yankees/Phillies/RedSox 1924-1931

Final Game: May 23, 1931
Died: January 24, 1982 in Woodruff, SC
Buried: Hopewell Church Cemetery, Huntersville, NC
    About biographical information

Standard Pitching

Year Age Tm Lg W L W-L% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF ERA+ WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB Awards
1924 21 NYY AL 0 0 27.00 2 0 1 0 0 0 2.0 6 6 6 0 2 3 0 0 0 13 18 4.000 27.0 0.0 9.0 13.5 1.50
1925 22 NYY AL 3 0 1.000 4.88 4 2 2 2 0 0 24.0 24 13 13 2 12 5 2 0 0 105 89 1.500 9.0 0.8 4.5 1.9 0.42
1930 27 BOS AL 0 0 9.00 3 0 3 0 0 0 10.0 16 11 10 0 6 1 0 0 0 48 53 2.200 14.4 0.0 5.4 0.9 0.17
1931 28 PHI NL 1 0 1.000 15.19 4 0 1 0 0 0 5.1 9 9 9 1 7 0 0 0 0 32 30 3.000 15.2 1.7 11.8 0.0 0.00
4 Yrs 4 0 1.000 8.27 13 2 7 2 0 0 41.1 55 39 38 3 27 9 2 0 0 198 54 1.984 12.0 0.7 5.9 2.0 0.33
162 Game Avg. 18 0 1.000 8.27 59 9 32 9 0 0 187 249 177 172 14 122 41 9 0 0 898 54 1.984 12.0 0.7 5.9 2.0 0.33
NYY (2 yrs) 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57
PHI (1 yr) 1 0 1.000 15.19 4 0 1 0 0 0 5.1 9 9 9 1 7 0 0 0 0 32 30 3.000 15.2 1.7 11.8 0.0 0.00
BOS (1 yr) 0 0 9.00 3 0 3 0 0 0 10.0 16 11 10 0 6 1 0 0 0 48 53 2.200 14.4 0.0 5.4 0.9 0.17
AL (3 yrs) 3 0 1.000 7.25 9 2 6 2 0 0 36.0 46 30 29 2 20 9 2 0 0 166 62 1.833 11.5 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.45
NL (1 yr) 1 0 1.000 15.19 4 0 1 0 0 0 5.1 9 9 9 1 7 0 0 0 0 32 30 3.000 15.2 1.7 11.8 0.0 0.00

Player Value--Pitchers

WAR Explained (v2.1): 8+ MVP, 5+ A-S, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Sub, < 0 Repl
Year Age Tm Lg IP G GS R RA9 RA9opp RA9def RA9role PPFp RA9avg RAA WAA gmLI WAAadj WAR RAR waaWL% 162WL% Salary Awards
1924 21 NYY AL 2.0 2 0 6 27.00 5.45 0.04 0.00 102.8 5.55 -5 -0.4 1.0 -0.0 -0.4 -5 .310 .498 $
1925 22 NYY AL 24.0 4 2 13 4.88 5.66 0.01 0.00 94.0 5.31 1 0.1 1.0 -0.0 0.3 4 .526 .501 $
1930 27 BOS AL 10.0 3 0 11 9.90 6.63 0.21 0.00 98.0 6.29 -4 -0.3 1.0 -0.0 -0.2 -3 .389 .498 $
1931 28 PHI NL 5.1 4 0 9 15.19 4.53 -0.39 0.00 112.4 5.52 -6 -0.5 1.0 -0.0 -0.5 -5 .369 .497 $
4 Seasons 41.1 13 2 39 8.49 5.74 0.01 0.00 97.8 5.59 -13 -1.1 1.0 -0.0 -0.8 -8 .413 .498 $
NYY (2 yrs) 26.0 6 2 19 6.58 5.64 0.01 0.00 94.7 5.33 -4 -0.3 1.0 -0.0 -0.1 -0 .454 .499 $
PHI (1 yr) 5.1 4 0 9 15.19 4.53 -0.39 0.00 112.4 5.52 -6 -0.5 1.0 -0.0 -0.5 -5 .369 .497 $
BOS (1 yr) 10.0 3 0 11 9.90 6.63 0.21 0.00 98.0 6.29 -4 -0.3 1.0 -0.0 -0.2 -3 .389 .498 $

Ratio Pitching*

Year Age Tm Lg PA Ptn% HR% SO% BB% XBH% X/H% GB/FB GO/AO IP% LD% HR/FB IF/FB DPopp DPs DP%
1924 21 NYY AL 13 0.0% 23.1% 15.4% 62%
1925 22 NYY AL 105 1.9% 4.8% 11.4% 9.5% 42% 79%
1930 27 BOS AL 48 0.0% 2.1% 12.5% 81%
1931 28 PHI NL 32 3.1% 0.0% 21.9% 69%
4 Yrs 198 1.5% 4.6% 13.6% 5.1% 18% 77%
MLB Averages 1.2% 7.4% 8.0% 3.2% 13% 80%

Cumulative Pitching

Year Age W L W-L% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF ERA+ WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB ERA+
1924 21 0 0 27.00 2 0 1 0 0 0 2.0 6 6 6 0 2 3 0 0 0 13 18 4.000 27.0 0.0 9.0 13.5 1.50 18
1925 22 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57 67
1926 23 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57 67
1927 24 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57 67
1928 25 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57 67
1929 26 3 0 1.000 6.58 6 2 3 2 0 0 26.0 30 19 19 2 14 8 2 0 0 118 67 1.692 10.4 0.7 4.8 2.8 0.57 67
1930 27 3 0 1.000 7.25 9 2 6 2 0 0 36.0 46 30 29 2 20 9 2 0 0 166 62 1.833 11.5 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.45 62
1931 28 4 0 1.000 8.27 13 2 7 2 0 0 41.1 55 39 38 3 27 9 2 0 0 198 54 1.984 12.0 0.7 5.9 2.0 0.33 54

Neutralized Pitching

Change to: Default / 750 Runs / 1968 Dodgers / 2000 Rockies or

All seasons are converted to 162-game seasons &
average team scoring of 716 total runs (4.42 R/G)
How this works
Year Age W L W-L% ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WHIP H/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB HR/9 Gact
1924 21 0 0 22.50 2.0 6 6 5 0 2 3 0 4.000 27.0 9.0 13.5 1.50 0.0 2
1925 22 1 1 .500 4.50 24.0 23 13 12 2 12 5 2 1.458 8.6 4.5 1.9 0.42 0.8 4
1930 27 0 1 .000 9.00 9.0 16 10 9 0 6 1 0 2.444 16.0 6.0 1.0 0.17 0.0 3
1931 28 0 0 12.00 6.0 9 9 8 1 7 0 0 2.667 13.5 10.5 0.0 0.00 1.5 4
4 Yrs 1 2 .333 7.46 41.0 54 38 34 3 27 9 2 1.976 11.9 2.0 0.33 0.7 13

Appearances on Leader Boards, Awards, and Honors

Stats are Year-Value-Rank · Glossary

Youngest s c a p y
1924 AL  born 1903-06-17 (5th)

                                         

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Viewed 2,681 times through June 1, 2012.
Name and misspellings: Lefty Benjamin Big Ben benji Big Cowan Lefty Shields

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