| Paul Shuey | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Shuey pitching for the Orioles | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1970-09-16)September 16, 1970 (age 55) Lima, Ohio, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 8, 1994, for the Cleveland Indians | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| August 26, 2007, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 45–28 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.87 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 556 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||
Paul Kenneth Shuey (born September 16, 1970) is an American former professionalbaseball player. Primarily arelief pitcher, Shuey pitched inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theCleveland Indians (1994–2002),Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2003) andBaltimore Orioles (2007).
Shuey was honored as anAll-American as acollege baseball pitcher for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels baseball team. The Indians selected Shuey with the second overall selection of the1992 MLB draft. Envisioned as a comparable pitcher toCincinnati RedscloserRob Dibble, Shuey had more success as asetup reliever than closer.[1]
Injuries sidelined Shuey throughout his career, preventing him from becoming a closer. When healthy, he enjoyed success with the Indians as a setup pitcher. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2002 to be their set up man while contending for a playoff spot. He pitched well until a hip injury initially suffered in 1999 forced Shuey to retire in 2004. After an experimental medical procedure, Shuey returned to baseball briefly in 2007 with the Orioles. He retired after that season, and took up a professional career inbass fishing, competing in what he considers "Double-A"-level tournaments.
A native ofLima, Ohio, Shuey's family moved toNorth Carolina when he was ten years old.[2] Shuey's father taught him how to pitch.[3] He playedAmerican Legion andBabe Ruth League baseball withEverett Lindsay.[4]
Shuey attendedMillbrook High School inRaleigh, North Carolina.[5] With Millbrook, Shuey was astarting pitcher andright fielder. While pitching for the baseball team at Millbrook, Shuey threw ano-hitter againstGarner High School. He was named toNorth Carolina'sAll-Triangle andAll-State teams.[3]
Shuey enrolled at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he playedcollege baseball for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels baseball team in theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) ofNCAA Division I. He served as the team'scloser.[6] At UNC, Shuey was named a freshmanAll-American and All-ACC pitcher for the Tar Heels in 1990, as he had an 8-1win–loss record and eightsaves.[7] He led the team with 31 appearances, and the Tar Heels were the ACC regular season and tournament championships.[5]
Though he suffered apatellar tendon rupture in 1991, Shuey led the Tar Heels with a 1.70earned run average (ERA) that season.[4] That summer, Shuey pitched for theUnited States national baseball team in thePan American Games.[8] He led the team with a 3.13 ERA and 87strikeouts in the 1992 season, in 69 innings pitched.[5][9] Shuey andChad Holbrook won the team's S.H. Basnight Award as the team'smost valuable players.[7] Through 2001, Shuey's careerwinning percentage (.818) ranked fourth all time in UNC history. He was aletterman in all three seasons at UNC.[10]
The Indians selected Shuey with their first round draft pick, the second overall selection, in the1992 Major League Baseball draft. The Indians envisioned that Shuey could develop into acloser similar toRob Dibble of theCincinnati Reds.[1] Shuey made his professional debut with theColumbus Red Stixx of the Class-ASouth Atlantic League in 1992.[11]
Heading into the 1993 season,Baseball America ranked Shuey as the 81st best prospect in baseball.[12] He pitched for theKinston Indians of the Class-ACarolina League in 1993, going 1–0 with a 4.84 ERA in 15 appearances,[5] and was promoted to theCanton–Akron Indians of the Class-AAEastern League that season.[8] He opened the 1994 season with Kinston, where he went 1–0 with a 3.75 ERA and eight saves in 13 appearances.[5]
The deaths of Indians' relief pitchersSteve Olin andTim Crews in a boating accident heightened the Indians' need to develop Shuey.[8] Shuey was promoted from Kinston to the major leagues during the 1994 season, becoming the first player promoted from Class-A to the majors sinceGreg Swindell during the 1986 season.[4] He made his MLB debut on May 8, 1994. On May 14, Shuey became the tenthAmerican League pitcher to strike out four batters in an inning.[13] He also pitched for theCharlotte Knights of theClass-AAAInternational League that season.Baseball America ranked Shuey as the 67th best prospect in baseball heading into the 1995 season.[12]
Shuey struggled with the Indians, with an 0–3 win–loss record, five saves, and 7.00 ERA in 21 appearances in 1994 and 1995.[14] He also pitched for theBuffalo Bisons of the International League in 1995, and spent time on thedisabled list with an injured hamstring.[15] He also pitched for theSenadores de San Juan of thePuerto Rico Baseball League that winter to gain more experience.[4]
After starting the 1996 season with Buffalo, Shuey was promoted to the Indians, where he pitched to a 5–2 record with a 2.85 ERA.[16] He pitched in the postseason for the Indians, appearing in three games in the1996 American League Division Series, which the Indians lost to theBaltimore Orioles.[17] Shuey received a three-year contract from the Indians at the start of the 1997 season, worth $3.203 million guaranteed. An option year and performance bonuses made the maximum value of the contract $11.603 million over four seasons.[16]
WithJosé Mesa andMike Jackson serving as closers for the Indians, Shuey pitched in middle relief.[18] He spent time on the disabled list in the 1997 season on three separate occasions.[4][19] In 1998, he led all American League relief pitchers with a .132 (7–for–53)batting average against when the opposition had baserunners inscoring position.[4] His strong performances while healthy gave the Indians hope that Shuey could become their closer in due time.[20] Shuey appeared in four postseasons for the Indians, including in 1998, when he pitched6+1⁄3 scoreless innings for the Indians in the1998 American League Championship Series.[21][22]
In 1999, while pitching on a wet mound in Cleveland, Shuey injured his right hip. Over the next several seasons, he had multiple surgeries on his hip, including repairing a tornlabrum and removingbone spurs.[23] He finished the 1999 season with an 8–5 record, a 3.53 ERA, and six saves.[18] His eight wins tied for the most among Cleveland's relief pitchers.[4] In 2000, new Indians' managerCharlie Manuel indicated the Indians would attempt to shift Shuey into the closer role.[18] When Shuey spent time on the disabled list,Steve Karsay served as the Indians' closer.[24] He again spent time on the disabled list in 2001 with a strained elbow ligament.[25]
As the 2002 trade deadline approached, teams interested in acquiring Shuey began to inquire on his availability.[26] On July 28, 2002, before the trade deadline, Shuey was traded to theLos Angeles Dodgers forTerry Mulholland and minor leaguersRicardo Rodríguez andFrancisco Cruceta. With the Dodgers in the playoff chase that season, they hoped to pair him with closerÉric Gagné to form a strong bullpen for the later portions of games.[21][22]
Though Shuey struggled upon joining the Dodgers, recording a 9.35 ERA in his first eleven appearances after the trade, he altered his approach and began to obtain better results, allowing no runs in his next five appearances.[27] Shuey played for the Dodgers through the end of the2003 season. During spring training prior to the2004 season, he tore a ligament in his thumb and reinjured his hip while fielding a bunt during his rehabilitation.[28][29] Shuey spent the entire season on the disabled list.[30] The Dodgers sued theHartford Life Insurance Company, who insured Shuey's contract, over Shuey's $3.25 million salary for the 2004 season, saying the insurance company did not honor their claim.[31]
Afree agent after the 2004 season, Shuey signed a minor league contract with the Indians to attempt a comeback in the 2005 season.[32] After pitching two innings for the Class-AAAkron Aeros, he retired due to pain in his right hip.[23][33]
Shuey sat out the whole2006 season, as he received a hip replacement.[1] The procedure, which involved installing a metal hip, was performed inMontreal, as it was not approved in the United States.[23] On February 2, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with the Orioles that included an invitation tospring training.[30] He suffered an injury and did not make the cut, and was sent to the minor leagues. He made one appearance for the Class-AABowie Baysox, and then joined theNorfolk Tides, the Orioles' Class-AAA affiliate. His contract was then purchased on June 19, 2007, and he appeared in that night's game against theSan Diego Padres.[34]
Though hisfastball was able to reach 95 miles per hour (153 km/h) earlier in his career, Shuey's fastball had difficulty reaching 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) due to his metal hip. On July 1, 2007, he recorded his firstsave since 2002, in a game against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He finished the 2007 season with a 9.82 ERA in 22 games.[1] In his penultimate appearance, in the first game of an August 22 doubleheader, he surrendered the last nine runs in a 30–3 defeat to theTexas Rangers, an American League record for most runs scored by a single team.[35][36] As his fastball increased in velocity, Shuey injured his back.[23] The Orioles gave Shuey his outright release on September 5.[37]
Shuey was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011[5] and the Millbrook High School Hall of Fame in 2012.[3]
Shuey lives with his family, including his wife Julie and three daughters; Morgan (born 1997), Casey (born 1998), and Kate (born 2006).[1][4][23] inWake Forest, North Carolina. He spends his time as a father, pitching coach, andbass fishing.[1] He overcameposttraumatic stress disorder, which resulted from a car accident in 1996.[38]
As of 2008[update], Shuey was competing in local bass fishing tournaments. He hoped to compete in theBassmaster Elite Series of theBass Anglers Sportsman Society.[1][2]
In 2013, Shuey began serving as an assistant coach of theBarton Bulldogs women's soccer team.[39]
· Baseball Almanac
