Paul Shuey

Paul Kenneth Shuey (born September 16, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player. Primarily a relief pitcher, Shuey pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians (1994–2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2003) and Baltimore Orioles (2007).

Paul Shuey
Shuey pitching for the Orioles
Relief pitcher
Born: (1970-09-16) September 16, 1970
Lima, Ohio
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 record45–28
Earned run average3.87
Strikeouts556
Teams

Shuey was honored as an All-American as a college baseball pitcher for the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team. The Indians selected Shuey with the second overall selection of the 1992 MLB draft. Envisioned as a comparable pitcher to Cincinnati Reds closer Rob Dibble, Shuey had more success as a setup 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 in bass fishing, competing in what he considers "Double-A"-level tournaments.

Early life

A native of Lima, Ohio, Shuey's family moved to North Carolina when he was ten years old.[2] Shuey's father taught him how to pitch.[3] He played American Legion and Babe Ruth League baseball with Everett Lindsay.[4]

Shuey attended Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.[5] With Millbrook, Shuey was a starting pitcher and right fielder. While pitching for the baseball team at Millbrook, Shuey threw a no-hitter against Garner High School. He was named to North Carolina's All-Triangle and All-State teams.[3]

College career

Shuey enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I. He served as the team's closer.[6] At UNC, Shuey was named a freshman All-American and All-ACC pitcher for the Tar Heels in 1990, as he had an 8-1 win–loss record and eight saves.[7] He led the team with 31 appearances, and the Tar Heels were the ACC regular season and tournament championships.[5]

Though he suffered a patellar tendon rupture in 1991, Shuey led the Tar Heels with a 1.70 earned run average (ERA) that season.[4] That summer, Shuey pitched for the United States national baseball team in the Pan American Games.[8] He led the team with a 3.13 ERA and 87 strikeouts in the 1992 season, in 69 innings pitched.[5][9] Shuey and Chad Holbrook won the team's S.H. Basnight Award as the team's most valuable players.[7] Through 2001, Shuey's career winning percentage (.818) ranked fourth all time in UNC history. He was a letterman in all three seasons at UNC.[10]

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

The Indians selected Shuey with their first round draft pick, the second overall selection, in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. The Indians envisioned that Shuey could develop into a closer similar to Rob Dibble of the Cincinnati Reds.[1] Shuey made his professional debut with the Columbus Red Stixx of the Class-A South 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 the Kinston Indians of the Class-A Carolina League in 1993, going 1–0 with a 4.84 ERA in 15 appearances,[5] and was promoted to the Canton–Akron Indians of the Class-AA Eastern 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 pitchers Steve Olin and Tim 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 since Greg Swindell during the 1986 season.[4] He made his MLB debut on May 8, 1994. On May 14, Shuey became the tenth American League pitcher to strike out four batters in an inning.[13] He also pitched for the Charlotte Knights of the Class-AAA International 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 the Buffalo Bisons of the International League in 1995, and spent time on the disabled list with an injured hamstring.[15] He also pitched for the Senadores de San Juan of the Puerto 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 the 1996 American League Division Series, which the Indians lost to the Baltimore Orioles.[17] Shuey received a three-year contract from the Indians at the start of the 1997 season, worth $3,203,000 guaranteed. An option year and performance bonuses made the maximum value of the contract $11,603,000 over four seasons.[16]

Shuey with the Orioles in July 2007

With José Mesa and Mike 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 in scoring 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 pitched ​6 1⁄3 scoreless innings for the Indians in the 1998 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 torn labrum and removing bone 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' manager Charlie 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]

Los Angeles Dodgers

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 the Los Angeles Dodgers for Terry Mulholland and minor leaguers Ricardo Rodríguez and Francisco Cruceta. With the Dodgers in the playoff chase that season, they hoped to pair him with closer Éric 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 the 2003 season. During spring training prior to the 2004 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 the Hartford 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]

Later career

A free 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-AA Akron Aeros, he retired due to pain in his right hip.[23][33]

Shuey sat out the whole 2006 season, as he received a hip replacement.[1] The procedure, which involved installing a metal hip, was performed in Montreal, 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 to spring 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-AA Bowie Baysox, and then joined the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles' Class-AAA affiliate. His contract was then purchased on June 19, 2007, and he appeared in that night's game against the San Diego Padres.[34]

Though his fastball 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 first save since 2002, in a game against the Los 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 the Texas 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]

Personal

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] in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He spends his time as a father, pitching coach, and bass fishing.[1] He overcame posttraumatic stress disorder, which resulted from a car accident in 1996.[38]

Shuey competes in local bass fishing tournaments. He is hoping to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society.[1][2]

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See also

References
  1. Kepner, Tyler (June 5, 2010). "Five Players Who Outranked Jeter, if Only Briefly". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  2. "Pitcher Turns Bass Pro: Former Major-Leaguer Paul Shuey Shoots For New Career". The Chattanoogan. April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  3. "Millbrook High School Hall of Fame" (PDF) (Press release). Millbrook High School. p. 5. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  4. "Paul Shuey Stats, Video Highlights, Photos, Bio". MLB.com. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  5. Hall, David (January 17, 2011). "Indians to honor Shuey on March 10". The Daily News. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  6. "Shuey is Wide Awake \ Tribe's New Reliever Hasn't Lost Sleep About Pitching In Majors". Akron Beacon Journal. May 8, 1994. p. D1. Retrieved October 2, 2012. (subscription required)
  7. "Carolina Baseball: Through the Years" (PDF). University of North Carolina. 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  8. Beaton, Rod (May 11, 1993). "Prospect Profile // Paul Shuey". USA Today. Retrieved April 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  9. Hente, Karl (June 1, 1992). "1992 Draft: As Deep As It Is Wide-Open". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  10. "North Carolina Baseball" (PDF). University of North Carolina. 2001. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  11. Atkinson, Charlie (June 2, 1992). "Raleigh Native Paul Shuey: Carolina Pitcher 2nd in Major League Draft". News & Record. p. C1. Retrieved August 24, 2012. (subscription required)
  12. "All-Time Top 100 Prospects". Baseball America. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  13. "Rare Feats: Four K's in one inning". MLB.com. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  14. "Indians send struggling pitcher to Buffalo; recall Paul Shuey". Portsmouth Daily Times. Associated Press. p. B1. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  15. "Baseball scene". Kansas City Star. May 6, 1995. p. D2. Retrieved May 10, 2012. (subscription required)
  16. "Indians Give Shuey 3-Year Contract Extension". Miami Herald. April 5, 1997. p. 7D. Retrieved May 10, 2012. (subscription required)
  17. "1996 League Division Series: Baltimore Orioles over Cleveland Indians (3-1)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  18. "Indians: Shuey is being groomed as a closer". The Vindicator. Associated Press. February 23, 2000. p. D3. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  19. "Shuey Shines In Rehab Stint With Two Scoreless Innings". The Buffalo News. May 6, 1997. Retrieved April 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  20. "Shuey Quietly Defining Role: Impressive Stretch Solidifies Future For Reliever". Akron Beacon Journal. September 21, 1998. p. D5. (subscription required)
  21. "Reliever Paul Shuey traded to Los Angeles: Cleveland got Terry Mulholland and two minor league pitchers in return". The Vindicator. Associated Press. July 29, 2002. p. C1. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  22. "Trade: Reliever Paul Shuey traded". The Vindicator. Associated Press. July 29, 2002. p. C5. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  23. Radford, Rich (May 4, 2007). "Paul Shuey set on returning to the majors". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  24. "Shuey Healthy, Returns to Bullpen". Lakeland Ledger. June 28, 2000. p. C4. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  25. "Indians' Bullpen Takes Hit With Loss of Shuey". San Jose Mercury News. July 24, 2001. p. 4D. Retrieved April 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  26. Shaikin, Bill (July 29, 2002). "Angel Report; Stoneman Loses Shuey to Dodgers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  27. Gutierrez, Paul (August 29, 2002). "Dodger Report; Shuey Suddenly Turns It Around". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  28. Jackson, Tony (July 5, 2004). "Dodgers Notebook: Gagne All-Star 3rd Year In Row". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2012. (subscription required)
  29. Hammond, Rich (July 7, 2004). "Continued praise for Gagne". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2012. (subscription required)
  30. Fordin, Spencer (February 2, 2007). "O's sign Shuey to Minor League deal". MLB.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  31. Gurnick, Ken (December 16, 2011). "Dodgers look to settle disability insurance dispute involving former reliever Paul Shuey". MLB.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  32. Hill, Justice B. (February 19, 2005). "Shuey hopes stuff returns in camp". MLB.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  33. "Indians reliever Paul Shuey retires". ESPN.com. April 27, 2005. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  34. Kubatko, Roch (June 20, 2007). "New approach can't halt O's skid: Team loses ninth straight, as interim manager Trembley tries to make his mark". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2012. (subscription required)
  35. "Really! Shuey was trying in Baltimore's 30-3 loss to Rangers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  36. "Boxscore, Texas @ Baltimore, August 22, 2007". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  37. "Bell rejoins Orioles, Shuey released". Associated Press. September 5, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2012. (subscription required)
  38. Ocker, Sheldon (March 9, 2002). "Indians' Shuey accustomed to interruptions". Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2012. (subscription required)

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