Shanks's BA usually hovered around .250 with little power, but his defensive versatility
kept him in the ML for 14 seasons; he had a strong arm and could play any infield
or outfield position well. In 1921, after nine years of constantly switching positions
for the Senators, he played the entire season at third 26
x
x
base. He hit an
uncharacteristic .302 and led the AL in triples (19).
(JK)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 14, 1914: The White Sox's Jim Scott pitches a no-hitter for nine innings, then loses to Washington 1–0 in the 10th. The first hit is by Chick Gandil, who scores on Howard Shanks' single. It is the first of a record three no-hitters that White Sox rookie C Ray Schalk will catch in his 17 years with the team.
»October 2, 1917: At Boston, the Red Sox and Senators divide a doubleheader, Washington winning 9–7 in 10 innings, then losing 2–1 in eight innings. Howard Shanks has four of the 15 Nats hits off Dutch Leonard in the first game as Doc Ayers wins in relief. Ayers and Carl Mays, both after bonus money, duel in the 2nd game, with Mays emerging the richer.
»September 11, 1923: After Yankee leadoff hitter Whitey Witt reaches first base on a controversial infield hit that is ruled a single, Boston P Howard Ehmke retires the next 27 batters for a 3–0 win, his 20th of the year. The Yankee crowd exhorts the scorer Fred Lieb to reverse his call on the hard grounder that 3B Howard Shanks booted, but the one hit stood. Ehmke has now given up just one hit in his last two games.
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