Individual Details
Andrew Kemper Shelton
(June 29, 1888 - January 9, 1954)
FAG 49847336
Andrew Kemper Shelton
Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
School West Virginia University
Debut August 25, 1915
Final Game September 1, 1915
Born June 29, 1888 in Huntington, WV USA
Died January 9, 1954 in Huntington, WV USA
Biographical Information
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Playing in the major leagues at all is an accomplishment. Even if they only play in one game, that player still reached the highest level of baseball. For ten games, Skeeter Shelton played in the highest level of baseball. It just didn’t go great when he got there.
After playing both baseball and football at West Virginia University, Andrew Kemper Shelton began playing in the minor leagues in 1911. In the minors, Shelton was given the nickname “Skeeter” due to his speed.
He played parts of four seasons for the Columbus Senators in the American Association. In August 1915 with the Yankees nearby in Cleveland, outfielder Roy Hartzell was injured, and Shelton was brought in as his replacement.
Shelton made his major league debut August 25, 1915 against the Indians. He was slotted into the five spot in the lineup and went 0-5 in a 3-2 Yankees win. The following day Shelton was back in the lineup. He drew a walk, but went 0-4 otherwise. In the next three games, he went a combined 0-11 with one walk.
In his sixth career game, Shelton picked up his first major league hit: a single. That one hit would be the only one of Skeeter Shelton’s major league career, and not for lack of trying. He played four more games after that, going 0-18 and never reaching base again.
Shelton’s final major league triple slash lines are .025/.071/.025. He has the lowest batting average ever among position players with at least one hit. By accounts of the day, Shelton was a solid fielding center fielder. Fielding percentage can obviously be deceiving, but he did he did finish with one of 1.000.
In modern day metrics, Shelton managed to put up -0.9 Baseball Reference WAR in 43 plate appearances. Fangraphs is a little more kind at -0.8. He also finished with a -69 wRC+.
Despite playing five full games before getting a hit, Shelton was never moved from the five spot in the batting order. Rookies usually start lower than that in the order in current times. A rookie would definitely be moved from fifth if they went 0-19 in their first five games.
Shelton played all ten of his games on the road, and never got the chance to play in New York. After his final game on September 1st, he returned to Columbus and finished the 1915 season there. He played one last season in minor league baseball the following year.
In his later life, Shelton became an attorney, and later coached baseball at West Virginia and baseball and football at Marshall. He died in 1954.
Skeeter Shelton was probably at least partially given the chance with the Yankees because he was nearby. It may not have gone how he wanted, but he played major league baseball, and that’s cool.
Sources
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sheltsk01.shtml
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1011861&position=OF
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/05661218
Data courtesy of the Baseball Reference Play Index
Shelton played for the New York Yankees in the 1915 season, appearing in 10 consecutive games over an eight-day period from August 25 to September 1. In his ten career games, he had one hit in 40 at-bats for a .025 batting average.
Skeeter Shelton was the baseball coach at West Virginia University from 1918 to 1920 and Marshall College in 1922-1923.
Andrew Kemper “Skeeter” Shelton
Birth: 29 Jun 1888 Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Death: 9 Jan 1954 (aged 65) Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Burial: Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial #: 49847336
Bio: Professional baseball player in 1915. Centerfielder for the New York Yankees.Cause of death: self-inflicted gunshot
Family Members
Parents
Joseph R Shelton 1855-1929
Anna Mary Poage Shelton 1859-1950
Spouse
Delilah Wiley Shelton 1890-1957
Siblings
Sallie Poage Shelton 1882-1883
Harvey Winston Shelton 1884-1957
Created by: Carol Tessein (46853728)
Added: 17 Mar 2010
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49847336?search=true
Citation: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 03 January 2018), memorial page for Andrew Kemper “Skeeter” Shelton (29 Jun 1888–9 Jan 1954), Find A Grave Memorial no. 49847336, citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Carol Tessein (contributor 46853728) .
Andrew Kemper Shelton
Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
School West Virginia University
Debut August 25, 1915
Final Game September 1, 1915
Born June 29, 1888 in Huntington, WV USA
Died January 9, 1954 in Huntington, WV USA
Biographical Information
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Playing in the major leagues at all is an accomplishment. Even if they only play in one game, that player still reached the highest level of baseball. For ten games, Skeeter Shelton played in the highest level of baseball. It just didn’t go great when he got there.
After playing both baseball and football at West Virginia University, Andrew Kemper Shelton began playing in the minor leagues in 1911. In the minors, Shelton was given the nickname “Skeeter” due to his speed.
He played parts of four seasons for the Columbus Senators in the American Association. In August 1915 with the Yankees nearby in Cleveland, outfielder Roy Hartzell was injured, and Shelton was brought in as his replacement.
Shelton made his major league debut August 25, 1915 against the Indians. He was slotted into the five spot in the lineup and went 0-5 in a 3-2 Yankees win. The following day Shelton was back in the lineup. He drew a walk, but went 0-4 otherwise. In the next three games, he went a combined 0-11 with one walk.
In his sixth career game, Shelton picked up his first major league hit: a single. That one hit would be the only one of Skeeter Shelton’s major league career, and not for lack of trying. He played four more games after that, going 0-18 and never reaching base again.
Shelton’s final major league triple slash lines are .025/.071/.025. He has the lowest batting average ever among position players with at least one hit. By accounts of the day, Shelton was a solid fielding center fielder. Fielding percentage can obviously be deceiving, but he did he did finish with one of 1.000.
In modern day metrics, Shelton managed to put up -0.9 Baseball Reference WAR in 43 plate appearances. Fangraphs is a little more kind at -0.8. He also finished with a -69 wRC+.
Despite playing five full games before getting a hit, Shelton was never moved from the five spot in the batting order. Rookies usually start lower than that in the order in current times. A rookie would definitely be moved from fifth if they went 0-19 in their first five games.
Shelton played all ten of his games on the road, and never got the chance to play in New York. After his final game on September 1st, he returned to Columbus and finished the 1915 season there. He played one last season in minor league baseball the following year.
In his later life, Shelton became an attorney, and later coached baseball at West Virginia and baseball and football at Marshall. He died in 1954.
Skeeter Shelton was probably at least partially given the chance with the Yankees because he was nearby. It may not have gone how he wanted, but he played major league baseball, and that’s cool.
Sources
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sheltsk01.shtml
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1011861&position=OF
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/05661218
Data courtesy of the Baseball Reference Play Index
Shelton played for the New York Yankees in the 1915 season, appearing in 10 consecutive games over an eight-day period from August 25 to September 1. In his ten career games, he had one hit in 40 at-bats for a .025 batting average.
Skeeter Shelton was the baseball coach at West Virginia University from 1918 to 1920 and Marshall College in 1922-1923.
Andrew Kemper “Skeeter” Shelton
Birth: 29 Jun 1888 Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Death: 9 Jan 1954 (aged 65) Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Burial: Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial #: 49847336
Bio: Professional baseball player in 1915. Centerfielder for the New York Yankees.Cause of death: self-inflicted gunshot
Family Members
Parents
Joseph R Shelton 1855-1929
Anna Mary Poage Shelton 1859-1950
Spouse
Delilah Wiley Shelton 1890-1957
Siblings
Sallie Poage Shelton 1882-1883
Harvey Winston Shelton 1884-1957
Created by: Carol Tessein (46853728)
Added: 17 Mar 2010
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49847336?search=true
Citation: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 03 January 2018), memorial page for Andrew Kemper “Skeeter” Shelton (29 Jun 1888–9 Jan 1954), Find A Grave Memorial no. 49847336, citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Carol Tessein (contributor 46853728) .
Events
| Birth | June 29, 1888 | Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia | |||
| Death | January 9, 1954 | Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia | |||
| Burial | Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia |
Families
| Father | Joseph R. Shelton (1855 - 1929) |
| Mother | Anna Mary Poage (1859 - 1950) |
| Sibling | Sally Poage Shelton (1882 - 1883) |
| Sibling | Harvey Winston Shelton (1884 - 1957) |