Frank Shea

Francis Joseph Shea, nicknamed "Spec" for his freckles, was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 through 1955. Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, he reached the majors with the New York Yankees as a 26-year-old rookie in 1947, debuting on April 19 of that year. His rookie season was his finest: he went 14-5 with a 3.07 ERA, 13 complete games, and three shutouts, leading the American League with a .737 winning percentage. He was selected for the 1947 All-Star Game, where he pitched three innings in relief and earned the win. That October he started three games in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, winning two as the Yankees took the championship. He pitched for the Yankees through 1951, then moved to the Washington Senators, where he played from 1952 to 1955. Over his career he compiled a 56-46 record with a 3.80 ERA and 361 strikeouts. Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen dubbed him "The Naugatuck Nugget" after his Connecticut hometown. He died July 19, 2002, in New Haven, Connecticut, at age 81.