Ben Shields

{{Short description|American baseball player (1903–1982)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{no footnotes|date=June 2012}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ben Shields

|position=Pitcher

|image=Shields, New York, 1924 LOC npcc.11021.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date|1903|6|17|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Huntersville, North Carolina, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1982|1|24|1903|6|17}}

|death_place=Woodruff, South Carolina, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 17

|debutyear=1924

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 23

|finalyear=1931

|finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=4–0

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=9

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=8.27

|teams=

• New York Yankees ({{mlby|1924}}–{{mlby|1925}})
• Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1930}})
• Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1931}})

}}

Benjamin Cowan Shields [Lefty or Big Ben] (June 17, 1903 – January 24, 1982) was a middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from {{By|1924}} through {{By|1931}} for the New York Yankees (1924–1925), Boston Red Sox (1930) and Philadelphia Phillies (1931). Listed at {{height|ft=6|in=5.5}}, 195 lb., Shields batted right-handed and threw left-handed. He was born in Huntersville, North Carolina.

In a four-season career, Shields posted 4–0 record with an 8.27 earned run average (ERA) in 13 appearances, including two starts, two complete game, nine strikeouts in 41{{fraction|1|3}} innings pitched. He never lost a game despite his high ERA of 8.27; he benefited from pitching for a powerful Yankees team that featured Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig among others. He recorded three of his wins towards the end of the 1925 season, winning games by scores of 6–5, 7–6, and 9–8 respectively. He would record an additional win by pitching four scoreless innings in a 1931 game for the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he had entered that game having given up seven earned runs in ⅔ of an inning which calculated to an ERA of 94.50. It lowered to 13.50 after the outing that resulted in his fourth win, but only appeared in one major league contest after that.

Shields died at the age of 78 in Woodruff, South Carolina.