Howard Shanks made baseball a way of
life for 32 years and was a versatile major leaguer for fourteen of
them. There was no baseball team at Monaca High
School when Howard graduated in 1907, but he made up for it by
playing sandlot and semipro ball in Monaca, Rochester, Beaver Falls,
East Liverpool, and Youngstown before being drafted by the
Washington Senators in 1912. He played every position except pitcher
and catcher during twelve seasons with the Senators but had his
best season in 1921 when he played all 154 games at third base. He
batted .302 that year and led the American League in triples. Shanks
was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1923 and played most of two
seasons with them. He finished his major league career after playing
with the New York Yankees during the 1925 season. After that, he was
active in the minor leagues as both a player and manager until
1939. He died of a heart attack in 1941 at the age of 51 and his
posthumous award was accepted by his brother-in-law,
Hube Wagner.
Howard Shanks made baseball a way of
life for 32 years and was a versatile major leaguer for fourteen of
them. There was no baseball team at Monaca High
School when Howard graduated in 1907, but he made up for it by
playing sandlot and semipro ball in Monaca, Rochester, Beaver Falls,
East Liverpool, and Youngstown before being drafted by the
Washington Senators in 1912. He played every position except pitcher
and catcher during twelve seasons with the Senators but had his
best season in 1921 when he played all 154 games at third base. He
batted .302 that year and led the American League in triples. Shanks
was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1923 and played most of two
seasons with them. He finished his major league career after playing
with the New York Yankees during the 1925 season. After that, he was
active in the minor leagues as both a player and manager until
1939. He died of a heart attack in 1941 at the age of 51 and his
posthumous award was accepted by his brother-in-law,