| Nap Shea | |
| Position: | Catcher |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 23 May 1874 |
| Birth Place: | Ware, Massachusetts |
| Death Place: | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | September 11 |
| Debutyear: | 1902 |
| Debutteam: | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Finalleague: | MLB |
| Finaldate: | September 15 |
| Finalyear: | 1902 |
| Finalteam: | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Games played |
| Stat1value: | 3 |
| Stat2label: | At bats |
| Stat2value: | 8 |
| Stat3label: | Hits |
| Stat3value: | 1 |
| Teams: | |
John Edward "Nap" Shea (May 23, 1874 - July 8, 1968), nicknamed "Napoleon", was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1902. He stood at 5' 5", weighed 155 lbs., and batted and threw right-handed.[1]
Shea was born in Ware, Massachusetts.[1] He started his professional baseball career in 1894 and played for the New England League's Brockton Shoemakers for four seasons. In 1896, he batted a career-high .344 and slugged .452.[2] Shea then played in the New York State League from 1899 to 1902. He hit .323 in 1901. Early in the following season, he was sidelined by appendicitis[3] but then recovered and hit .300 for the Ilion Typewriters.[2]
Shea was acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies and played three games for them in September. In 10 plate appearances, he went 1 for 8 with a walk and a hit by pitch.[1] The next season, he caught for the Eastern League's Newark Sailors and stayed on that team for a few years.[2] He batted under .200 during most of his time at Newark, but the Sporting Life wrote that he was "one of the best backstops" in the league.[4]
Shea was sold to the Syracuse Stars in March 1908,[5] and he played one season there before retiring from professional baseball.[2] He died in 1968 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.[1]