| Danny Shay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: November 8, 1876 Springfield, Ohio | |
| Died: December 1, 1927 (aged 51) Kansas City, Missouri | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 30, 1901, for the Cleveland Blues | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 10, 1907, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .240 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 62 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Daniel Charles Shay (born Daniel Shea,[note 1] November 8, 1876 – December 1, 1927) was an American professional baseball shortstop, manager and scout in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Shay's baseball career was relatively mediocre, and he is probably most remembered for being acquitted in the shooting death of a black man in 1917.
The son of Irish immigrants, Shay was born in Springfield, Ohio. He played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), for the Cleveland Blues (1901), the St. Louis Cardinals (1904-1905), and the New York Giants (1907). Even during his early baseball career, Shay had several interests outside of playing the game. He owned a cigar shop, several race horses and a minor league baseball team. Shay did not play much after a finger amputation in 1905. He served as a minor league manager between 1908 and 1917.
While managing the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association during the 1917 season, Shay visited a hotel cafe in Indianapolis. He fatally shot black waiter Clarence Euell in an argument stemming from a request for sugar; he claimed self-defense. Race was a contentious issue in the city at that time, and during Shay's nine-day trial for murder, both the prosecutors and defense attorneys attempted to use racial or ethnic stereotypes to their advantage. Shay was acquitted of murder charges. In subsequent media coverage, the verdict was criticized as an injustice.
After being out of the game since his murder trial, Shay was hired as a scout in his last baseball role in 1923. He suffered a stroke and lost the use of his right arm and hand. Ten years after he was acquitted in the murder trial, he was found dead in a hotel room with a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities could not definitively rule out either suicide or murder.
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