Alfred Shirley

Alfred Manuel Shirley

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 208 lb.
• High School George Washington High School (Danville)
• Born October 18, 1973

BR minors page

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Al Shirley was drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 1991 amateur draft out of high school. He made it as high as AA.

Shirley had a rough start to his pro career, hitting .176/~.234/.251 for the 1991 GCL Mets. He did however steal 17 bases in 51 games. Moving up to the Kingsport Mets in 1992, he hit .313/~.456/.576 with 9 steals in only 29 games. With the Capital City Bombers in 1993, Shirley continued to struggle mightily to get hits, but was beginning to show a good eye at the plate. In 240 AB, he hit .146/~.293/.267, with 50 BB and only 35 hits. Returning to Kingsport, Shirley hit only .180, but showed a good eye, with an OBP of ~.377 in 43 games. Back in the South Atlantic League in 1994, with the Bombers, Shirley got back over the Mendoza line at .213/~.294/.426, with 23 HR and 23 SB in 127 games, showing some of the raw talent at 20 that made him a #1 pick. In 1995, Shirley struggled at the high-A St. Lucie Mets, hitting .186/~.277/.333 with 5 HR and 8 SB in 183 AB.

1996 found Al Shirley with the Kansas City Royals chain. The Royals sent him to high-A again where he hit .229/~.340/.429 for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, with 17 HR and 8 SB in 15 attempts. In his first taste of AA, Shirley turned his best batting average, hitting .271/~.330/.479 in 240 AB with 4 HR and 9 SB (16 attempts). Shirley got into 32 more games for Wichita in 1998 to end his career, hitting .226/~.265/.409 with 5 HR in 93 AB.

In 1,952 minor league AB, Al Shirley managed a .212 average with 68 HR.