Bud Sheely

Hollis Kimball Sheely

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.
• School Saint Mary's College of California
• Debut July 26, 1951
• Final Game September 13, 1953
• Born November 26, 1920 in Spokane, WA USA
• Died October 17, 1985 in Sacramento, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

The son of Earl Sheely, Bud Sheely played in the majors for the Chicago White Sox, the same team for which his father had played most of his major league career. Both father and son came to the majors relatively late, with Bud starting at age 30 and Earl starting at 28. Earl, the White Sox first baseman of the 1920s was a .300 career hitter and his son, catcher Hollis "Bud" Sheely, hit .210 in 101 games in stays with the White Sox from 1951 to 1953.

Bud was attending St. Mary's University when he originally signed as an amateur free agent with the Boston Red Sox before the 1941 season. He spent two years in the minors (1941-1942), hitting .264 and .279 respectively. He as then called for military service the next three years (1943-1945), during World War II. Sheely spent the next five seasons in the minors (1946-1951), having a top-notch year with the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League in 1949, hitting at a .347 clip with 21 home runs while catching 116 games.

Bud had been released by the Red Sox before the 1946 season and signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates that same season. After appearing in only 38 games for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League in 1946, Bud was obtained by the White Sox before the 1947 season from the Hollywood club when it switched its minor league working agreement. Bud wound up with the Seattle Rainiers in 1951, where he was hitting at a .340 average in 65 games, when he was sent to Comiskey Park by his father, who was the Rainiers general manager at the time.

After Sheely's tour in the major leagues, he returned to the minors for two more seasons (1954-1955), both with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League. He was used sparingly and in 1955 at the age of 34, he decided to end his ten-year minor league career after 853 games and a .280 hitting average.

Sheely died October 17, 1985, at the age of 64, in Sacramento, CA, where he had been in the restaurant business.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page