Shane Komine

From BR Bullpen

Shane Kenji Komine
(The Hawaiian Punch-Out)

BR page

Biographical Information[edit]

Shane Komine was a pitcher with the Oakland Athletics who made his major league debut on July 30, 2006, pitching 6 innings and giving up one earned run.

Komine graduated from Kalani High School in 1998, and then went to the University of Nebraska. He went 6-2 with 2 saves and a 3.58 ERA, making Baseball America's freshman All-American second team. In 2000, Shane put up an even better campaign, striking out 159 (leading the Big 12 Conference) and walking 31 in 125 innings. He went 11-4, tied for third in the conference in wins and posted a 2.24 ERA, fourth-best. He was named to the All-Conference team and was named the Big 12 player of the year. He was third in all of NCAA Division I in strikeouts, trailing Adam Johnson and Kenny Holubec and was a second-team All-American according to Baseball America.

Shane continued his fine collegiate career in 2001 by going 14-2 with a 3.35 ERA. He again led the conference in strikeouts (157) and also won the most games, while finishing sixth in ERA. He was All-Conference, the Conference Pitcher of the Year and second-team All-American. He was 4th in NCAA Division I in K's behind Mark Prior, Kenny Baugh and Justin Pope. He was picked in the 19th round of the 2001 amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals but did not sign.

Komine was 10-0 for Nebraska in 2002, with a 2.33 ERA and led the conference in Ks a third straight year at 115. His 2.33 ERA was third and he tied for third in wins. He missed the All-Conference team but was second-team All-America for the third season running. As of 2006, he was the all-time leader in wins and strikeouts for the university. The Oakland Athletics took him in the 9th round of the 2002 amateur draft, their Moneyball draft. He was signed by scout Jim Pransky and made his pro debut that summer.

Shane began his professional career in high-A ball, fairly rare for a player of that era, especially a 9th-round pick. He went 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA for the Visalia Oaks in 2002. In 2003, Komine went 6-0 in 8 starts for the Kane County Cougars, striking out 50 and walking 9 in 54 1/3 IP, with a 1.82 ERA. He spent most of the year with the Midland RockHounds, going 4-6 with a 3.75 ERA. At age 23, Komine went 4-5, 4.77 for Midland.

Plagued by arm trouble, Komine was 2-1, 3.16 for 2005 Midland, 0-1, 9.72 for the AZL A's and 0-0, 4.15 for the Stockton Ports, making only 11 starts, then missing half of the year due to Tommy John surgery.

He began 2006 with the Sacramento River Cats, going 9-7 with a 3.89. He earned his shot in the majors by having a tremendous July - 4-0 with an 0.31 ERA in 28 2/3 innings. He finished 11-8 with a 4.05 ERA for Sacramento and had a 5.00 ERA in two games for the Athletics.

Komine was worse in 2007, going 5-12 with a 4.87 ERA for Sacramento but still getting the start in the Bricktown Showdown. He suffered shoulder stiffness and was replaced in the 2nd by Kazuhito Tadano, who got the win. He pitched twice in relief for the Athletics, giving up 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings for a 4.70 ERA.

Primary sources: 2000-2006 Baseball Almanacs

Related Sites[edit]