• James says he was always very competitive while growing up.

  "Growing up I had two older brothers. I was the youngest one and I always wanted to be better than them. I always wanted to beat them at everything. I never could beat them growing up but I always wanted to try," Shields said.

• "Just the way my Mom and Dad raised me, I've got to where I feel like I'm a competitor." That was back in Valencia, California. His parents are Jack and Cindy Shields; his older brothers are Jason, his senior by about five years, and Jeremy, about 2 1/2 years older.

  "They beat up on me quite a bit," Shields said, grinning. "We had a few broken noses when I was younger. But it was awesome. It was nice having older brothers to kind of show me what's going on and having competitions against. Whether it came to street hockey or three-on-three basketball or just playing a game of 'horse' out in the front yard, we were always just competing against one another."

• James' Dad, Jack Shields, was a building contractor for about 30 years and competed for business. That trait was passed down to his sons.

  "He always wanted me to just go out there and learn things on my own and just kind of coach me when I'd get home," James Shields said. "He never was that dad that was always involved in the coaching and things like that, he just always let me go out and figure it out on my own."

  The drive to compete was accompanied by provisos.

  "He taught us how to be competitive but how to really stay true to yourself and be accountable for your actions," Shields said. "Anything I did growing up, he always made me accountable for what I did."

• His mother, Cindy, was competitive, too. "She raised three boys, she had to be," Shields said. "She was catching bullpens until I was about 8 years old and then she had to stop. She was out there playing catch with us and then we got to the point where we were throwing too hard for her."

• As a youngster, Shields excelled at playing trumpet and sat in the first chair while playing in the elementary school band from fourth through sixth grades. Though he does not remember his best song, he does remember his instrument.

  "It was the school rental," said Shields, who explained that the best trumpets were silver, but his was brass.

  Touched by the story of her husband's days as a musician, Ryane Shields made a purchase for James.

  "I always told her when we first started dating that I was a big trumpet player back in the day, but we couldn't afford the silver trumpet," Shields said. "So she ended up getting me a silver trumpet. She did that four or five years back.

  "I've tried to play [the silver trumpet]. But I can't even play a note anymore. One of these days, I might try and get back into it ... take some lessons."

  Evan Longoria likes to play the drums. When Shields was asked if he would like to accompany Longoria, Shields smiled: "I think I need about at least a year's worth of lessons before I get back into the band."

• Jamie was asked about his worst Minor League bus trip by Buster Olney of ESPN.

  "The worst one I ever had started in Charleston, South Carolina, when we left for a road trip," said Jamie. "We got on the bus and found out there was no air conditioning, so we were already mad. Then, about two hours into it, there was dead-stop traffic ahead with a little rain on the ground. Our bus driver slammed on his breaks and we went sideways on the highway. Luckily, we didn't hit anyone, but it was really scary. I couldn't take my eyes off the road for the next five hours, while sweat dripped down my face from not having any AC," Shield related.

• Before 2006 spring training, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Jamie as the 12th-best prospect in the Rays' organization.

• Shields' wife, Ryane, and daughter, Ashtyn, who was born in August 2003, were with Jamie when he made his Major League debut on May 31, 2006. Also at the game were his his parents, Cindy and Jack, and his brother, Jeremy, all from California, in addition to his best friend.

  AARON ROWAND'S COUSIN

• Shields' Mom, Cindy, and Aaron Rowand's mother, Connie, are sisters. James and his cousin, former big leaguer Aaron Rowand grew up about 40 minutes apart in Southern California. "Jamie was the guy who wanted to play with us, and we'd tell him to beat it," Rowand said. "He was the rug rat, but ended up being taller than all of us."

  "All of us" means Rowand, his brother, and Shields' two brothers. (Ken Mandel-MLB.com-6/16/06)

• In 2003, Aaron Rowand rattled his younger cousin's cage, questioning Jamie's lack of preparation and inability to utilize his talent.

  "I let him know he couldn't sit back and depend on what God gave him," Rowand said as Shields was pitching so well for the Rays in the 2008 post-season. "He seemed very receptive. He made the effort to change his work habits."

  Jamie appreciated the advice, saying, "Not many people get an opportunity to have a cousin who's in the big leagues kind of show you the way."

• Though Shields and Aaron Rowand both wore the number 33, Jamie said it was a coincidence. Shields said his coach at Hart High School in Newhall, California, gave him the number because other star pitchers at the school (including a future Major Leaguer, Andrew Lorraine) had worn it.

  “The first time I ever saw Rowand play, he was at Cal State-Fullerton,” Shields said. “I looked at him and he was wearing No. 33, and I said, that’s my number, too. I’ve stuck with it ever since.”

• In June 2006, Shields was a big part of a surge by the Devil Rays, with four wins and a no-decision in his five starts since being called up from AAA Durham on May 27. And with such success, one thing is sure to follow: a nickname.

  "Big-game James," said teammate Ruddy Lugo, who's locker was next to Shields.

  The national media picked up on the "Big Game James" nickname. But in the Tampa/St. Pete region, he's still known as James Shields. (May 2010)

• April 27, 2007: Shields credited his pregame meal for a stellar performance against the A's. Jamie, a California native, enjoys hamburgers from In-N-Out Burger and tanked up on one prior to his start.

  "I had one. I'm a Cali' boy, got to have it animal style," Shields said. "See, not many people around the country know about animal style now—you just grill the onions."

  Shields pitched eight strong innings giving up only four hits and striking out nine in the D-Ray's 4-1 win.

• Shields' alma mater, Hart High School, has produced several professional athletes. Jamie went to school with Jerry Owens, who is now an outfielder in the White Sox organization, and Kyle Boller, the quarterback with the Baltimore Ravens. Todd Zeile and Kevin Millar are also Hart High alums.

• June 13, 2007: Shields got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Ryane Barber. "I just took her to the Don Caesar [hotel] for breakfast," said Shields explaining where he proposed. "That's her favorite time of the day. We don't get the chance to go out to dinner too much. And we did the old breakfast on the beach thing."

  After the 2007 season, Jamie and Ryane were married in Hawaii. She has a photography business. Their first child, a daughter, was born April 7, 2010.

• James grew  up in an all-American family setting where both parents were present along with two older brothers. So he knew how much it meant to have a great family life. Meanwhile, Ryane, his wife experienced the other side of the coin, longing for what she did not have. So Ryane was probably the heart behind the Shields' involvement in donating to Foster Care.

  "I'm an only child and my parents were never married, so I always played the back and forth game," Ryane said. "When I was about 15, my dad ended up taking off and I had to end up living with my aunt. So that's where I can empathize where foster kids are coming from. Not really feeling comfortable in your own setting. And not having your own home or your own bedroom, that kind of stuff.

  "I can can kind of get a sense about how they might feel. That doesn't even compare, because I still had parents. That's kind of why I have such a big heart for these kids because I can kind of empathize with how they feel. And not having any family or anybody to call theirs just breaks my heart. So anything we can do to bring recognition to them."

  Given both of their backgrounds, each understood the value of having a family, though both reached their perspectives from different ends of the spectrum. Thus, they agreed they wanted to give back, when and if James reached a position to do so. But that time did not come quickly. The couple had to carefully manage James's signing bonus after he was selected by the Rays in the 16th round of the 2000 draft. That money had to be wisely spread over five years before he finally reached Tampa's Tropicana Field and began earning a Major League wage. (Bill Chastain-MLB.com-11/27/10)

• Once in a position to help others, the Shields got involved with The Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay and Eckerd Youth Alternatives.

  Each year since getting involved with The Heart Gallery, the Shields have provided a "Heart Gallery Night at the Rays" where the Gallery is on display and many children get to attend and participate in pre-game events.

  In July 2010, James and Ryane cut the ribbon on the "Big Game James Clubhouse"—Suite 42 at Tropicana Field—for foster kids served by The Heart Gallery and Eckerd Youth Alternatives. (Bill Chastain-MLB.com-11/27/10)

• As of 2014 James and his wife his, Ryane (nee Barber), have two daughters.

• Jamie has a strong work ethic and mental makeup and a great attitude.

• He plays the trumpet and is a good cook.

• May 9, 2011: Shields attended funeral services in Los Angeles for his great grandmother, who had died at age 97.

• During their time in Tampa Bay, Shields and his wife, Ryane, started the “Big Game James Club” and invited foster children to games at Tropicana Field. Even though Shields is gone, the Rays plan to continue the initiative in his name this season. That’s gratifying news to Shields, who said several foster children in the program were adopted during his time with the Rays.

• Shields was wearing a yellow fluorescent vest, a blue cap and waving a red flag. He was taking charge—at the gate of the Royals players' parking lot at the training complex in March 2013.

  "Hi, I'm James Shields. Welcome," he'd greet drivers he didn't already know. Big smile. Handshake. Chit-chat. Then, a wave of the red flag. Go that way.

  Shields and rotation buddy Jeremy Guthrie were pulling a prank with a purpose. Dressed like parking lot attendants, they were reminding the minor league kids to respect the Major League players by leaving the prime parking spots for them. Plus, it was a hoot.

  "Spring training's very monotonous, and this was a fun thing that me and Guthrie decided to do, and everyone had a blast with it. As long as we can make everyone laugh coming into this clubhouse and keep these guys loose, it's going to be good," Shields said.

  There was another motive.

  "I kind of feel like I'm the new guy around here," Shields said. "So it was nice to meet all the guys in the minor league camp."

  "If you watch him, he's always talking to somebody different," Royals manger Ned Yost said. "He's got his little core groups. You watch him in the outfield and he's talking to young guys, and he'll slide over and talk to this guy and he'll slide over and talk to that guy. And it's no more than getting to know them and talking to them. But that's important. We don't do enough of that."

  As a coach with great Atlanta Braves teams, Yost watched veteran pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux take leadership roles, but Shields travels his own course.

  "He's investing in them, he's getting to know them so that they can develop a trust or bond, so that he can help them get better. Pretty amazing. I've never really seen a player [do it that way]," Yost said. "Glavine and Maddux always did that, but they did it in a different manner. They did it, but most of their time was spent in the video room with a young pitcher. Tommy would take the lefties and Maddux would take the young righties and they'd talk about things. He does it on a grander and more expanded way."

  Shields credits his cousin Aaron Rowand, a Major League outfielder for 11 years (White Sox, Phillies, Giants), with passing along some worthwhile lessons.

  "He's definitely that way," Shields said. "He didn't have the greatest talent in the world. He had talent, but he out-worked everybody and he really taught me a lot about the game of baseball and how to approach it, how to create a good team chemistry. He had two World Series rings." (Dick Kaegel-MLB.com-3/26/13)

• When the Royals win a game, a neon sign lights up on the clubhouse wall and is symbolically presented to the "King of the Game."

  "It's the Texas Heart Shot Award," pitcher James Shields said. "I guess it's a hunting thing."

  Shields called a neon sign company and had the thing custom-made. It features a deer, a crown for the "king" and a "W" for a win.

  "I like to have fun," Shields said. "I'll tell you what, the whole meaning behind it is just basically, if a guy goes 0-for-3, 0-for-4 and we win the game, that's all that really matters. So the sooner we celebrate the win, the sooner they're going to forget about their 0-for-4 game and we move on to the next day and they're going to want to be the next guy to win the next ballgame."

  The post-victory award occasions whooping, hollering and frivolity. Manager Ned Yost endorses the idea.

• September 11, 2013: Shields brings with him a flair for helping his teammates. Jamie instituted a rousing in-house celebration after each of the Royals' victories during a season that included a stretch run in pursuit of a Wild Card playoff berth.

  The noisy eruptions included lighting of a neon sign, clouds of steam, shaving cream pies, and bonding among the players that seemed to last. It was unusual in baseball, but Shields thought it helped relieve pressure off players.

  "The players in the organization were putting a lot of pressure on themselves to win every single day," Shields said. "When you get back to having that Little League attitude—that when you're younger, you just don't care, you just want to play baseball. One-hundred and sixty-two games is a grind, and I just wanted to bring in something a little unusual, just to keep our minds off it. 

  "Obviously the characters in the clubhouse kind of created that atmosphere, and I just wanted something that bonded us together as a team. You saw it last night with Boston. Every single person that you see and hear in the interviews after the game said the same thing about brotherhood, bonding, and chemistry, and that's what got 'em there. So I feel like that's what we needed to do here in Kansas City."

• 2014: There is a dog trainer who is a Tampa Rays' season ticket holder that has named her black Lab "Big Game James" in honor of Shields. His nickname is "Shieldzy." James finally had a chance to meet the dog while in Tampa during a Rays matchup. The dog is currently the "Grand Champion" of the US. He will be competing for the world title in December 2014.

  When Aaron Rowand was a kid and playing baseball with his three cousins, the youngest of that group, Jamie, often was deemed too small to join in the action.

  "Believe it or not, Jamie was the runt who wanted to play with us," said Rowand via a phone interview concerning the Royals' ace and close family member. "We were always like, 'You are too small. Get out of here.' Now, he's taller than all of us."

  Part of that reason for Shields' on-field excellence now can be attributed to help from his cousin. Shields was having arm troubles and couldn't stay healthy coming through the Minors, missing the entire '02 season because of right shoulder surgery. So, Rowand got his cousin involved with an intense offseason workout program in Las Vegas, run at Tim Soder Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, where Rowand was a charter participant in rehabbing the severe injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident from November 2002.

  Shields said  that he showed up a minute late for the first workout session, always beginning at 6:00 a.m., and Rowand told him to go home and not embarrass him, because it wasn't the work ethic they had there. When asked about that story, Rowand laughed and said, "That was pretty much word for word."

  On one occasion, Rowand remembers Shields and a friend from the Rays' organization had enjoyed a night out in Las Vegas, but Shields slept in his car in the parking lot at Soder's facility to avoid being late for the workout. Shields eventually became the individual leading the offseason workouts for pitchers and showing the new guys the ropes at Soder's facility before he moved to Florida after going through those workouts for three offseasons.

  "I'm not taking any responsibility because he's the one who put in the time and effort," said Rowand of Shields, who he keeps in steady contact with and played golf with in Las Vegas during a Shields' off day in September 2014. "He has one of the best work ethics of anyone I've ever been around in this game.

  "A lot of his success can be attributed to how hard he worked in the offseason. You can tell by his lack of arm injuries. He's in great shape. After those first couple of Minor League seasons, he started staying healthy, his velocity went up. He's a true talent, a true workhorse. I'm super pumped for where he is now." (By Scott Merkin 2014).

            TRANSACTIONS

• June 2000: The Devil Rays chose Jamie in the 16th round, out of Hart High School in Newhall, California. Shields signed with D'Rays scout Fred Repke.

• January 23, 2008: Jamie and the Rays agreed on a four-year, $11.25 million contract. The pact includes three team options that could make it worth about $38 million over seven years. Performance bonuses could boost the value to approximately $44 million.

  October 31, 2011: The Rays picked up the $7 million option for Shields for 2012.

  October 30, 2012: Tampa Bay again picked up Jamie's option for $10.25 million for 2013.

• December 9, 2012: The Royals sent their top prospects, Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi, along with lefty Mike Montgomery and third baseman Patrick Leonard, to the Rays; acquiring Shields and Wade Davis.

• October 31, 2013: Shields had his 2014 contract option picked up by the Royals ($13.5 million).

• February 9, 2015: Free agent Shields signed a four-year deal with the Padres that pays him $75 million.

• June 4, 2016: The Padres traded Shields and cash to the White Sox for RHP Eric Johnson and 3B Fernando Tatis Jr,

  San Diego also provided significant cash considerations with $58 million still owed to Shields. The White Sox will pay $27 million of what's remaining, with $5 million coming this season and $10 million in each of the next two seasons if the veteran hurler doesn't opt out after the '16 season, as he contractually can.

  A $16 million club option exists on Shields for 2019, with a $2 million buyout.

  "We are quite pleased to add a pitcher of James' caliber to our rotation," said White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn. "It's going to provide some stability and depth to the rotation. James' presence is not only going to make that rotation stronger, but it's going to have a positive effect on the bullpen given his ability to go deeper into games." (S Merkin - MLB.com - June 4, 2016)

• Oct 29, 2018: Shields elected free agency.

• Shields is not overpowering with an 88-93 mph 4-seam FASTBALL, but he has very good command of it. He doesn't use his 87-92 mph SINKER. He also has a strong CUTTER that is 85-88 mph. His 82-85 mph CHANGEUP is his best pitch and is one of the best in the game. It has excellent arm-side fading action and good deception, having the same arm speed as his heater. And Jamie has a very good 77-80 mph knuckle-CURVEBALL, along with a 68-71 mph slow CURVE.  (October, 2017)

  Jamie uses his curve to change the plane on a hitter.

  "I've got a changeup that's kind of a 'show-it-to-them' [pitch]," Shields said. "And I've got a put-out changeup. And I use them both in different kinds of situations. Sometimes I use them at the beginning of the count, sometimes at the end of the count."

  And his changeup is self-taught, he developed it by "messing around one day.I picked up a baseball and just started moving it around a little bit," Shields explained. And that change is almost as good  as it gets, taking a late dive in the hitting zone. James can even throw it three times in a row.

• 2016 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball: 31.6% of the time; Sinker 12.6% of the time; Change 20.7%; Slider 1.5% of the time; Curve 14.6%; Cutter 18.4% of the time; and Slow Curve .6% of the time.

• 2017 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball: 33.1% of the time; Sinker 5.3% of the time; Change 11%; Curve 20.2%; Cutter 25.7% of the time; and Slow Curve 4.7% of the time.

• During the 2014 season, James threw his fastball 41.8% of the time, averaging 91.4 mph. He threw his cutter 18.3% of the time (averaging 86.6 mph), his changeup 22.1% (at 84.2 mph) and his curveball 18.7% (at 76.5 mph on avg.).

• Shields streamlined his delivery in 2011. Before that, it was more side-to-side. That caused his cut fastball to leak back over the heart of the plate too often; and his curveball would go flat.

  "Now," Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey says, "He is direct to the plate and nothing is flattening out." (May 2011)

• Jamie is a blue-collar pitcher. He doesn't like to leave the game. So he pitches a lot of innings. He throws strikes, rarely walking hitters.

  He is a very competitive pitcher who seems to feed off the big moments. As pitchers go, he is the one who wants to be on the street at high noon, the one in the cockpit when the sky gets turbulent, the one cutting the bomb wires in the final scene of the James Bond movie.

  Hence, his nickname: Big Game James. He has been called that for years, since a minor league teammate named Chris Flynn—a fan of Lakers forward "Big Game" James Worthy—hung it on him.

  "I feel like I have an old school soul,” Shields said during 2013 spring training. “I pride myself on going deep in games. I don’t care if I give up four runs or no runs. I like saving the bullpen. I think it’s very important. I don’t want the manager to come take the ball from me.” (Gary Shelton-St. Petersburg Times)

• Shields' commands his fastball better than ever. He throws it where he wants to. And he picks better spots/counts to throw it on. His curve has also improved, and he uses it more, taking some pressure off his great changeup. (September 2011)

  FIRSTS

• June 1, 2006: Shields made his Major League debut vs the Orioles.

  "I like what I saw," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "That's a Major League pitcher."

  Shields gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings, while striking out five. He used his offspeed pitches well, notably his changeup.

  "From the side, it's incredible because you can't tell the difference from his fastball and his changeup," Maddon said. "It's a power change."

• June 5, 2006: Shields threw 7 scoreless innings to get his first Major League win against the Angels. 

• Jamie pounds the bottom of the strike zone, throwing strikes and inducing ground balls.

• When Shields was a kid, he said, he had a bit of a temper and was overly emotional on the mound. Today, Jamie is a rock who expresses little emotion on the mound. When errors are committed, he shakes it off and goes after the next hitter.

• August 7, 2010: Shields allowed a modern MLB record-tying six home runs while pitching against the Toronto Blue Jays.

• In 2011, Shields pitched 11 complete games, leading the Major Leagues. And they were the most since Randy Johnson had 12 in 1999.

  The California native also became the first pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1992 to toss at least 11 complete games and record four shutouts in the same season.

  Shields has now surpassed 200 innings in six consecutive seasons, and his ability to consistently pitch late into ballgames is something he has taken pride in throughout his big league career. His 249 innings were the second-most innings pitched in the Majors in 2011. (Spring 2013)

• In 2013, James led the American League with 228 2/3 innings and in quality starts with 27, most by a Royals pitcher since Kevin Appier's 29 in 1993. It was in the second half when Shields' season really picked up. After the All-Star break, he had a 9-3 record and a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts. Shields also had the AL's best ERA in road games, 2.07, with a 10-3 record.

• May 13, 2014: Shields notched his 1,500th strikeout.

• Since 2007 with the Rays, Shields has posted eight straight seasons with at least 30 starts made, 200 innings pitched, at least 160 strikeouts and double-digit wins. Shields has produced 249 1/3 innings, 227 2/3, 228 2/3 and 227 innings in each of the last four years, respectively. (As of the start of the 2015 season.)

• If there's any one thing James has been known for during his Major Leagues career, it's his durability. On September 27, 2015, Shields eclipsed the 200-inning mark for the ninth time in nine seasons—a feat no other current big league pitcher had pulled off at the time.  (Editor's note: In 2016, he fell short of 200 innings, breaking the streak.)

• 2017 Changes: Shields changed to a side-arm delivery.

• September 26, 2018:  For the 10th time in the last 12 seasons, Shields reached 200 innings for the year. Shields became the eighth pitcher in MLB this season to throw at least 200 innings, and he has more 200-inning seasons since 2007 than all pitchers except Justin Verlander.

• As of the start of the 2019 season, Shields career record was 145-139 with 4.01 ERA, having allowed 361 home runs and 2,581 hits in 2,616 innings.

• Shields has one of the best pickoff moves in the game.

• In 2013, three runners fell victim. Shields has 27 pickoffs since 2006, the most in that span by a righthanded pitcher.
  
  
  
  
• The Baseball America 2018 Best Tools Survey had James with the 2nd-best pickoff move in the AL, behind only Marco Gonzales.

• June 17, 2006: While clearly honing his pitching skills this season on the mound, Shields has shown he hasn't forgotten how to hit. After hitting well vs. the Phillies, D-Rays Manager Joe Maddon took note of his batting prowess.

  "We found out that we could use him in pinch-hitting situations," Maddon said.

  "It was a lot of fun," Shields said. "I haven't swung the bat in a while. This is the first time since high school."

• 2004: Shields suffered with tendinitis in his right shoulder.

• 2005: Jamie spent the first month of the season on the D.L. with more pain in his right shoulder.

• April 21-June 18, 2017: Shields was on the DL with strained right lat.