We can safely retire that “Big Game James” nickname for James Shields now, right?
Shields didn’t give himself the nickname. Nor should he have, because you just shouldn’t give yourself a nickname. It has to be given to you or somehow earned. He got the tag while in the minor leagues, courtesy of teammate Chris Flinn, who was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and the real “Big Game James,” forward James Worthy.
Obviously, the nickname stuck with Shields as he ascended to the majors, became one of the Tampa Bay Rays’ best pitchers and eventually the ace of a Kansas City Royals team that ended a 29-year postseason absence. But at this point, you might wonder if Shields kind of hates this thing. The nickname is now often used derisively by fans, analysts and commentators because Shields simply hasn’t lived up to what it implies.
Shields certainly hasn’t been a “big game” pitcher in the postseason. In nine starts, he has a 3-5 record and 5.74 ERA with 68 hits allowed in 53.1 innings. That’s not exactly the résumé of a postseason pitching legend. Shields has been anything but an ace during the Royals’ playoff run, compiling a 7.11 ERA while yielding 28 hits over 19 innings in his four starts.
Kansas City needed its No. 1 starter to live to that nickname Tuesday night in Game 1 of the World Series. This is the situation that makes an ace’s reputation. Shields didn’t get the start because that’s how the Royals’ rotation worked out. With a six-day layoff, the team could set its starting staff exactly as it wanted. Manager Ned Yost could go with his top arm. He had to go with his No. 1 guy with the Giants pitching their ace, Madison Bumgarner.
The difference, obviously, is that Bumgarner pitched exactly the sort of game expected from a top starter. The 25-year-old left-hander dominated the Royals, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings with five strikeouts and one walk. He was so comfortable in the World Series setting that a postgame interview with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal seemed like a chat with a buddy by the bleachers after a game. Bumgarner was spitting after every sentence, sometimes in the middle of one.
Shields, meanwhile, seemed to feel every bit of the burden placed upon him. Instead of lifting the Royals that much closer to a World Series championship, he buckled and caved toward the ground, putting greatness that much further out of reach for his team. Five batters into the ballgame, Shields gave up two singles, a double and a home run, putting the Royals behind 3-0. The Giants may have built an even bigger lead, had Buster Posey not been thrown out at home plate in an ill-advised attempt to score.
“Big Game James” looked like he could still be “OK Game James” by getting through the second and third innings without allowing a runner on base. But Shields finally crumbled in the fourth, yielding a double to Hunter Pence (who hit that two-run homer in the first inning), letting him move to third base on a wild pitch, then walking Brandon Belt. Michael Morse followed up with a single, scoring Pence, and that ended Shields’ night.
In just three innings, Shields served up five runs and seven hits to the Giants. That inspired many to try and give “Big Game James” a new nickname, preferably something that rhymed with James.
Real Lame James? Rather Tame James? Oh, For Shame, James? Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News coined the tag “Three Frame James,” (and Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan ran with it) which might stick if Shields doesn’t follow up with a better effort in this World Series.
Unfortunately, Shields might not even get a chance to redeem himself.
In his postgame presser, Yost committed to Shields starting Game 5 of the series. It would be silly to write off the Royals after losing just one game in a best-of-seven series. This team can still beat the Giants for a World Series championship. Not being able to rely on Shields makes that road far more treacherous. But that path is even more difficult if Kansas City doesn’t pitch better and generate some kind of offense against the rest of the San Francisco rotation.
It’s entirely possible that this series doesn’t even go to a fifth game. That would leave MLB general managers with a bad final impression of Shields before he enters free agency as presumably the third-best starting pitcher on the open market.
Shields’ lackluster postseason performance has reinforced the belief that he’s not truly a No. 1 starter. While he put up impressive numbers in Tampa Bay, David Price was the top dog of the rotation. That’s a big reason why so many didn’t like the Royals giving up top prospect Wil Myers — a potential star for the next 10 years — and pitcher Jake Odorizzi in exchange for two seasons of Shields (along with Wade Davis).
However, it’s difficult to argue that the deal wasn’t worthwhile for Kansas City. Maybe Shields isn’t a true ace, but he’s been the No. 1 guy in the Royals’ rotation, compiling a 27-17 regular season record and 3.18 ERA. During his two years in Royal blue, he’s averaged 34 starts and 228 innings per season, while striking out seven batters per nine innings. That is exactly what any team wants from a top starting pitcher.
Ultimately, Shields’ regular season success will still earn him a big contract in free agency. But those postseason failures might cost him an extra year in any deal and probably prevent him from getting a nine-figure financial package. Had Shields pitched well during the Royals’ playoff run, a five-year, $100 million type of contract may have been in play. Huge Claim James!
But he’ll be 33 by spring training next year, and teams will likely shy away from committing to five years to a pitcher that age — even if he may be someone who can raise a team from good to great. Shields has shown he’s not someone who can be counted on by a contender to win two games — or maybe even three, on short rest — in a playoff series. A team can’t get to the postseason without strong starting pitching. Yet these playoffs have shown that a club can’t win on starting pitching alone.
The legend of “Big Game James” has been exposed as a myth. Tuesday night’s effort kicked that nickname into a deep, dark hole that will ultimately lead to it being forgotten. Shields may have pulled the Royals down with him too. If Kansas City rallies to win this World Series, it will be despite — not because of — their top starting pitcher. Considering Shields’ role in leading the Royals to postseason success, that would be a cruel, bitter irony.
