Duncan Says Brian Shouse Toughest Pitcher, Shouse Named Pitching Coach

By Chris Duncan
(Former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman, Currently a co-host with Anthony Stalter on a mid-day radio program on the St. Louis ESPN Radio Affiliate, WXOS called The Turn.

I’m sometimes asked to name the toughest pitcher I faced during my time in Major League Baseball. The answer might surprise you.

I’ve stared down a laundry list of big name flame throwers, including Justin Verlander, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, Ben Sheets, and Brad Penny.

I actually enjoyed facing a few of those names. I welcomed pitchers who were stubborn with their fastballs, thinking they had the gas to throw it by any batter. For me as a hitter, the harder the better…just don’t throw me anything slow with movement. That was my kryptonite.

Tony La Russa knew that about me, and he’d hold me out of games with junk ballers on the mound. It’s the reason I never faced Greg Maddux when he was with the Cubs, as much as I’d like to have that to brag about.

So, as a fastball hitter, names like Verlander and Oswalt weren’t my toughest opponents.

That title is reserved for a journeyman lefty named Brian Shouse. (Shouse

His name isn’t nearly as recognizable as the pitchers above, but Shouse had a sidearm delivery that’d throw a wrench into any hitter’s plan (Watch video of it below.).

Shouse pitched for the Brewers from 2006-2008, and I faced him at the peak of his career while I was playing for the Cardinals. His 2008 season was his best with Milwaukee, when he pitched in 69 games, with a 5-1 record and a 2.81 ERA.

Shouse threw the most loopy fastball you’d ever see, and it seemed to top out at 75 miles per hour. He’d usually follow with a slider that seemed to start in the dugout and break the entire way to the plate at around 65 MPH.

He threw absolute slop and made millions doing it. The guy cobbled together a ten-year career in the major leagues as the pitcher teams brought in to face that one big left handed batter most clubs have on their rosters.

I’d have nightmares about facing this guy when the Brewers were coming to town.

Brian Shouse; You may not know the name, but it’s one I can’t forget.

By Chris Duncan
(Former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman currently a co-host with Anthony Stalter on a mid-day radio program on the St. Louis ESPN Radio Affiliate, WXOS called The Turn.

I’m sometimes asked to name the toughest pitcher I faced during my time in Major League Baseball. The answer might surprise you.

I’ve stared down a laundry list of big name flame throwers, including Justin Verlander, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, Ben Sheets, and Brad Penny.

I actually enjoyed facing a few of those names. I welcomed pitchers who were stubborn with their fastballs, thinking they had the gas to throw it by any batter. For me as a hitter, the harder the better…just don’t throw me anything slow with movement. That was my kryptonite.

Tony La Russa knew that about me, and he’d hold me out of games with junk ballers on the mound. It’s the reason I never faced Greg Maddux when he was with the Cubs, as much as I’d like to have that to brag about.

So, as a fastball hitter, names like Verlander and Oswalt weren’t my toughest opponents.

That title is reserved for a journeyman lefty named Brian Shouse.

His name isn’t nearly as recognizable as the pitchers above, but Shouse had a sidearm delivery that’d throw a wrench into any hitter’s plan (Watch video of it below.).

Shouse pitched for the Brewers from 2006-2008, and I faced him at the peak of his career while I was playing for the Cardinals. His 2008 season was his best with Milwaukee, when he pitched in 69 games, with a 5-1 record and a 2.81 ERA.

Shouse threw the most loopy fastball you’d ever see, and it seemed to top out at 75 miles per hour. He’d usually follow with a slider that seemed to start in the dugout and break the entire way to the plate at around 65 MPH.

He threw absolute slop and made millions doing it. The guy cobbled together a ten-year career in the major leagues as the pitcher teams brought in to face that one big left handed batter most clubs have on their rosters.

I’d have nightmares about facing this guy when the Brewers were coming to town.

Brian Shouse; You may not know the name, but it’s one I can’t forget.

Sidenote to story: Shouse was born September 26, 1968 and is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Starting in 2001, Shouse pitched with a distinctive sidearm delivery, which replaced his earlier, more traditional, overhand delivery.

He grew up in Effingham, Illinois and graduated from EHS. Shouse played college baseball at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois from 1987 until 1990, when he signed with the Pirates after being drafted in the 13th round of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft. He is in the Bradley Braves Hall of Fame.

Shouse made his Major League debut in 1993, appearing in six games that season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would then spend several years in the minor leagues of the Pirates and Baltimore Orioles organizations and would not appear in the major leagues again until 1998, with the Boston Red Sox. Again, Shouse would experience a long drought from the major leagues after 1998 bouncing around the minor league organizations of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Houston Astros. His next MLB appearance would be in 2002 with the Kansas City Royals.

Shouse finally broke into the Majors to stay with the Texas Rangers, where he played from 2003-2006. During that time, he was effective as a reliever, earning 34 holds in 3+ years. As he began his fourth year with the Rangers, Shouse was traded in May to the Brewers for minor league prospect Enrique Cruz.

From 2006 through 2008, Shouse was a reliable member of the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen. He was usually used as a left-handed specialist along with his teammate Mitch Stetter. On February 10, 2009, Shouse signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays with an option for 2010. On November 18, 2009 Shouse's option was declined by the Tampa Bay Rays.[1] On January 13, 2010, Shouse agreed to a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox.[2] He was released on March 26. On July 5, 2010, Shouse agreed to a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Shouse retired as a player on December 1, 2010.

Shouse Named Pitching Coach

By Nathan Barnett / Frisco RoughRiders

FRISCO, TEXAS (February 29, 2016) - The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that former big league hurler Brian Shouse will serve as the pitching coach for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Rangers, this upcoming season.

Shouse, who was originally slated to be a part of the Class A-Short Season Spokane Indians' staff, fills the vacated spot of Steve Mintz. Mintz was set to become the RoughRiders new pitching coach this season but will instead manage the Hickory Crawdads. Crawdads manager Spike Owen will be the Rangers interim third base coach, serving in the position while Tony Beasley undergoes cancer treatment. Joey Seaver has joined the Short-A Spokane staff as pitching coach, taking Shouse's previous post.

Shouse, 47, is in his fifth season in the Texas organization. The former big league southpaw rejoined the organization prior to the 2012 campaign and worked with the Rookie AZL Rangers pitchers each of the last four seasons. In 2015, his staff posted a 3.44 ERA, good for sixth in the 14-team league. The staff was also second in the circuit in strikeouts (505).

As a player, Shouse appeared in 467 major league games with six teams from 1993-2009, mostly as a reliever, compiling a record of 13-10 and a 3.72 ERA. He was with the Rangers from 2003-06, working in 185 games, and also pitched for Pittsburgh (1993), Boston (1998), Kansas City (2002), Milwaukee (2006-08), and Tampa Bay (2009). He also briefly pitched in the Japanese Pacific League during the latter half of the 2009 campaign. From 2003-2008, Shouse appeared in 386 games, 9th-most among left-handed pitchers. An Illinois native, Shouse graduated from Bradley University, where he is a member of the Bradley Hall of Fame.

In Hickory, Mintz will be managing for the first time stateside after a winter at the helm of the Adelaide Bite, where he led the club to the championship of the Australian Baseball League.

Also recently added to the staff are coaches Sharnol Adriana and player/coach Carlos Maldonado. Shouse, Adriana, and Maldonado complete the staff under manager Joe Mikulik along with hitting coach Jason Hart, trainer Jacob Newburn, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Eric McMahon. Kyle Furin joins the organization as the new home clubhouse manager and Justin Aguilar as a Rangers video intern.

The RoughRiders will open their 2016 home schedule at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Thursday, April 14 and host 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 5. Season ticket packages and group and hospitality offerings for the RoughRiders 2016 season can be reserved by calling (972) 731-9200 or emailing info@ridersbaseball.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in March.