Minor League Career
Shamsky began his professional baseball career as an 18-year-old with the 1960 Geneva Redlegs, and homered in his first at-bat. A roommate of Pete Rose that year, he hit .271 and slugged .480. His 18 homers were second in the league, well ahead of Tony Perez and Dick Allen. Shamsky led the league's outfielders in assists, and made the All-Star team.
He moved up to the Topeka Reds in 1961 and hit .288, slugging .469 with 15 home runs.
In 1962, he was with the Macon Peaches. Shamsky played with Pete Rose, Lee May, Darron Johnson, and Mel Queen on the Peaches.
By 1963, Shamsky made it up to the AAA level with the minor league San Diego Padres and hit .267 with 18 home runs. Repeating with San Diego the next year, he batted .272 and hit 25 home runs to finish 8th in the Pacific Coast League in that category and second on the Padres behind Perez's 34.
Read more about this topic: Art Shamsky
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