Shane Reynolds is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He was born on March 26, 1968, in Bastrop, Louisiana, and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he played college baseball for the Longhorns.
Reynolds was drafted by the Astros in the third round of the 1989 MLB draft and made his major league debut in 1992. He quickly established himself as a reliable starter for the Astros, earning a reputation as a workhorse who could pitch deep into games. He had a career-best season in 1998, when he went 19-8 with a 3.51 ERA and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
Reynolds spent 11 seasons with the Astros, from 1992 to 2002, and ranks among the franchise's all-time leaders in several pitching categories, including wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. He was a key member of the Astros teams that won four National League Central division titles in five years from 1997 to 2001.
After leaving the Astros, Reynolds signed with the Braves as a free agent for the 2003 season. He had a solid year for the Braves, going 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA, but the team lost in the National League Division Series to the Chicago Cubs. Reynolds then signed with the Diamondbacks for the 2004 season, but struggled with injuries and was limited to just 11 starts.
Reynolds retired after the 2004 season with a career record of 114-96 and a 4.09 ERA. He was known for his control and ability to induce ground balls, and finished his career with a 2.33 ground ball to fly ball ratio. He also had a reputation as a good teammate and leader in the clubhouse.
Since retiring from baseball, Reynolds has worked as a television analyst for the Astros and as a coach at the high school and college levels. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
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