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Chris Shelton (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Bob Shelton (born June 26, 1980 in Salt Lake City, Utah
) is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
for the New York Mets
organization.
, he played at Cottonwood High School
, Salt Lake Community College
, and the University of Utah
.
in the 33rd round, although he never made the team's 40-man roster. Unprotected, he was selected by the Detroit Tigers
in the Rule 5 Draft
. In 2004, he played sparingly because the Tigers had to keep him on their roster because of the Rule 5 rules. He only batted 57 times.
While in Detroit, due to his red hair
and prodigious batting, he had earned various nicknames, such as "Red Pop" (a reference to the Detroit-made Faygo
beverage) from the Tiger faithful. Tigers play-by-play commentators
Rod Allen
and Mario Impemba
often called him "Big Red" or "Orange Crush
."
On April 15, 2004, Shelton made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers as a pinch hitter
against the Toronto Blue Jays
. He went hitless in two at-bats as Roy Halladay
pitched a complete game
shutout against the Tigers.
In , Shelton hit nine home run
s in the first 13 games of the season; this made him the fastest player in American League
history to reach that mark at that point in a season. He also became the fourth player in baseball history to hit at least nine home runs in his team's first 13 games; he trails only Mike Schmidt
in , Larry Walker
in , and Luis Gonzalez
in in that regard. He earned the American League Player of the Week accolade for April 3, 2006. Shelton's power dropped significantly after April, however, and on July 31, 2006, he was optioned to Triple-A
Toledo
to make room for Sean Casey, whom the Tigers had acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade-deadline deal. On September 1, Shelton was recalled back to Detroit as an emergency catcher for Iván Rodríguez.
During spring training
, Shelton started and finished spring training with the Tigers and by the end of spring training there was one spot left on the team's roster and the fight was between Marcus Thames
and Chris Shelton. Shelton did not make the roster, which left him heading to Toledo for the 2007 season.
for Freddy Guzmán
, and on January 14, , designated for assignment in order to make room for Kazuo Fukumori
, a veteran reliever from the Japanese leagues. His contract was then purchased on April 29, 2008, from the Triple-A
Oklahoma RedHawks
, again by the Texas Rangers, when Jason Botts
was designated for assignment. On June 26, 2008, the strikeout
prone Shelton was designated for assignment to make way for Chris Davis
. He cleared waivers, and was reassigned once more to the RedHawks. Shelton became a free agent at the end of the season.
called up Chris Shelton to add more pop on the bench and he came through with the game winning run on July 12 delivering the winning run in a Seattle Mariners win. Shelton was designated for assignment by the Mariners on August 1, 2009. His contract was then purchased on August 5, 2009, from the Triple-A
Tacoma Rainiers
.
He was granted free agency on October 15, .
contract on December 8, 2009 with Houston Astros
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
organization.
Amateur career
Before entering professional baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, he played at Cottonwood High School
Cottonwood High School (Utah)
Cottonwood High School is a public high school located in Murray, Utah. Founded in 1970 by Tyson Burton after the Granite School District condemned the property and obtained the land from farmers, it is regarded as one of Utah's best high schools for its highly regarded campus and strong academic...
, Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
, and the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
.
Detroit Tigers
Shelton was drafted by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 33rd round, although he never made the team's 40-man roster. Unprotected, he was selected by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. In 2004, he played sparingly because the Tigers had to keep him on their roster because of the Rule 5 rules. He only batted 57 times.
While in Detroit, due to his red hair
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
and prodigious batting, he had earned various nicknames, such as "Red Pop" (a reference to the Detroit-made Faygo
Faygo
Faygo or Faygo Pop is a soft drink brand headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is distributed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the United States...
beverage) from the Tiger faithful. Tigers play-by-play commentators
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
Rod Allen
Rod Allen
Roderick Bernet "Rod" Allen is a baseball analyst, currently for the Detroit Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit. He also analyzes for other games on Fox Saturday Baseball when the Tigers don't play on Fox Sports Detroit...
and Mario Impemba
Mario Impemba
Mario Impemba is an American sportscaster, currently the TV voice of the Detroit Tigers and the radio and TV voice of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team.-Early life:...
often called him "Big Red" or "Orange Crush
Orange Crush
Crush is a carbonated soft drink brand, originally marketed as an orange soda, which was invented by California beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free.-History:...
."
On April 15, 2004, Shelton made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He went hitless in two at-bats as Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout against the Tigers.
In , Shelton hit nine home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in the first 13 games of the season; this made him the fastest player in American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
history to reach that mark at that point in a season. He also became the fourth player in baseball history to hit at least nine home runs in his team's first 13 games; he trails only Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
in , Larry Walker
Larry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
in , and Luis Gonzalez
Luis Gonzalez (baseball outfielder)
Luis Emilio Gonzalez , nicknamed "Gonzo", is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. A Cuban-American, Gonzalez spent his best years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the most popular players in that organization's history...
in in that regard. He earned the American League Player of the Week accolade for April 3, 2006. Shelton's power dropped significantly after April, however, and on July 31, 2006, he was optioned to Triple-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Toledo
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
to make room for Sean Casey, whom the Tigers had acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade-deadline deal. On September 1, Shelton was recalled back to Detroit as an emergency catcher for Iván Rodríguez.
During spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Shelton started and finished spring training with the Tigers and by the end of spring training there was one spot left on the team's roster and the fight was between Marcus Thames
Marcus Thames
Marcus Markley Thames is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has previously played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers....
and Chris Shelton. Shelton did not make the roster, which left him heading to Toledo for the 2007 season.
Texas Rangers
On December 5, 2007, Shelton was traded to the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for Freddy Guzmán
Freddy Guzmán
Freddy Antonio Guzmán is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.-Baseball career:...
, and on January 14, , designated for assignment in order to make room for Kazuo Fukumori
Kazuo Fukumori
is a Japanese right-handed relief pitcher in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles organization.-Biography:Fukumori was unable to advance to the National High School Baseball Championship during his high school years, losing in the prefectural final for three consecutive years...
, a veteran reliever from the Japanese leagues. His contract was then purchased on April 29, 2008, from the Triple-A
AAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
Oklahoma RedHawks
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
, again by the Texas Rangers, when Jason Botts
Jason Botts
Jason Carl Botts is a Major League Baseball infielder currently in the New York Mets organization...
was designated for assignment. On June 26, 2008, the strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
prone Shelton was designated for assignment to make way for Chris Davis
Chris Davis (baseball)
Christopher Lyn Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles.-Professional career:...
. He cleared waivers, and was reassigned once more to the RedHawks. Shelton became a free agent at the end of the season.
Seattle Mariners
On December 8, 2008, Shelton signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. He batted .460 during 2009 spring training (.534 OBP, .720 SLG), second on the team among players with at least 30 at-bats, but did not break camp with the major-league club. On July 10, 2009, the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
called up Chris Shelton to add more pop on the bench and he came through with the game winning run on July 12 delivering the winning run in a Seattle Mariners win. Shelton was designated for assignment by the Mariners on August 1, 2009. His contract was then purchased on August 5, 2009, from the Triple-A
AAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
.
He was granted free agency on October 15, .
Houston Astros
Shelton signed a minor leagueMinor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
contract on December 8, 2009 with Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...