Show G J f 4 r i sr Rounding the Bases y r Shelton y is the theReal r a r 1 f Real Deal J Jeren eren Canning Senior Where did Chris Shelton come from He is only three years into his Major League Career and suddenly he is putting up Albert Pujols-like Pujols numbers The former Bruin and Utah Ute has only played the equivalent of one full season just over games but has suddenly become a force to be reckoned with in the world of professional professional professional baseball Shelton is currently hitting with 41 hits 11 of which are in 35 games For the first two weeks of the season Shelton was leading the Majors with his 9 home- home runs He has been playing so sowell sowell sowell well that first year Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland ft has been criticized for not moving him to a better spot inthe in inthe inthe the batting order Since Shelton has had such a great start to the season he has started to gain support in a campaign to get into the AllStar AllStar AllStar All- All Star game With the Star All-Star game over two months away though anything could happen happen happen hap hap- pen and the traditional sophomore sophomore sophomore more slump that nearly every through is a pro player goes possibility To be elected to the American League Star All-Star team Shelton would have to continue playing as well as he has been He would also have to gain the respect of coaches writers and event the fans around the world before mid- mid June to get named to the team pitcher Ex-pitcher and current base base- ball analyst Robb Dibble of Baseball Tonight stated that Shelton was the real deal not just a fluke player Currently Sheltons Shelton's Tigers sit a game and a half behind the division leader the problem lem the lem the division leader is reining World Series Champion Chicago White Sox a team many have predicted to repeat as champions If it wasn't for Major League Baseballs Baseball's Rule 5 draft in 2003 Shelton would have been stuck with the Pittsburgh Pirates currently the worst team in the league In the Rule 5 draft all minor league players play play- ers are available to be drafted by another team if they haven't been protected The catch is that the players drafted must be placed on the major league roster In s three e sn short ii s sea sea- te jw vr- vr V W H become oj l r sons fh he e rh has has as quickly kl y become one of the best baseball players ever eyer to be a a native Utahn granted that list is short with only a handful of players currently currently currently cur cur- in the majors John Buck a fellow Utahn and Kansas City Royal first baseman has been in the majors for the same length but has not enjoyed quite the same success So far this season Buck has only has 17 hits and 2 The two have already faced each other four times in the short season with Shelton pelting his counterpart counterpart counterpart coun coun- in each game It was the first time the two have played against each other since they were in high school Beginning Monday the two Utah counterparts counterparts counterparts counter counter- parts start a four game series against each other |