Chris Shelton #26

Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the 33rd round of the 2001 June draft...signed by Pirates scout Ted Williams...Played college baseball at the University of Utah and was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2001...led the conference with 63 runs scored and 19 home runs during his senior year ('01).

2009

Spent most of the season with Triple A Tacoma...appeared in nine games with the Mariners and hit .231 (6x26)...had his contract purchased from Tacoma on July 9 and made his Mariners debut July 10 vs. TEX as a pinch-hitter...designated for assignment on Aug. 1 and accepted outright assignment back to Tacoma on Aug. 5...recorded GWRBI with a pinch-hit single in 7th inning on July 12 vs. TEX (final game before All-Star break)...selected to play in the Triple A All-Star game (starting DH), but did not participate due to call-up to Seattle...in 105 games for Tacoma, hit .314 (127x405) with 30 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and a club-best 85 RBI while posting a .396 on-base percentage and a .509 slugging pct...hit .354 (35x99) vs. LHP, compared to .301 (92x306) vs. RHP...hit .364 (43x18) with RISP...recorded a 15-game hitting streak from May 25-June 8 (.359/23x64)...recorded hits in 22 of 24 games from May 25-June 19 (.367/36x98)...hit .460 (23x50) with 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI in 25 Cactus League games...batting average ranked 5th all-time in club Spring history (min. 50 AB)...signed with Seattle as a minor league free agent on Dec. 3, 2008...invited to Major League Spring Training.

2008

Split the season between Texas and Triple A Oklahoma...acquired in a December trade with Detroit for Freddy Guzman...hit .216 (21x97) with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 41 games for Texas...appeared in 39 games defensively, playing all but 1.0 inning at first base (first ML appearance at third base on June 7 vs. TB)...from April 29-June 6, started 24 of team's 37 games at first base, but then just two of 16 from June 7-25... designated for assignment on June 26 and outrighted back to Oklahoma on July 2...hit .340 (87x256) with 22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 51 RBI over 67 games with Oklahoma...after returning to Oklahoma on July 2, hit .337 (70x208) 18 doubles, eight homers and 33 RBI in the final 53 games of the regular season...hit .325 (13x40) with three doubles, one home run and five RBI in nine postseason games.

2007

Spent the entire season with Triple A Toledo, hitting .269 with 14 home runs, 31 doubles, and 65 RBI in 139 games...led the International League with 83 walks...ranked among team leaders in hits (2nd, 134), doubles (2nd), RBI (3rd), and home runs (3rd)...had two homers over first 50 games through May 28, then hit 12 home runs in final 89 contests.

2006

Served as the Tigers first baseman for the majority of the season before being optioned to Triple A Toledo following the club's acquisition of Sean Casey on July 31...Belted two home runs on April 3 at Kansas City, becoming the third Tigers player to belt multiple home runs on Opening Day -- established a career high with the two home runs...matched the high with two home runs on April 6 at Texas and June 18 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs...Collected three hits in each of his first three games of the season, becoming the first major league player to do so since Toronto's George Bell in 1984...Connected for five home runs in his first four games of the season -- became only the third major leaguer to accomplish the feat, joining Lou Brock (1967) and Barry Bonds (2002)...Matched a career high with three RBI on April 8 at Texas, May 16 versus Minnesota and June 18 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs...Established American League records by belting seven home runs in his team's first nine games of the season, eight home runs in his team's first 12 games of the season and nine home runs in his team's first 13 games of the season...Named American League Player of the Week for April 2-9 after batting .583 (14x24) with five home runs and nine RBI in six games during the week...After connecting for 10 home runs in his first 23 games, he hit six over his final 92 games with the Tigers...Finished the month of April with 19 extra-base hits and 72 total bases, the most by a Tigers player in April since 1960...his 10 home runs in April matched Cecil Fielder's club record for home runs during the month, established in 1996 -- named Tigers Player of the Month for April after hitting .326 (30x92) with 17 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 25 games...Batted .351 (26x74) during a 22-game stretch May 4-28 -- collected four doubles, a home run and eight RBI during the stretch...Posted a season-high nine-game hitting streak June 28-July 8, batting .406 (13x32)...Optioned to Toledo by the Tigers on July 31...Hit .400 (24x60) over an 18-game stretch with Toledo August 7-24...Recalled by the Tigers from Toledo on September 2 -- batted .211 (4x19) in 13 games during September...Batted .282 (85x301) in 86 games prior the all-star break...managed a .236 batting average (17x72) in 29 games following the all-star break.

2005

Started the season at Triple A Toledo before earning a promotion to Detroit after the season's first two months...Hit safely in 10 of his first 11 games April 7-19 with Toledo, batting .425 (17x40) with six runs scored, three home runs and 11 RBI...Finished with a .351 batting average (26x74) in 20 games during April, scoring 15 runs and collecting five doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI...Batted .318 (34x107) with 19 runs scored, 14 doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI in 28 games during May for the Mud Hens...Recalled from Toledo by the Tigers on May 31 -- at the time of his recall, he led the International league with 19 doubles and 27 extra-base hits, while he was second with 39 RBI, tied for fourth with 60 hits, tied for fifth with 34 runs scored and tied for eighth with a .331 batting average...Batted .368 (21x57) over a 16-game stretch for the Tigers June 14-July 1, scoring 14 runs and collecting two doubles, a triple, five home runs and 16 RBI...Established a career high with four hits on June 29 vesus the Chicago White Sox...Named the Tigers Player of the Month in June after hitting .338 (24x71) with 14 runs scored, a double, triple, four home runs and 17 RBI in 24 games...Posted a career-best 15-game hitting streak July 6-23, batting .415 (27x65) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI...Drove in a career-high three runs on July 14 versus Kansas City -- matched the high with three RBI on July 20 at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox and August 3 versus Seattle...Hit .350 (42x120) with 19 runs scored, nine doubles, five home runs and 18 RBI in 29 games during July to earn Tigers Player of the Month honors -- led the American League with 42 hits during the month, while he was tied for eighth with nine doubles, 10th with a .350 battting average and tied for 11th with 19 runs scored...his 42 hits during July were the most by a Tigers player during that month since Rusty Staub finished with 42 hits in July of 1978...Managed a .224 batting average (19x85) in 23 games during August...Tied for 15th in the league with six home runs between September and October...Batted .306 (89x291) against righthanded pitchers...hit .278 (27x97) with lefties on the mound...Hit .301 (28x93) when batting with runners in scoring position...In 56 games at Comerica Park, he batted .316 (66x209)...hit .279 (50x179) in 51 games on the road.

2004

Jumped to the majors from Double A after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft from Pittsburgh by the Tigers...Made his major league debut on April 15 versus Toronto, going hitless in two at-bats...Ripped a double off Minnesota's Carlos Silva for his first major league hit on April 20 at The Metrodome...Hit safely in a season-high four straight games May 25-28...hit his first major league home run, a 426-foot shot off Baltimore's Eric DuBose May 28 at Comerica Park...Placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 31 with right foot plantar fasciaitis...Began a rehab assignment with Triple A Toledo on June 19...batted .339 (21x62) with seven RBI in 18 games with Toledo, hitting safely in 15 of the games...Recalled from rehab assignment on July 8 and reinstated from the disabled list on July 10...Played in 11 of the club's final 77 games dating back to July 10, making two starts.

2003

Combined to hit .336 with 21 home runs and 83 RBI between Single A Lynchburg and Double A Altoona to earn Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League Player of the Year honors...second among Pirates minor leaguers in batting average and RBI and third in home runs...Tied for third among all minor leaguers with a .441 onbase percentage, while his .336 batting average was second- best among all minor league first basemen...sixth among minor leaguers with a .568 slugging percentage....Played the majority of the season with Lynchburg and earned Carolina League Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league with a .359 batting average, 21 home runs, .478 on-base percentage, .641 slugging percentage and one home run every 15.00 at-bats...fourth in the league with 202 total bases, 46 extra-base hits and 68 walks....Named to Baseball America's High Single A all-star squad...earned both mid- and post-season all-star honors in the Carolina League....Established a single-season franchise record for Lynchburg with his .359 batting average, narrowly edging the .358 batting average by Lenny Dykstra in 1983....Named the best batting prospect in the Carolina League by Baseball America....Belted two home runs and drove in seven runs to establish season highs April 24 versus Kinston...matched the high in home runs three more times with Lynchburg: May 7 versus Winston-Salem, May 11 against Frederick and July 15 at Wilmington...Hit safely in 13-of-14 games April 26-May 12, batting .431 (22x51) with 10 runs scored, five doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI...In 17 games during April, he hit .263 (15x57) with 15 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI...Reached base safely via a hit or walk in 32-of-33 games May 14-June 22...hit .387 (41x106) during the 33-game stretch, scoring 23 runs and collecting seven doubles, five home runs, 17 RBI and 21 walks....Selected as the Carolina League's Player of the Month for May...batted .395 (34x86) with 17 runs scored, eight doubles, seven home runs and 19 RBI in 26 games during the month...In 28 games during June, Shelton hit .326 (31x95) with 18 runs scored, five doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI...Batted .489 (23x47) over a 16-game stretch July 1-18, finishing with 15 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 19 RBI...Garnered Carolina League Player of the Week honors for July 3-9 after hitting .611 (11x18) with five runs scored, two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI in seven games...Hit .429 (33x77) in 24 games during July for Lynchburg, scoring 21 runs and collecting six doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 24 RBI...Against righties in the Carolina League, he batted .352 (80x227)...hit .375 (33x88) with lefthanders on the mound...Batted .384 (28x73) when hitting with runners in scoring position in Carolina League action...Named the 17th-best prospect in the Carolina League following the season by Baseball America...Promoted to Altoona on July 28...struggled in his first 12 games with the Curve July 28-August 10, managing three hits in his first 37 at-bats (.081)...Collected a season-best four hits August 20 against Bowie...In 30 games during August with Altoona, Shelton hit .317 (33x104) with 16 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and 14 RBI...Hit .297 (11x37) with lefties on the mound in Eastern League action, compared to .271 (23x85) against righthanders...Batted .300 (9x30) when hitting with runners in scoring position for Altoona...Saw action in four games during the Eastern League playoffs, hitting .286 (4x14) with two doubles and an RBI...Rated as the best hitter for average in the Tigers organization following the season by Baseball America.

2002

Earned both mid- and postseason All-Star honors in the South Atlantic League for Class A Hickory...among all minor league players, ranked T-3rd with a .587 slugging pct., eighth with a .425 OBP, and ninth with a .340 average... topped SAL in slugging, OBP, and HR ratio, posting a homer every 19.53 at-bats...also ranked among league leaders in average (2nd) and home runs (5th, 17)...led all Pirates minor leaguers in average and ranked T-5th in home runs...named SAL Player of the Week for Aug. 2-8...

2001

Assigned to Class A Williamsport after being selected in the 33rd round of the 2001 June draft by Pittsburgh...earned New York-Penn League All-Star honors... ranked 4th in the league with a .415 OBP.