Chris Shelton (baseball)
A baseball journeyman who captivated fans with a blistering start to the 2006 season, hitting nine home runs in the first thirteen games.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American baseball player·Birthday: June 26·Generation X
Biography
Chris Shelton's path to the majors was a quiet one, a 33rd-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001 who was later plucked by the Detroit Tigers in the Rule 5 draft. For a brief, spectacular moment in the spring of 2006, he became the most talked-about hitter in baseball. Nicknamed 'Big Red' for his hair and his power, Shelton launched nine homers in the season's first two weeks, an explosive outburst that made him an instant folk hero in Detroit. The magic proved difficult to sustain, however, and his production tapered off as the league adjusted. His MLB career spanned five seasons with the Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners, primarily as a first baseman and designated hitter, before he retired in 2009. Shelton's legacy is that of a comet—a brilliant, fleeting flash that reminded everyone why we watch the game.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit nine home runs in the first thirteen games of the 2006 MLB season for the Detroit Tigers.
- Selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2003 Rule 5 draft from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
- Played in 269 Major League games over five seasons, recording a career .273 batting average.
Did You Know?
He is a cousin of former NFL quarterback Alex Smith.
His nickname was 'Big Red' or 'The Red Popeye' due to his red hair and powerful build.
He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 33rd round of the 2001 MLB draft.
“I just tried to put a good swing on the ball and get a good pitch to hit.”
