Rise-and-fall 2006 season was eye-opener for Shelton

Somewhere between Roy Hobbs and reality, Salt Lake's Chris Shelton started pressing. There was that thunderclap April, when he shot to the fastest start in American League history. He really was playing like the mythical slugger in "The Natural."

Then there was the letdown that took him back to the minor leagues.

"I've been a guy who's been able to hit for average, and has some power," said Shelton. "Then all of sudden I had all the power and all the success and I started thinking that I was a power hitter."

Goodbye Detroit Tigers, hello Toledo Mud Hens.

The Tigers' first baseman — and Salt Lake native — was at West High School Saturday to conduct a hitting clinic Saturday. With 2 1/2 weeks until spring training, he says last year's rise and fall was a learning experience. Among other things, he learned to remember what got him there. It's not that he got cocky. Shelton is as modest as a schoolmarm. But power of any kind can be intoxicating. Just ask any TV evangelist or politician.

Hence, when Shelton hit nine homers in his first 13 games, everyone wanted to talk to him. The media raved so much about his power that darned if he didn't start trying to live up to it.

"One night in Texas the P.R. guy said, 'Baseball Tonight' wants to talk to you. So I go and do that. Then I go home and I'm the lead on SportsCenter. Everyone wanted to talk to me. There were interviews every time I went to the ballpark," said Shelton. "I'd be the happiest guy in the world if I just had to go to the park and play, nothing else, but I know it (interviews) comes with the territory."

So there he was, Saturday afternoon at West High, matter-of-factly discussing the roller-coaster ride of Chris Shelton, Major League baseball star.

"I know it's a cliche,' but I've gone back to the basics," he said.

For a month last spring, Shelton was one of the biggest stories in sports. Though he played part of the 2004 and 2005 seasons in Detroit, he didn't get famous until he started airmailing pitches out of the stadium in bundles. The ball looked as big as a cantaloupe to him. Splat! There went another one over the fence. He hit .326 with 10 homers and 19 extra-base hits in April.

"Everything felt so easy," said Shelton. "I was in my comfort zone."

The 6-foot-1 redhead inspired a string of entertaining nicknames: Red Pop, Orange Crush, Lord Shellington, Big Red, Red Bull, Hard Beltin' Chris Shelton, Showtime Shelton, C-Shell and Shelton of Swing.