This makes me happy

[mu-krazy-sax.livejournal.com]

Notes: Shelton wins AFL MVP
Tigers' prospect an offensive force in Arizona
By Jim Street / MLB.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A rule kept Chris Shelton in the Major Leagues last season, but his bat could be his ticket to future success with the Tigers.

Almost a year after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, Shelton was named Saturday as the winner of the Arizona Fall League's Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award.

The Grand Canyon Raptors catcher/first baseman won the league batting championship with a .404 average, led the AFL in RBIs (33), hits (46), on-base percentage (.470) and slugging percentage (.667).

"It's always an honor when you get an award like this around this group of talent," Shelton said. "It's pretty special."

After spending the 2004 season as a seldom-used reserve on the Tigers' 25-man roster, Shelton said he looked forward to playing in the AFL because he needed some at-bats.

"The Tigers had to keep me on their roster (because of the Rule 5 Draft rule) and I only got 45 at-bats," he said. "I got another 60 or so on a rehab assignment, but I came here with the idea of having good at-bats and play as hard as I could."

He did all of that and more and the 24-year-old said he couldn't explain the impressive numbers he accumulated.

"I didn't play a whole lot during the season," he said. "I don't want to say I was more fresh than other players, but I really needed to be here and was really looking forward to it.

"Something just happened for me. I saw the ball real well here, got a lot of pitches to hit and I didn't miss them. Maybe I put some pressure on the Tigers to keep me around next year," he smiled.

Shelton returned to his home in Salt Lake City after Saturday's AFL Championship game and will take some time off before getting ready for Spring Training in Lakeland, Fla.

"I want to have a good camp and see what happens," he said. "If the Tigers send me to (Triple-A) Toledo, I'll go there, play as well as I can and force the issue a little bit."

Shelton becomes the third player to win the MVP Award that honors the memory of Black -- the 1952 National League Rookie of the Year with the Brooklyn Dodgers and first African-American player to win a World Series game -- who passed away on May 17, 2002.