Shelton hits leadoff for this Hall of Fame group.(Sports Extra)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), October, 2003 | by Aguilar, Joe

Byline: Joe Aguilar Daily Herald Sports Writer Derek Shelton returned the call on his cell phone from Orlando Airport. Which seemed an appropriate place for him to talk about his journeys. There have been many, after all, especially since the Tampa, Fla., resident and former Warren Township High School three-sport star accepted a job last year as hitting coordinator for the Cleveland Indians organization.

The 33-year-old is the youngest in professional baseball to hold such a position. "I travel a minimum 20 days a month," said Shelton, who lately has been working in Winter Haven, Fla., in the instructional league. He works with every minor-league hitter in the Indians' organization, from those in Latin America to those in Class AAA Buffalo. That...