Tonight Chris Shelton goes for his tenth home run of the season in his first fourteen games as his Tigers face the A's in Oakland. He currently projects to 112 on the season, which is slightly behind projecto-Albert Pujols at 116. Take that McGwire and Sosa, you wimps.

Coming into this season, Shelton had just 19 career homers. Even if he fails to reach his projected 112 homers, one would expect him to very easily double his career home run total. He's almost halfway there now and has 149 games left to go.

That made me wonder what was the most a player, who already had some major-league experience under his belt (at least 100 games and 15 home runs), upped his career home run total in a single season while doubling his career home run total. When Shelton hits 112th this year, whose "record" will he be breaking?

The answer would be that pitcher-cum-outfielder named Babe Ruth:

Shelton would also be increasing his homer total fivefold. What was the greatest percentage increase for a player's career home run total in a single season:

Kiner had 23 in his first season (1946) and then 51 in his second, a 122% increase. That's measly compared to Projecto-Shelton.

One last thing, Shelton will be 26 this season, which made me wonder who was the oldest player to double his career home run total. Let's ask Mr. Owl:

I love lists like this. What's great, besides the awesome array of names, is that there are three men from the 1957 Cincinnati Reds, excuse me, Red Legs. They are the top two guys on the list, Crowe and Thurman, and Don Hoak (29). I guess cowering in the face of abject McCarthyism helps a team open themselves up to playing old, untried guys by the truck full. I guess it was a senior outreach program, and it worked in the short term as the Reds finished 80-74 for the season.

You'll also note that recent players include late-career revelations like Casey Blake and Melvin Mora—where's Mike Easler?—and Japanese import Hideki Mastui.

By the way, the only two men to make the list twice, that is double their career home run totals in one season two times, were Babe Ruth (1919-20) and Johnny Bench (1969-70). Also, two generations of Earl Averill make the list (in 1930 and 1961), and both had 37 career home runs at the time.