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Gary Sheffield

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For the military historian, see: Gary Sheffield (historian)
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Baseball player
Gary Sheffield
Detroit Tigers – No. 3
Designated Hitter
Bats: RightThrows: Right
debut
September 3, 1988, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics
(through June 3, 2007)
Batting Average.297
Home runs472
RBI1544
Hits2460
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the Detroit Tigers.

Sheffield has primarily played right field, though he has also played left field, third base, shortstop, and a handful of games at first base. He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and New York Yankees. Sheffield was a first round pick of the Brewers, who selected him sixth overall in the 1986 amateur draft after a standout prep career at Hillsborough High School in Tampa. He bats and throws right handed.

Through 2006, Sheffield was 6th among all active players in walks (1,293), 7th in hit-by-pitches (119), 8th in runs (1,433), hits (2,390), and RBIs (1,523), and 9th in home runs (464).

Sheffield was acquired by Detroit via trade with the New York Yankees during the 2006-07 offseason for minor league pitchers Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Clagget. The Tigers extended his contract for a further three years shortly after the trade.

Highlights

  • 9-time All-Star (1992-93, 1996, 1998-2000, 2003-05)
  • 4-time Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 2003-04)
  • Led National League in batting average (.330) and total bases (323) in 1992
  • Member of the 1997 World Series Champions Florida Marlins
  • Led National League in on-base percentage (.465) and OPS (1.090) in 1996
  • Los Angeles Dodgers career leader in on-base percentage (.424), slugging percentage (.573), OPS (.998) and at-bats per home run (14.5)
  • Holds Los Angeles Dodgers single-season record for at-bats per home run (11.7 in 2000)
  • His Tampa team finished second in the 1980 Little League World Series
  • Is the first player to represent five different teams in the All-Star Game.
  • Holds Florida Marlins franchise record for home runs in a season (42) in 1996
  • Sheffield is well known in the MLB for his strange batting stance, of moving his bat back and forth quickly before he swings.

Sheffield is also known for having one of the fastest bat speeds in Major League Baseball.

Controversy over quotes

Sheffield has often put himself in controversial situations with his somewhat confrontational attitude, which sometimes leads to remarks construed as offensive.

He's been very verbal about his need for sufficient financial compensation and respect, demanding better pay when he was with the Dodgers, and refusing to play in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, saying " season is when getting paid." Such quotes have prompted fans and sportswriters to label Sheffield as "another greedy athlete."

In the June, 2007 issue of GQ Magazine, Sheffield (a Detroit Tiger at the time) was quoted saying that there are more Latin baseball players than black players because Latinos are easier to control.

“What I called is that you’re going to see more black faces, but there ain’t no English going to be coming out. ... (It’s about) being able to tell (Latin players) what to do — being able to control them,” he told the magazine. “Where I’m from, you can’t control us.” He went on to elaborate, "They have more to lose than we do. You can send them back across the island. You can’t send us back. We’re already here.”

Steroid allegations

  • Barry Bonds, who has worked-out in the past with Gary Sheffield in the off-season has recently been linked in media reports with the controversial Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, and admitted to having used a "product that contained a steroid." However, he claimed that at the time he used the product, he did not know that it contained steroids.

Trivia

File:Sheffsoxfan.jpg
Sheffield scuffles with Red Sox Fan
  • On April 14, 2005 a Red Sox fan leaned over the railing at Fenway Park and swiped at Sheffield as he was going to field a ball hit by Jason Varitek. After the fan connected with a punch to the head, Sheffield threw the ball back into the infield, and then shoved the fan and got into a verbal altercation with him. The fan, who was under the influence of alcohol, was ejected from Fenway Park and his 2005 season tickets were revoked. Sheffield was fined for the incident. Charges were dismissed against both the fan and Sheffield.
  • Married to gospel singer Deleon Richards, they have two sons, Jaden and Noah. His wife was caught in a scandal in 2004 when a sextape featuring her with R. Kelly surfaced.
  • Sheffield also has three children from three previous relationships, daughters Ebony and Carissa, and a son Gary Sheffield Jr.
  • He has recently released a book entitled Inside Power.

Career Statistics

year team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBO SLG
1988 MIL 24 80 12 19 1 0 4 12 3 7 7 .238 .295 .400
1989 MIL 95 368 34 91 18 0 5 32 10 27 33 .247 .303 .337
1990 MIL 125 487 67 143 30 1 10 67 25 44 41 .294 .350 .421
1991 MIL 50 175 25 34 12 2 2 22 5 19 15 .194 .277 .320
1992 SD 146 557 87 184 34 3 33 100 5 48 40 .330 .385 .580
1993 SD/FLA 140 494 67 145 20 5 20 73 17 47 64 .294 .361 .476
1994 FLA 87 322 61 89 16 1 27 78 12 51 50 .276 .380 .584
1995 FLA 63 213 46 69 8 0 16 46 19 55 45 .324 .467 .587
1996 FLA 161 519 118 163 33 1 42 120 16 142 66 .314 .465 .624
1997 FLA 135 444 86 111 22 1 21 71 11 121 79 .250 .424 .446
1998 FLA/LAD 130 437 73 132 27 2 22 85 22 95 46 .302 .428 .524
1999 LAD 152 549 103 165 20 0 34 101 11 101 64 .301 .407 .523
2000 LAD 141 501 105 163 24 3 43 109 4 101 71 .325 .438 .643
2001 LAD 143 515 98 160 28 2 36 100 10 94 67 .311 .417 .583
2002 ATL 135 492 82 151 26 0 25 84 12 72 53 .307 .404 .512
2003 ATL 155 576 126 190 37 2 39 132 18 86 55 .330 .419 .604
2004 NYY 154 573 117 166 30 1 36 121 5 92 83 .290 .393 .534
2005 NYY 154 584 104 170 27 0 34 123 10 78 76 .291 .379 .512
2006 NYY 39 151 22 45 5 0 6 25 5 13 16 .298 .355 .450
Total 19 years 2229 8037 1433 2390 418 24 455 1501 220 1293 971 .297 .398 .525

Possible Hall of Fame Induction

On FSN's Best Damn Sports Show Period, Gary Sheffield said that if he were to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, he would want to be represented in a Florida Marlins cap, in part because Sheffield won his only ring in the 1997 World Series with that team.

See also

References

  1. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/08/05/sheffield.quotes/index.html
  2. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19013033/
  3. http://www.ktvu.com/sports/3786297/detail.html
  4. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493842/20041117/story.jhtml


External links

Preceded byBrett Butler National League Player of the Month
August, 1992 		Succeeded byBarry Bonds
Preceded byTerry Pendleton National League Batting Champion
1992 		Succeeded byAndrés Galarraga
Preceded byTerry Pendleton NL Comeback Player of the Year
1992 		Succeeded byAndrés Galarraga
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