Gary Sheffield
From BR Bullpen
Gary Antonian Sheffield
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
- High School Hillsborough High School
- Debut September 3, 1988
- Born November 18, 1968 in Tampa, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
- Nephew of Dwight Gooden. Gooden and Sheffield are also neighbors, living on the same block in Tampa, Florida.
- The Sporting News Player of the Year 1992.
- After helping the 1997 Marlins win the World Series was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998 as part of the Marlins major payroll reduction.
- He was also traded during the Padres fire sale of 1993.
- Sheffield had the official 250,000th home run in MLB history on September 8, 2008. In fine fashion, it was a grand slam, the 13th of his career. 12 years earlier on the same date, Sheffield had the home run that established 1996 as the top home-run season ever (to that point).
Sheffield has an odd batting stance where he violently shakes the bat back and forth. He swings very hard yet amazingly he doesn't strike out much. He has great power and can hit for average while drawing walks. He is average in the field though he has a very strong arm though not always accurate. Sheffield currently is a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Sheffield created a stir in 2007 when he claimed in a GQ interview that the number of African-American players was declining because Hispanic players are easier for The Man to control whereas American black players demand more respect.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1988 The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year, Denver Bears, American Association
- 1989 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 9-time All-Star (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998-2000 & 2003-2005)
- 5-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (1992/NL-3B, 1996/NL-OF, 2003/NL-OF, 2004/AL-OF & 2005/AL-OF)
- 1992 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
- NL Batting Average Leader (1992)
- NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1996)
- NL OPS Leader (1996)
- NL Total Bases Leader (1992)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 14 (1992-1994, 1996-2005 & 2007)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1992, 1996, 1999-2001 & 2003-2005)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1996 & 2000)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 8 (1992, 1996, 1999-2001 & 2003-2005)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 7 (1996, 1999, 2000, 2003-2005 & 2007)
- Won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997
