Gary Sheffield is "99.9%" sure he's going to retire from baseball, according to a radio interview the veteran slugger conducted with ESPN 1040 in Tampa Bay (and reported on by Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times).
Sheffield was hopeful of a contract with the Rays and met with Joe Maddon last month, though the manager said that the dinner meeting was just an opportunity get to know the Tampa native, not to broach the subject of a deal. Sheffield said he felt a "little disrespected" that the Rays didn't contact him in the wake of the meeting.
The 42-year-old last played in 2009 and posted a very respectable .276/372/.451 slash line in 312 plate appearances with the Mets. If Sheffield did manage to find another contract, you'd think it would have to be as a pinch-hitter or as a DH with an American League club given his -25.9 UZR/150 as a corner outfielder in 2009. If Sheffield retires, his 509 career homers and nine All-Star appearances will undoubtedly garner some attention on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot.
So he is almost as sure of it as the rest of us. Good job Shef.
does he really have another option?!
Not likely…and clearly he’s the last to notice.
Not likely…and clearly he’s the last to notice.
500+ HR’s, linked to PED’s, AND a world class jerk. Yeah…..he’s got a shot at the HOF.
He could have had a statue outside Miller Park alongside Yount and Aaron. Instead, he’s about as welcome here as a Brett Favre text message.
Great numbers, crummy attitude. Get ready for the washed up athlete phase of your life, Gary.
He could have had a statue outside Miller Park alongside Yount and Aaron. Instead, he’s about as welcome here as a Brett Favre text message.
Great numbers, crummy attitude. Get ready for the washed up athlete phase of your life, Gary.
I sure did miss him when the Braves didn’t offer him a contract. Damn, he was a beast in the line up. Wish he was in his prime again.
It was nice to have HRs we could count on in the heart of the order. Hopefully Uggla will add some more dingers to our lineup.
You mean HRs you could count on… right up until the playoffs.
Absolutely epic choker, that Sheffield. Division series, championship series, world series.. didn’t matter. Sheff sucked in all of them.
Except in the 1997 playoffs. He was quite good during those series’.
You talking about his normal prime, or his chemically induced false prime?
Good riddance. If Jeff Bagwell got 41% of HOF votes because people “think” he used roids, and there is no actual proof that Bags used roids, then there is NO WAY Sheff gets in. Which is a good thing. Baseball is better off without Sheffield.
Gary felt disrespected? Aw, poor Gary. Poor, poor Gary.
RF season ticket holders in Fenway can breathe a little easier now that they know he 99.9% won’t be ready to hop the wall and whoop on them again.
the jackass in the stands that day deserved it.
Maybe the 2017, 2018 or 2019 HoF Ballot by standards of other “non-implicated-but-we-aren’t-so-sure” steroid era sluggers.
If he actually does get elected to the Hall, what hat would he wear? Or would they just have to design a universal one for him?
The Sheffield HOF hat would look a little something like a Coexist bumber sticker.
I hear ESPN or MLB Network could always use fresh blood.
Is Barry Bonds retiring?
Is Barry Bonds retiring?
he retired from baseball a few years ago in my eyes and i believe im comment 23 and they prob are the same if i read them lol , butttt…. does he have options? he didnt play last year, hes been checked out for a minute as far as im concerened
That’s quite the headache for whoever has to make the plaques.