Gary Sheffield

Lore & Background

Sheffield batted and threw right-handed. He played right field for most of his career, but also played left field, third base, shortstop, and a handful of games at first base. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. He hit his 500th home run on April 17, 2009. As of his last game, he had 509 home runs. He is the only player in history to record 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams. He was mentioned in the Mitchell Report and implicated in the BALCO scandal with respect to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

In Their Own Story

The sun was setting over the water, painting the outfield wall in shades of tangerine and deep blue. The Marlins had the lead by one, the count was 3-1, and the opposing pitcher had just thrown the first pitch of the at-bat over the plate. Gary Sheffield didn't even shift his weight. He just stared at the mound, jaw set, eyes locked on the pitcher's fingers. The next ball came in at 92. He didn't think. He didn't decide. The bat was already through the zone before the pitch arrived, and the sound it made was the kind that makes you feel it in your sternum. The ball cleared the left-field wall with a lazy, almost mocking arc, and the stands erupted. Sheffield didn't celebrate. He just walked back to the dugout, peeled off his batting gloves one finger at a time, and muttered, "That's what I said." The crowd didn't need him to say more. They'd already heard it in the crack of the bat.

Reader's Guide

Sheffield was a first-round pick of the Brewers, selected sixth overall in the 1986 amateur draft. He made his MLB debut on September 3, 1988. He won the National League batting title in 1992 with a .330 average. He was moved from third base to right field by the Marlins in 1994 and never regularly played in the infield afterward. He helped the Marlins win the 1997 World Series. He made All-Star appearances in 1992, 1996, and three times with the Dodgers. He never was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Sheffield is the nephew of Dwight Gooden.
• He hit his 500th home run on April 17, 2009.
• He is the only player in history to record 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams.
• Sheffield set a Little League World Series record for doubles that was broken in 2012 by Bradley Smith.
• He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school.