Gary Sheffield released by Tigers
by IllinoisCubs on Mar 31, 2009 9:26 AM CDT
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Wow, not sure if I understand this one. I'm guessing they called around to see if anyone was interested in trading for him with the Tigers eating some/all of his salary and no one was interested? They couldn't even get a minor league player for him. They must want Marcus Thames or Jeff Larish to really get a chance to play.
Cue the people who say we should sign Sheffield, but I don't think he can play OF anymore.
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Sign Sheffield?
To play what, exactly? I wouldn’t touch him.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Agreed
But anytime you have a guy with around 500 career HRs, a couple of people will come in and be like ZOMG! SIGN HIM!
I posted this more because it’s interesting that in this economy the Tigers would just eat $14M.
by IllinoisCubs on Mar 31, 2009 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions
Sheffield is an uncontrolable cancer
Jim Leyland was willing to take on his old friend from Florida in Sheffield. And Sheffield crapped all over him. The guy is an ex-steroid abuser who is now safe to say finished playing major league baseball. Nobody will touch him with a 39 and a 1/2 foot pole.
Maybe someone will have a forty foot pole, not saying that it will happen but they could have one.
by Zachary Zielonka on Mar 31, 2009 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions
Shortstop
I think he can still pick it there. :-)
by Josh Timmers on Mar 31, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
"I'll show you an error"
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Mar 31, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Sheffield can play any defensive position
Really he can just ask him he’ll tell you so
Derrick Rose-2009 ROTY Tyrus Thomas-2009 MIP...hope I'm at least half right
by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL on Mar 31, 2009 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions
who is this "gary sheffield"
and why would the cubs want him?
I almost guarantee he'll get that last shot.
He’s getting his $14M either way, and I think that last HR means enough to him to take a very small deal with someone looking for some offense and/or a “name” player.
He was pretty bad last year, though – but he was dealing with some injuries. Thankfully for his future prospects, his “best” month was September, where he essentially turned into a poor man’s Adam Dunn, swinging for the fences for a terrible team while picking up a ton of walks.
He’s obviously a HOF player, regardless of whether he gets this last HR. That being said, he’s been touched (albeit lightly) with steroid accusations. On the plus side, those accusations were generally couched in hilarious inside stories about how much he was living at Barry Bonds’ house for a while and how much they hated each other and how Bonds generally treated Sheffield like a colossal pr*ck.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Sheffield
That being said, he’s been touched (albeit lightly) with steroid accusations.
Eh… not so lightly. He’s pretty well tied to Barry Bonds and the use of illegal substances in Game of Shadows. We’ll see how things progress on the steroid story front over the next few years but Sheffield could find some real obstacles.
Exactly.
Those accusations, plus his bad reputation, make his return problematic. Think about it — the Tigers are a pretty bad team, and even they didn’t want him, even though they have to pay him.
He’s a DH. Name an AL team that needs a 39-year-old DH coming off a bad year, with attitude problems.
I think he’s done.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
The Rangers are always a possibility....
If they take a chance on Andruw Jones, they’ll take anyone. Especially at a discount price….
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Mar 31, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions
rumor has it being the Rays
Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."
Can't see Pat Burrell
and Sheffield being on the same team.
Sheff’s problem is that teams who are contenting don’t need a DH and teams that aren’t don’t want to plug in a 40 year old with a bad reputation. The two teams that might need him are the Twins and the Angels, but both of them are organizations that place a great deal of value on “clubhouse chemistry” and would likely pass on Sheffield for that reason.
I think Toronto is his best shot.
by Josh Timmers on Mar 31, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Twins "clubhouse chemistry"
…then again, they traded for Delmon Young.
I can see it being Toronto, too.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Young team, good chemistry ...
… and they’re going to add Sheffield? Somehow I doubt that. Also Maddon is a Scioscia guy, so I doubt he’d place any less emphasis on character.
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
too bad
the Rangers signed Sosa. No 600 for you.
by johnnywishbone on Mar 31, 2009 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions
NO SURPRISE.......
Saw him play last summer in Detroit …Looked like he had no gas left in the tank,,,,Running on empty….Sad for Detroit after their 2006 season….
It would be neat to hear
“Sheffield hits one onto Sheffield!”
other than that nope
#34: You'll be missed!
that would be impressive...
…seeing as how he’s a righty. Now if he changed his last name to Waveland… ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
for some reason that amused me
"That's what you live for. You live for the opportunity and when that day comes, you better be ready," Soto said. "I tried to make sure that whenever they gave me a chance, I was ready and I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity."
by Madison Cub Fan on Apr 1, 2009 12:30 AM CDT up reply actions
so you're saying I amuse you? Am I funny like a clown?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Best he can hope for...
…is an AL team takes pity on him, signs him as a DL, let’s him get his one home run and then cuts him loose. Toronto maybe? I dunno.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
Sheffield is too big of an a-hole for anybody to take him on
He’s finished in my opinion. And no, he will never get into the Hall of Fame because of the strong suspicion that he was roided up all those years.
Yeah, he's burned a lot of bridges...
…as evidenced by the fact that Detroit cut him loose in this fashion.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
If Toronto cut Frank Thomas a year ago
I can’t see them taking a chance on Sheffield this year. It looks like Toronto will go with youth at DH, whether with Adam Lind or Travis Snider. And Kevin Millar will see a game or two there, I’m sure.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
by Bill Potter on Mar 31, 2009 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, Snider is listed as DH on the Yahoo! depth chart...
…and I know he’s a hot prospect. For some reason, though, whenever I think “AL team that needs offense,” I always think of the Blue Jays. What about the Rangers? They may not need offense, but they need to put fans in the seats. And in that hitter-friendly park, Sheffield would be likely to do his business quickly so the team could move on.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
A couple years ago, I would have said yes
I mean, they did sign Sammy Sosa to let him get to 600 home runs. However, with Andruw Jones in the fold there, I would guess they take a pass, unless someone gets hurt in the last week of spring training.
If anyone does take a risk on Sheffield, I would guess it could be the A’s. When they want to play Cust and Giambi in the field at the same time, Sheffield could DH. Plus, they signed Thomas to DH last season, so they do have some experience with re-tread DHs.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
by Bill Potter on Mar 31, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
That makes sense.
I forgot the Rangers took a flyer on Andruw.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
...and it’s safe to say he is angrier today than he was yesterday and that is hard to fathom.
…dont let the door hit you in the arse Gary.
New sig currently under construction
Rejected Fark Headline
Tigers to Sheffield: Go suck somewhere else.
"I owe [Dunston] a lot. Nobody would know how good I was at digging balls out of the dirt if it wasn't for him..." -Mark Grace
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Interesting, Tigers are adding by subtraction
hoping that someone kicks in the $400K they will use to play someone in his place on the roster. This is a write down—-it won’t be the first this year.
Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."
Does anyone else remember?
Back in the early 90s he supposedly admitted to purposely making errors with the Brewers.
Does anyone ELSE remember this?
My friend had his heart transplant on 3/21. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
by puckishcubsfan on Mar 31, 2009 12:29 PM CDT reply actions
No, that's why I alluded to it above 20 minutes ago
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Mar 31, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Full quote
“The Brewers brought out the hate in me. I was a crazy man … I hated everything about the place. If the official scorer gave me an error, I didn’t think was an error, I’d say, ‘OK, here’s a real error,’ and I’d throw the next ball into the stands on purpose.”
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
That headline started up my ROFLcopter.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
What a great article.
I refuse to bash Sheffield for his words because, quite frankly, the man is a dolt. He has as much business holding court on non-see-ball-hit-ball topics as I do analyzing the collective works of Shannon Hoon. I don’t care what Sheffield thinks about the Latin-American versus African-American ratio of players because:
A. Within two days he’ll express a completely different opinion.
B. Within four days he’ll switch back to his original opinion.
C. Within a week he’ll be demanding a trade or contract extension.
Ooops — hold that thought. I’ve gotta run. The Terrell Owens news conference is about to start …
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
I hope
He ends up on the Reds. We need better competition and more entertainment in the central.
Life is a crazy game of poker
Or not.
Or not.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
please no
please no
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
agreed
agreed
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Apr 1, 2009 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions
hahaha, no better way to get back to the Big Show then signing an again, decling Clubhouse cancer!
Chuck Norris is a Cubs fan...
The Phillies? Seriously?
Wow. They just got rid of a terrible defender (Burrell) who could hit, and had a good attitude.
And they want to replace him with a terrible defender who is 8 years older and has a bad clubhouse rep?
They can have him.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Doesn't make sense to me either
Except that Jenkins isn’t any good either. But at least he has a good attitude.
by Josh Timmers on Mar 31, 2009 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Charlie Manual
is gonna freakin have a heart attack if this happens. I could see the brawl in the dugout now.
Life is a crazy game of poker
Well, y'know, the Phillies do need to put butts in the seats.
It’s not like they’ve, y’know, won a championship recently.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
Somebody might want to kick the tires...
…but Sheffield definitely can’t, or shouldn’t be allowed to, play the field anymore and his bat has been ssssllllooowwwing down at a fairly precipitous rate for the last few years. On the other hand, his price tag has now been wiped out and he was productive for a few months during the 2007 season, so some hopeless team might make him an offer…whether or not a guy with such an immense self-image accepts it is another matter.
The Phillies tidbit is surprising…as he and Geoff Jenkins are such similar players, especially at this point in their careers, even though Sheffield is a few years older. Maybe the Phillies think that, as World Champions, they must always show interest in every declining superstar…or maybe the agents now feel obligated to spread those rumors.
Sheffield has had a very odd career. He was a Teenaged-Super-Prospect with the Brewers and managed to alienate everybody remotely associated with that franchise. Then he nearly won a triple crown in San Diego but was traded in the middle of the next season during a fire sale. He played on the very first Marlin team and the Marlin team that won the WS in 1997 (playing very well that postseason). Then he was traded in another fire sale. Then the Dodgers, Atlanta, and NY, with continual contract acrimony everywhere along the line. During that phase of his career, he was always hitting, always trying to renegotiate his contract, and his teams were always losing in the playoffs.
It’ll be interesting to see how the HOF voters treat him, between the fact that he was one of the best hitters of his generation but also one of its’ most notoriously unpleasant people. I instantly think of Dick Allen when trying to remember a comparable sort of player…the Jerk That Can Really Hit. Yet Sheffield has better counting stats( basically because of the longer career) than Allen and the all-important WS ring. Eventually, the glare from that combination of numbers and jewelry will obscure the fact that the man wasn’t very nice. I’ll go on record as predicting that he’ll be elected to the Hall of Fame, probably by the writers.
"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko
He's definitely going to be inducted into the HOF.
It may not be on the first ballot, but he’ll get in during his 2nd or 3rd time up. He’s got all the career counting stats, he’s got enough “peak years” to put him over the top, and there was a legitimate period of time in which he was an “elite hitter” – and arguably the Most Dangerous hitter in the league.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Doubt it very seriously
He’s a rich man’s Fred McGriff … and I’m not the only one who thinks so (scroll down to similar players).
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
Agreed.
He may be lumped into the “steroid” category, as McGwire has and as Bonds certainly will.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
To the extent that may happen, it has already happened.
There’s going to be some inducting of known steroid abusers eventually.
That being said, the case against Sheffield isn’t as strong as others. I know that he’s admitted to receiving “the cream” from Bonds and using it based upon Bonds’ claims that it was something innocent – what are the other accusations against him?
It’s not fair, but I also think that the animosity for steroids will be stronger against players who broke the big HR records, and for one-dimensional sluggers.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
That "similar players" list indicates that he's in.
McGriff, yes.
Followed by Griffey, Jr., Reggie Jackson, Mickey Freaking Mantle, Billy Williams, Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Frank Thomas, Mike Schmidt, and Jeff Bagwell.
That may be the best “similar players” list I’ve ever seen.
The guy has a 141 career OPS+ - many players who are HOFers because of their hitting only have a handful of 140+ seasons!
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on Apr 1, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.
And among McGriff's similar players
Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas, Billy Williams, Jim Thome and Eddie Mathews.
You gonna let McGriff in?
Sheffield was good, no doubt. But I don’t see that one season that makes you sit up and go, “This guy was one of the greatest players in the game.” Highest home run total? 43, at the height of the steroid era. (That was sixth-best in the NL that year.) One batting title, one OBP title, one OPS title, lead the league once in total bases, etc. Never won an MVP. Never lead the league in HRs.
Sorry. By my count he’s fringe at best.
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
Well, he's certainly a "fringe" HOFer.
He’s better than more than a few players in the Hall, however.
His stats are very similar to McGriff’s, but honestly, he’s better across the board. His peak seasons were better, and his career OPS+ is a full 7 points higher. That’s not an insignificant difference.
As for one season that makes you sit up and take notice - well, obviously his 1992 with SD in which he contended for the Triple Crown, but how about his 1996 with Florida — .314 /.465 /.624, 1.090 OPS, 189 OPS+!! 42 HR, 120 RBI. You simply don’t see many 189 OPS+ seasons.
McGriff is also a fringe guy, who occupies the very opposite end of the “nice guy” spectrum from Sheff, in that he was practically catatonic throughout most of his career, to the point that no one ever noticed him.
Finally, Sheff probably isn’t done. If he manages 2 more years, he’s going to wind up with like 530 HR, and up around 2800 hits.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
I hope
he never gets inducted in the hall of fame. I have always disliked Sheffield, mainly for the reason that he is hypocritical. He calls out former teams, calling into question race and that team’s integrity. This coming from the same guy that once stated publicly that he tanked plays on purpose in Milwaukee to get traded.
When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch. -Ty Cobb
Anyone see this tdbit on MLBTradeRumors.com
8:52pm: Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News has another quote from Jocketty:
“Sheffield and (manager) Dusty Baker have a history and they talked yesterday. He has to clear waivers today, but we’ll talk. We have interest because he would be a legitimate big right-handed bat to add to our lineup.”
I actually laughed out loud. That is a marriage made in … well, I’m not sure where that’s made. “Heaven” is not the right word.
(I can’t post the link because I couldn’t find it on the web site. I got it on my daily email from Tim.)
by jerry morales rules on Apr 2, 2009 9:13 AM CDT reply actions
What's the "history"?
Sheffield has never played for Baker.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
I wondered that too
Sheffield was a Dodger when Baker managed the Giants, but that seems like a stretch. Perhaps they have a personal relationship.
by jerry morales rules on Apr 2, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Sheffield draws too many walks for Baker's taste, I'd think.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
And especially as old as he is, Sheffield would just clog the bases
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
Latest on mlb.com says Sheffield could soon be a Met.
I assume he’d go to left field over Tatis and the young Dan Murphy?
Then again, this article speculates he could land with the Reds (as mentioned above). It also clarifies Sheff’s relationship with Dusty:
Baker’s long-standing friendship with Sheffield—they met years ago through mutual friends from California—is the biggest thing in Cincinnati’s favor.
"That little kid at second base - he is after a job, isn't he?" ~ Lou Piniella, 3/9/09
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