Biographical

Gary Sheffield RFDodgers

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Career Summary

Years	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	WARP
24	10947	.292	.393	.514	141	73.8

Birth Date	11-18-1968
Height	6' 0"
Weight	215 lbs

Age	56 years, 0 months, 4 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
1988	MIL	19	24	89	19	1	0	4	7	7	0	3	1	.238	.295	.400	100	0.1	-0.3	-2.5	0.1
1989	MIL	20	95	405	91	18	0	5	27	33	4	10	6	.247	.303	.337	88	-4.6	0.8	-5.1	0.6
1990	MIL	21	125	547	143	30	1	10	44	41	3	25	10	.294	.350	.421	115	9.3	3.2	-4.7	2.6
1991	MIL	22	50	203	34	12	2	2	19	15	3	5	5	.194	.277	.320	83	-3.5	-0.5	-7.5	-0.6
1992	SDN	23	146	618	184	34	3	33	48	40	6	5	6	.330	.385	.580	155	40.2	0.1	11.4	7.7
1993	FLO	24	72	275	69	8	3	10	29	34	6	12	4	.292	.378	.479	124	9.0	0.1	-2.1	1.6
1993	SDN	24	68	282	76	12	2	10	18	30	3	5	1	.295	.344	.473	125	9.5	0.9	-2.9	1.7
1994	FLO	25	87	384	89	16	1	27	51	50	6	12	6	.276	.380	.584	145	23.9	1.7	-5.8	2.6
1995	FLO	26	63	274	69	8	0	16	55	45	4	19	4	.324	.467	.587	170	25.2	2.9	-2.4	3.0
1996	FLO	27	161	677	163	33	1	42	142	66	10	16	9	.314	.465	.624	182	77.5	-0.8	-16.0	7.0
1997	FLO	28	135	582	111	22	1	21	121	79	15	11	7	.250	.424	.446	139	31.7	1.9	1.2	4.3
1998	FLO	29	40	166	37	11	1	6	26	16	2	4	2	.272	.392	.500	150	10.8	-3.2	-1.1	0.9
1998	LAN	29	90	383	95	16	1	16	69	30	6	18	5	.316	.444	.535	150	25.2	0.3	-3.9	2.7
1999	LAN	30	152	663	165	20	0	34	101	64	4	11	5	.301	.407	.523	144	42.9	-2.9	-7.2	4.3
2000	LAN	31	141	612	163	24	3	43	101	71	4	4	6	.325	.438	.643	167	60.1	-2.8	-14.3	5.4
2001	LAN	32	143	618	160	28	2	36	94	67	4	10	4	.311	.417	.583	159	49.7	-1.1	-6.1	5.5
2002	ATL	33	135	579	151	26	0	25	72	53	11	12	2	.307	.404	.512	149	37.7	-0.6	-9.1	3.9
2003	ATL	34	155	678	190	37	2	39	86	55	8	18	4	.330	.419	.604	161	54.4	2.8	-2.9	6.4
2004	NYA	35	154	684	166	30	1	36	92	83	11	5	6	.290	.393	.534	144	39.0	-2.0	5.2	5.3
2005	NYA	36	154	675	170	27	0	34	78	76	8	10	2	.291	.379	.512	142	35.0	-1.8	-2.4	4.3
2006	NYA	37	39	166	45	5	0	6	13	16	1	5	1	.298	.355	.450	112	3.3	-0.6	-1.1	0.4
2007	DET	38	133	593	131	20	1	25	84	71	9	22	5	.265	.378	.462	125	21.4	3.4	-0.5	3.1
2008	DET	39	114	482	94	16	0	19	58	83	5	9	2	.225	.326	.400	103	2.7	1.1	0.0	0.9
2009	NYN	40	100	312	74	13	2	10	40	46	2	2	1	.276	.372	.451	104	2.4	0.9	-8.9	0.1
Career			2576	10947	2689	467	27	509	1475	1171	135	253	104	.292	.393	.514	141	602.7	3.4	-88.7	73.8

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	PA	oppAVG	oppOBP	oppSLG	BABIP	BPF	BRAA	repLVL	POS_ADJ	DRC+	DRC+ SD	FRAA	BRR	DRAA	BWARP
1986	HEL	Rk	PIO	57	253	.000	.000	.000	.340			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1987	STO	A+	CLF	129	570	.000	.000	.000	.276			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1988	MIL	MLB	AL	24	89	.256	.320	.389	.214	98	-0.4	2.3	1.1	100	14	-2.5	-0.3	0.1	0.1
1988	ELP	AA	TXS	77	343	.000	.000	.000	.308			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1988	DEN	AAA	AA	57	244	.000	.000	.000	.352			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1989	MIL	MLB	AL	95	405	.265	.324	.392	.258	98	-4.1	10.6	3.6	88	9	-5.1	0.8	-4.6	0.6
1989	DEN	AAA	AA	7	32	.000	.000	.000	.133			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1990	MIL	MLB	AL	125	547	.261	.327	.389	.299	98	14.6	14.7	2	115	9	-4.7	3.2	9.3	2.6
1991	MIL	MLB	AL	50	203	.260	.331	.404	.196	100	-5.6	5.5	0.3	83	13	-7.5	-0.5	-3.5	-0.6
1992	SDN	MLB	NL	146	618	.252	.311	.371	.308	103	46.4	16.0	2.2	155	10	11.4	0.1	40.2	7.7
1993	FLO	MLB	NL	72	275	.261	.319	.395	.301	100	12.8	7.9	1.1	124	9	-2.1	0.1	9.0	1.6
1993	SDN	MLB	NL	68	282	.263	.321	.396	.299	97	8.8	8.1	1.1	125	9	-2.9	0.9	9.5	1.7
1994	FLO	MLB	NL	87	384	.265	.327	.413	.248	106	20.1	11.7	-4.3	145	13	-5.8	1.7	23.9	2.6
1994	PME	AA	EAS	2	8	.000	.000	.000	.500			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
1995	FLO	MLB	NL	63	274	.262	.325	.401	.344	101	28.5	8.2	-3	170	10	-2.4	2.9	25.2	3.0
1996	FLO	MLB	NL	161	677	.261	.325	.409	.290	99	77.4	20.9	-7.7	182	7	-16.0	-0.8	77.5	7.0
1997	FLO	MLB	NL	135	582	.261	.330	.407	.260	98	35	15.5	-6.4	139	7	1.2	1.9	31.7	4.3
1998	FLO	MLB	NL	40	166	.265	.331	.419	.267	98	9	4.3	-1.8	150	11	-1.1	-3.2	10.8	0.9
1998	LAN	MLB	NL	90	383	.263	.329	.420	.302	93	34.8	10.0	-4.2	150	11	-3.9	0.3	25.2	2.7
1999	LAN	MLB	NL	152	663	.269	.338	.429	.285	94	45.7	18.0	-5.1	144	11	-7.2	-2.9	42.9	4.3
2000	LAN	MLB	NL	141	612	.269	.341	.442	.305	106	54.2	19.3	-4.7	167	11	-14.3	-2.8	60.1	5.4
2001	LAN	MLB	NL	143	618	.261	.326	.425	.297	97	52.1	18.4	-4.5	159	10	-6.1	-1.1	49.7	5.5
2002	ATL	MLB	NL	135	579	.256	.324	.406	.301	99	36.8	16.7	-6.3	149	9	-9.1	-0.6	37.7	3.9
2003	ATL	MLB	NL	155	678	.265	.330	.424	.308	98	64	17.9	-7.4	161	7	-2.9	2.8	54.4	6.4
2004	NYA	MLB	AL	154	684	.265	.336	.425	.281	104	36.9	20.4	-8.2	144	7	5.2	-2.0	39.0	5.3
2005	NYA	MLB	AL	154	675	.266	.326	.426	.284	102	35.9	19.4	-8	142	7	-2.4	-1.8	35.0	4.3
2006	NYA	MLB	AL	39	166	.277	.345	.452	.300	105	1.2	5.0	-2.4	112	15	-1.1	-0.6	3.3	0.4
2006	TRN	AA	EAS	1	4	.000	.000	.000	.500			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2007	DET	MLB	AL	133	593	.268	.329	.418	.262	102	20.1	17.6	-10.7	125	10	-0.5	3.4	21.4	3.1
2008	DET	MLB	AL	114	482	.269	.334	.424	.237	106	-8.3	13.9	-8.6	103	10	0.0	1.1	2.7	0.9
2008	LAK	A+	FSL	5	19	.274	.349	.382	.000	105	1.4	0.6	-0.4	152	0	0.0	0.1	0.8	0.1
2009	NYN	MLB	NL	100	312	.260	.328	.415	.299	96	7.7	9.0	-2.5	104	11	-8.9	0.9	2.4	0.1

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

Year	Team	lvl	LG	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	SF	SH
1986	HEL	Rk	PIO	253	222	53	81	12	2	15	142	71	20	14	14	4	.365	.423	.640	.275	1	1
1987	STO	A+	CLF	570	469	84	130	23	3	17	210	103	81	48	25	15	.277	.388	.448	.171	6	6
1988	DEN	AAA	AA	244	212	42	73	9	5	9	119	54	21	22	8	4	.344	.414	.561	.217	1	1
1988	MIL	MLB	AL	89	80	12	19	1	0	4	32	12	7	7	3	1	.238	.295	.400	.163	1	1
1988	ELP	AA	TXS	343	296	70	93	19	3	19	175	65	35	41	5	4	.314	.388	.591	.277	4	4
1989	DEN	AAA	AA	32	29	3	4	1	1	0	7	0	2	0	0	0	.138	.188	.241	.103	1	1
1989	MIL	MLB	AL	405	368	34	91	18	0	5	124	32	27	33	10	6	.247	.303	.337	.090	3	3
1990	MIL	MLB	AL	547	487	67	143	30	1	10	205	67	44	41	25	10	.294	.350	.421	.127	9	4
1991	MIL	MLB	AL	203	175	25	34	12	2	2	56	22	19	15	5	5	.194	.277	.320	.126	5	1
1992	SDN	MLB	NL	618	557	87	184	34	3	33	323	100	48	40	5	6	.330	.385	.580	.250	7	0
1993	FLO	MLB	NL	275	236	33	69	8	3	10	113	37	29	34	12	4	.292	.378	.479	.186	4	0
1993	SDN	MLB	NL	282	258	34	76	12	2	10	122	36	18	30	5	1	.295	.344	.473	.178	3	0
1994	PME	AA	EAS	8	7	1	2	1	0	0	3	0	1	3	0	0	.286	.375	.429	.143	0	0
1994	FLO	MLB	NL	384	322	61	89	16	1	27	188	78	51	50	12	6	.276	.380	.584	.307	5	0
1995	FLO	MLB	NL	274	213	46	69	8	0	16	125	46	55	45	19	4	.324	.467	.587	.263	2	0
1996	FLO	MLB	NL	677	519	118	163	33	1	42	324	120	142	66	16	9	.314	.465	.624	.310	6	0
1997	FLO	MLB	NL	582	444	86	111	22	1	21	198	71	121	79	11	7	.250	.424	.446	.196	2	0
1998	FLO	MLB	NL	166	136	21	37	11	1	6	68	28	26	16	4	2	.272	.392	.500	.228	2	0
1998	LAN	MLB	NL	383	301	52	95	16	1	16	161	57	69	30	18	5	.316	.444	.535	.219	7	0
1999	LAN	MLB	NL	663	549	103	165	20	0	34	287	101	101	64	11	5	.301	.407	.523	.222	9	0
2000	LAN	MLB	NL	612	501	105	163	24	3	43	322	109	101	71	4	6	.325	.438	.643	.317	6	0
2001	LAN	MLB	NL	618	515	98	160	28	2	36	300	100	94	67	10	4	.311	.417	.583	.272	5	0
2002	ATL	MLB	NL	579	492	82	151	26	0	25	252	84	72	53	12	2	.307	.404	.512	.205	4	0
2003	ATL	MLB	NL	678	576	126	190	37	2	39	348	132	86	55	18	4	.330	.419	.604	.274	8	0
2004	NYA	MLB	AL	684	573	117	166	30	1	36	306	121	92	83	5	6	.290	.393	.534	.244	8	0
2005	NYA	MLB	AL	675	584	104	170	27	0	34	299	123	78	76	10	2	.291	.379	.512	.221	5	0
2006	NYA	MLB	AL	166	151	22	45	5	0	6	68	25	13	16	5	1	.298	.355	.450	.152	1	0
2006	TRN	AA	EAS	4	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	.333	.333	.333	.000	0	0
2007	DET	MLB	AL	593	494	107	131	20	1	25	228	75	84	71	22	5	.265	.378	.462	.196	6	0
2008	LAK	A+	FSL	19	13	7	2	0	0	2	8	2	6	1	0	0	.154	.421	.615	.462	0	0
2008	DET	MLB	AL	482	418	52	94	16	0	19	167	57	58	83	9	2	.225	.326	.400	.175	1	0
2009	NYN	MLB	NL	312	268	44	74	13	2	10	121	43	40	46	2	1	.276	.372	.451	.175	2	0

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2008	1892	0.4958	0.3985	0.8170	0.5576	0.2421	0.8604	0.7186	0.1830	-0.0053
2009	1247	0.4908	0.3689	0.8565	0.5033	0.2394	0.9026	0.7632	0.1435	0.0008
Career	3139	0.4938	0.3867	0.8327	0.5360	0.2410	0.8772	0.7363	0.1673	-0.0029

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2009-10-01	2009-10-05	DTD	4	3		Low Back	Soreness		-
2009-09-24	2009-09-30	DTD	6	5		Low Back	Soreness		-
2009-08-29	2009-09-16	DTD	18	16		Low Back	Strain		-
2009-08-26	2009-08-28	DTD	2	2		Low Back	Spasms		-
2009-08-23	2009-08-23	DTD	0	0	Right	Wrist	Soreness		-
2009-08-06	2009-08-10	DTD	4	4	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2009-07-18	2009-08-02	15-DL	15	14	Right	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2009-06-22	2009-06-26	DTD	4	4	Right	Knee	Inflammation	Bursa Sac	-
2009-06-03	2009-06-04	DTD	1	0	Right	Knee	Soreness		-
2009-05-20	2009-05-22	DTD	2	1		General Medical	Illness	Food Poisoning	-
2008-09-04	2008-09-05	DTD	1	1		Shoulder	Soreness		-
2008-05-27	2008-06-24	15-DL	28	24	Left	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-
2008-04-20	2008-04-25	DTD	5	5	Bilateral	Shoulder	Inflammation	Cortisone Injection	-
2008-04-11	2008-04-12	DTD	1	1	Left	Fingers	Soreness	Tendon In Ring Finger	-
2008-04-04	2008-04-06	DTD	2	2	Left	Fingers	Strain	Tendon In Ring Finger	-
2008-03-07	2008-03-11	Camp	4	0			Cramp		-
2007-10-08	2007-10-08	Off	0	0	Right	Shoulder	Surgery	Labrum and Loose Bodies	2007-10-08
2007-08-22	2007-09-06	15-DL	15	14	Right	Shoulder	Impingement		-
2007-08-02	2007-08-08	DTD	6	5	Right	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2007-07-25	2007-07-27	DTD	2	2	Right	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2006-05-30	2006-09-18	60-DL	111	100	Left	Wrist	Surgery	Dislocating Tendon and Torn Ligaments	2006-06-13
2006-05-06	2006-05-23	15-DL	17	16	Left	Wrist	Sprain		-
2006-04-30	2006-05-04	DTD	4	3	Left	Wrist	Sprain	Collision with Another Player	-
2006-04-24	2006-04-25	DTD	1	0		Knee	Contusion		-
2005-09-08	2005-09-13	DTD	5	4	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2005-05-19	2005-05-20	DTD	1	0	Left	Hand	Inflammation		-
2005-05-09	2005-05-09	DTD	0	0	Left	Ankle	Sprain		-
2005-03-08	2005-03-13	Camp	5	0	Right	Hip	Strain	Hip Flexor	-
2004-11-30	2004-11-30	Off	0	0	Left	Shoulder	Surgery	Labrum	2004-11-30
2004-08-29	2004-08-31	DTD	2	1		Ankle	Sprain		-
2004-06-21	2004-06-26	DTD	5	3	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation	Bursitis	-
2004-06-06	2004-06-08	DTD	2	1		General Medical	Respiratory	Flu	-
2004-03-07	2004-03-12	Camp	5	0	Right	Thumb	Sprain	Thumb	-
2003-10-03	2003-10-03	DTD	0	0	Left	Hand	Contusion	HBP	-
2001-05-24	2001-06-08	15-DL	15	13	Left	Fingers	Sprain	Index Finger	-
1998-08-31	1998-09-28	DTD	28	25	Left	Ankle	Sprain		-
1997-05-14	1997-05-29	15-DL	15	11	Left	Thumb	Soreness		-	-
1995-06-11	1995-09-01	15-DL	82	74	Left	Thumb	Surgery	Ulnar Collateral Ligament	1995-06-14	-
1994-05-28	1994-06-12	15-DL	15	14	Left	Shoulder	Inflammation		-
1994-05-10	1994-05-25	15-DL	15	13	Left	Shoulder	Inflammation		-	-
1991-07-25	1991-10-07	60-DL	74	68	Left	Shoulder	Inflammation		-	-
1991-06-12	1991-07-03	15-DL	21	19	Left	Wrist	Strain	Displaced Extensor Tendon	-	-
1989-07-14	1989-09-09	15-DL	57	55	Right	Foot	Fracture	Sesmoid Bone	-	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2009	NYN	$14,000,000
2008	DET	$14,000,000
2007	DET	$13,000,000
2006	NYA	$13,000,000
2005	NYA	$13,000,000
2004	NYA	$13,000,000
2003	ATL	$11,000,000
2002	ATL	$9,916,667
2001	LAN	$9,916,667
2000	LAN	$9,916,667

Years	Description	Salary
10 yr	Previous	$120,750,001
10 yr	Total	$120,750,001

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
21 y 31 d	Rufus Williams (prev himself, Scott Boras

Details

2 years/$28M (2008-09). Signed two-year extension with Detroit as part of trade from NY Yankees 11/06. 07:$13M, 08:$14M, 09:$14M. $12.5M deferred at 3% interest ($4.5M in '07, $4M in '08, $4M in '09). Limited no-trade clause (may block deals to 10 clubs each season). Award bonuses. Released by Detroit 3/31/09. Signed by NY Mets as a free agent 4/4/09 (Mets pay $0.4M of 2009 salary, with Tigers responsible for $13.6M).
3 years/$39M (2004-06), plus 2007 club option. Signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 12/03. 04-06:$13M annually, 07:$13M club option. $4.5M annually deferred without interest. $3.3M non-termination bonus 6/05 (deferred without interest). Award bonus. NY Yankees exercised 2007 option 11/06, facilitating trade.
6 years/$61M (1998-2003), plus 2004 club option. 98-02:$10M annually, 03:$11M, 04:$11M club option. Atlanta declined 2004 option 10/03.
Drafted by Milwaukee 1986 (1-6) (Hillsborough HS, Tampa, Fla.).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	VORP	FRAA	WARP
Weighted Mean	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	0	0	?	?	.000	.000	.000	0	0.0	?	0.0

BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2014-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If you had to give one name, which prospect do you think has the absolute highest ceiling? (Drew from Arkansas)	I'll give you two - Buxton and Baez. Buxton has the Mike Trout starter kit. If he develops the power, he'll be among the best players in the game. Baez is a mess right now, but remember what he can do. What if Gary Sheffield had been able to remain a shortstop? That's Baez's ceiling. (Jeff Moore)
2014-02-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Javier Baez... Give me a ceiling and a floor. (Jordan from Vegas)	The ceiling is Gary Sheffield. The floor could be any powerful young player who fails to make adjustments at the major league level once the league sees him the first time around. That's the key. Baez is going to come up and amaze everyone for a little while because he's ridiculously talented. Then the league will get a book on him and pitch him differently. What happens from there will determine his future. If he adjusts back after the league adjusts to him, it's on. (Jeff Moore)
2013-12-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is it safe to say that, assuming Baez has the better hit tool and Sano has the better power tool, that Baez may be less risky to reach his ceiling because you need the hit tool to tap into the power? (Peter from Chicago)	I'd say that make-up will be the most important factor for reaching a ceiling. On that note, Baez seems to be maturing. I like Baez more than Sano because he's in a better spot on the defensive spectrum, he's got the hit tool, and he's not exactly a power slouch himself. He's a 75 if Sano is an 80. I've said this for a while now: I haven't seen hands as fast as Javy's since Gary Sheffield. (Harry Pavlidis)
2013-02-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Rank the bat speed: Gary Sheffield, Rickie Weeks, Javier Baez? (Matt from NJ)	That order looks good to me, but elite bat speed is elite bat speed. (Jason Parks)
2013-01-11 14:00:00 (link to chat)	I appreciate WAR as a reflective statistic but how is it possible that a player like Vladimir Guererro falls so short in both career AND peak compared to HOF Right Fielders? Yes he was a hacker, but his career OBP is still .379 and OPS .931 with most of his home games in pitcher friendly parks. He was arguably the most feared hitter in the game for a 7 year period, leading the league in intentional walks yet he comes in below guys like Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonds. Really? (Scott from LA)	Vlad racked up his numbers in a much more offense-friendly era than the guys you mention (Sheffield excepted - and the two are side-by-side in the JAWS rankings), his defensive value was in the red, he had one really productive season after age 33, and doesn't have anything after his age 36 season. It's very tough to get into the Hall of Fame with a resume like that no matter what preceded it; ask Dale Murphy. (Jay Jaffe on the Hall of Fame)
2011-09-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who's your vote for this generation's Dick Allen? Skill- and attitude-wise, I guess. (James from NY)	Gary Sheffield was a reasonable analogue for Allen, a guy who found controversy multiple times while bouncing from team to team. Milton Bradley is even more controversial, but he can't stay healthy and has been far more self-destructive than Allen ever was. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see any free agents with solid fantasy value out there? Jermaine Dye, Elijah Dukes, Pedro, am I forgetting somebody? (dangor from New York)	John Smoltz, at least as a reliever, is somebody who can help if he's so inclined, though I guess he's content to go the broadcast route for the moment. A healthy Jarrod Washburn can certainly sponge up a useful number of innings. David Weathers is a handy reliever to have around even at his age. Carlos Delgado might still have something left once he recovers from hip surgery. Gary Sheffield is still a badass who can be a useful bench bat if so inclined, and Joe Crede can pick it at the hot corner if his back is right. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-03-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What's the difference between a pitcher waiting until mid-season to sign and a position player waiting until mid-season to sign? Is it plausible for a guy like Sheffield to not start playing until June or July? (John from NH)	I would say a hitter actually could do it easier than a pitcher. Baseball people will universally tell you that spring training is almost seven weeks long because the pitchers need time to get ready. Most position players tell me they are ready to go by no later three weeks, usually after two weeks. Hence, I'd have to say someone like Gary Sheffield could get ready quicker than someone like Pedro Martinez. (John Perrotto)
2010-02-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Are there any free agents left unsigned who could be useful to contending teams? (garethbluejays1 from Newcastle, UK)	I realize it's a well-kept secret that Johnny Damon is still looking for work. Beyond him, Russell Branyan, Rocco Baldelli, Joe Beimel, Carlos Delgado, Jermaine Dye, Pedro Martinez, Chan Ho Park, John Smoltz, Gary Sheffield and Jarrod Washburn all strike me as players who could help somebody win. Not necessarily by getting 500 PA worth of playing time, mind you, and maybe not getting enough playing time to satisfy their own estimations of their talent. Park can pitch out of my bullpen, but if he wants to start, fuggedaboutit. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-01-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What player do you think most increased his HOF chances in 2009? Pettitte, maybe? Thanks. (collins from greenville nc)	Roy Halladay is one that comes to mind, particularly given all the scrutiny his eventual trade provoked and the fact that he winds up with a bigger-market team. Also Gary Sheffield, because in his strong comeback he topped the 500 homer club and probably bought himself another year, or at the very least erased the memory of an ignominious end in Detroit. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-09 13:30:00 (link to chat)	How do scouts typically measure bat speed? Can they just tell or do they look for a hitter's ability to hit mid-90s heat on the inside or up in the zone? (Dillon from Pasadena)	There's not some kind of timed measurement, but you are looking for barrel velocity as well as kind of a pop-time thing where you want to see how quick the bat flies into the hitting zone from the time one starts their swing. You're looking for warning signs like bat wrap, or hitches and triggers, but you also have to accept the fact that sometimes things just work for a guy. Julio Franco had an INSANE bat wrap, but you had no reason to fix it. Hunter Pence has a big ol' hitch, but it works, Gary Sheffield's waggle trigger -- you'd never teach it, but you'd never ask him to change it. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-05-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Starts Jermey Reed at 1b and Daniel Murphy in LF and Gary Sheffield in RF (go get 'em Carlos!) as Ryan Church sits the bench. Starts Gary Sheffield in RF at bats him 4th. Omir Santos starts again! Sacrifice bunts with no one out and a runner on second IN THE FIRST INNING. Pinch hits for Daniel Murphy with Angel F. Pagan with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning down by two. These are all things Jerry Manuel did JUST LAST NIGHT. Was he this bad in Chicago? BTW- Mets didn't score in the first (or ever for that matter.) Pagan grounded into a double play. Sheffield went 0 for 4 and left 4 on base. (Dave from NJ)	He was, and he will be. That the Mets were impressed with him was proof they didn't remember that this was what happened last time around: Manuel aced his interview, says all the right things in a conference room, and then handicapped his ballclub with his fascination with ways of insinuating himself into the ballgame. I know it means something to Mets fans if I label the man "Torborgian," but that's what you're working with, with a dash of braggadocio to spice things up a bit. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-10-24 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Looking back over 2008, what players do you think cemented their future HOF inductions? What players dented their chances? (Mike from Texas)	I'm a big believer that his first 20-win season put Mike Mussina over the top. Walking away after doing so may be a statement-maker that plays well with the BBWAA electorate down the road, but I don't know that for sure. On the other hand, Gary Sheffield looks pretty cooked, and while he'll get past 500 homers next year, he's not gonna go much higher than that, and it likely leaves him on the borderline before considering his rather unique collection of baggage. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-07-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe, can you think of a way to politely let Jim Leyland know that Gary Sheffield has a fork sticking out of his shoulder and it's time to start giving Marcus Thames 80% of the at-bats at DH before it's too late? (Randy from Ann Arbor, MI)	I think you're half right. I don't see a lot in Marcus Thames' career that says he can play against righthanders with any frequency. This is another spot for that guy we keep talking about--in fact, he'd probably have MORE pennant impact for the Tigers, all things considered, than for any other team, save possibly the Rays. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-07-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Gary Sheffield will or will not revive this season? (Corkedbat from Dallas)	Jump on the Marcus Thames bandwagon! I think even Leyland is drinking that delicious, power filled Kool Aid. A friend in my fantasy league has an away message he puts up occasionally, something along the lines of "Sheff, it's time to retire. Your bat speed already has." (Marc Normandin)
2008-06-17 15:00:00 (link to chat)	JAWS questions! Rafael Palmeiro? (objectively) Gary Sheffield? (ditto) Omar Vizquel? My man Jorge Posada? (You knew it was coming...) (DrDave from Alexandria VA)	Dr. Dave, glad you could stop by. Very quickly, Palmeiro does have the numbers (138.4 career, 68.9 peak, 103.7 JAWS) versus a standard of 138.4/68.9/103.7 for HOF 1Bs. Sheffield is in trouble in that given his injuries, he's not likely to add much to his numbers (117.2/63.5/90.4) which are a bit short of the Hall standard for RFs (125.0/68.7/96.8). Vizquel I get asked about rather frequently. I covered this last year (http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=332), and since then the distance between him (79.3 overall) and the SS standard (96.6) has actually increased. Posada has the peak (80.4/62.6/71.5 versus a standard of 98.9/60.8/79.9) and if he can stay healthy I think he's got a shot. But as this year has already shown, staying healthy will present a major challenge as he approaches 40. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-05-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Did the Tigers make bad deals or are the players just underperforming? (tiger fan from MI)	Whatever winds up happening, the Cabrera deal was still way too attractive to them to pass up. I wasn't a fan of having anything to do with Jacque Jones at the time, but at least they've cut bait on that one pretty quickly. Really, the only transaction where I've strongly disagreed with the Tigers is signing Gary Sheffield to a three-year deal last winter. I'd rather have spent that money on a closer, and gotten a Matt Stairs type to play DH if you need one. But all of this is much easier to say in hindsight, and it's still way too early to be writing the Tigers' obituary for this season. (Nate Silver)
2008-05-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Jay, I was recently talking to a friend about the most "feared" hitters who are not in the Hall of Fame. I know that term was really beaten into the ground this past winter when discussing Jim Rice but still, there are some hitters that strike fear into you--either as a fan or an opposing pitcher. Who was the best and/or "most feared" hitters, in your subjective opinoin (in order): Dave Parker, Dick Allen, Darryl Strawberry, Jim Rice, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Martinez or Albert Belle? (AlexBelth from Bronx, NY)	Yo, Alex! All of the hitters you mention certainly had the fear factor going for them in their prime, but as you say, that's a subjective thing, and subjectivity isn't really the way to go when it comes to sorting them out. Neither Rice nor Parker had the plate discipline to keep them on the level with the rest of this group, so I'd put the two of them towards the back. Martinez is probably the toughest out, but lacking a bit of raw power relative to the rest of them. I'd put him and Strawberry in the middle. That leaves Allen, Shef, and Belle. Having never seen the former, I'm not sure I can fully grasp the visceral experience of watching him hit, I can only go by the numbers, and his numbers, compiled in an era of lower offense, suggest he was the best. But I'd quake in my boots at facing any of those three. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-05-09 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi, Christina. Who holds the career record for just-foul-almost-HRs? Gary Sheffield? (DaveKavanagh from Dublin, Ireland)	Good question... I have absolutely no idea, but remember Bill James writing about Steve Balboni in this department, but that was probably another bit of his understandable Royals-centrism back in the day. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-04-25 15:00:00 (link to chat)	Is Sheffield headed for the Hall of Very Good? It doesn't seem like he's made many friends in the media over the years. (Fred from Houston)	Are you kidding? If there's been one consistent facet of Sheffield's career, its that he'll talk to the media and is almost guaranteed to say something that will stir the pot and give the writer some high profile attention. Writers bash Barry Bonds for not cooperating. They don't bash Gary Sheffield for speaking his mind, however ill-considered his words may sometimes be. From a JAWS standpoint, Sheffield came into the year at 117.2 WARP career, 63.5 peak, 90.4 JAWS, with the average HOF right fielder at 125.0/68.7/96.8. I think he'll be a close call, because right now its not at all clear he can stay healthy enough to pass 500 homers (he's at 481), and there will be some who will hold his involvement in BALCO against him. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-03-31 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Steven, Back in the 70s, if the Yanks were in a Rain Delay, Channel 11 would show episodes of The Odd Couple or some such. I miss those days ... don't you? (dianagramr from NYC)	I'm not a big sitcom guy, but The Odd Couple could be very good at times. Channel 11 also introduced me to Star Trek and the Twilight Zone, and, at a much earlier age, the Lone Ranger, Batman, and Superman TV shows. Those last three were shown in a block when I came home from school... ...The Yankees have officially punted on today's game. It will be made up tomorrow night, weather permitting. We'll keep the party going here, because it's still opening day and the Tigers have scored a second run on Gary Sheffield's 1577th career RBI. Only 998 to go! (Steven Goldman)
2008-02-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Miguel Cabrera or Gary Sheffield in Detroit's 3 spot? How much of a difference would it make having one in the 3 spot over the other assuming the other hits in the 5 spot? (Ben from Ohio)	I'd rather have Cabrera up there, because I don't think you can let him get too many at-bats with which to positively smoke pitches. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I heard that the Australian women's crew team canvassed their country for big, tall teenagers and invited them to train as rowers, with good success. Could a high school scout benefit from doing something similar? For example, ask any HS athlete to throw against a radar gun or to take some sort of reaction/visibility test. For all anyone knows, the next Billy Wagner or Gary Sheffield is playing wide receiver or point guard. (havybeaks from Michigan)	Sounds a little Soviet to me, but yes. Dr. Michael Axe actually has a better system -- have kids throw a ball as far as they can. There's distances that are very good predictions about velocity. (Will Carroll)

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